Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shumen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shumen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $900 in Shumen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,382 in Shumen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,865 in Shumen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 151% more expensive than Shumen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Shumen is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$9.51 BGN 15.82

67.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$29.11 BGN 48.42

117.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$8.73 BGN 14.53

18.90%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$1.63 BGN 2.71

71.17%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.33 BGN 2.21

75.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.65 BGN 1.08

141.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.00 BGN 3.33

71.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.32 BGN 3.86

68.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.70 BGN 2.82

-36.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.96 BGN 1.60

84.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.94 BGN 3.23

-11.86%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.02 BGN 5.02

4.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$9.18 BGN 15.27

49.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$5.80 BGN 9.64

38.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$11.75 BGN 19.55

32.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.77 BGN 2.94

29.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.06 BGN 3.43

-20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.02 BGN 3.36

-3.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.27 BGN 3.77

10.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.44 BGN 2.39

24.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.37 BGN 2.29

46.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.92 BGN 1.52

114.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.74 BGN 1.23

13.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.69 BGN 6.15

84.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$7.18 BGN 11.95

-21.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.00 BGN 1.67

39.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.60 BGN 2.67

88.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.95 BGN 1.59

138.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$26.38 BGN 43.88

72.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.26 BGN 2.09

240.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.33 BGN 0.55

157.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$13.25 BGN 22.04

37.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.50 BGN 2.49

32.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.0K €30.2K

$32.5K BGN 54.1K

7.80%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.5K €34.1K

$26.0K BGN 43.3K

51.95%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$146 €126

$96.0 BGN 160

52.30%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.45 €17.62

$16.63 BGN 27.66

22.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$14.04 BGN 23.35

177.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$40.48 BGN 67.3

21.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$12.02 BGN 20.00

56.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$7.27 BGN 12.10

30.95%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$608 €524

$238 BGN 397

155.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$10.5K BGN 17.5K

57.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$54.2 BGN 90.2

91.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$41.69 BGN 69.4

1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$81.9 BGN 136

12.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$71.7 BGN 119

67.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$280 BGN 465

479.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$194 BGN 322

554.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$509 BGN 846

499.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$328 BGN 546

512.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,266 BGN 2,106

505.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,051 BGN 1,748

312.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,044 BGN 1,737

51.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.57

-16.63%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Shumen: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $280 in Shumen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 52% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Shumen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $221 per month, with Shumen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Shumen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Shumen differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $900 including rent). Shumen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 52% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $280 in Shumen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $238 in Shumen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $900 in Shumen versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shumen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shumen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Shumen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Shumen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.