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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $889 in Shumen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,376 in Shumen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,862 in Shumen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 156% more expensive than in Shumen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Shumen is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$9.49 BGN 15.80

65.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$29.38 BGN 48.87

116.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.66 BGN 14.41

20.67%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.70 BGN 2.83

71.18%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.37 BGN 2.28

67.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.71 BGN 1.19

111.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.01 BGN 3.34

77.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.33 BGN 3.87

69.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.64 BGN 2.73

-34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.95 BGN 1.59

85.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.91 BGN 3.18

-10.99%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.08 BGN 5.12

5.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$9.41 BGN 15.66

40.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$5.63 BGN 9.37

36.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$11.73 BGN 19.51

34.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.76 BGN 2.93

29.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.05 BGN 3.41

-19.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.06 BGN 3.42

-1.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.25 BGN 3.74

9.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.45 BGN 2.42

23.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.33 BGN 2.21

55.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.93 BGN 1.54

111.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.79 BGN 1.31

5.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$3.57 BGN 5.94

83.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$7.22 BGN 12.00

-22.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.93 BGN 1.55

43.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.61 BGN 2.68

86.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.87 BGN 1.45

160.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$26.71 BGN 44.44

73.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.25 BGN 2.08

238.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.31 BGN 0.51

174.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$13.36 BGN 22.22

40.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.49 BGN 2.47

35.57%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$32.0K BGN 53.2K

9.40%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$25.2K BGN 41.9K

57.43%

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

$148 €128

$96.4 BGN 160

53.53%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$16.33 BGN 27.16

25.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$13.90 BGN 23.13

184.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$39.73 BGN 66.1

21.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$11.67 BGN 19.41

57.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$6.94 BGN 11.54

31.12%

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

$615 €532

$237 BGN 394

159.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$10.6K BGN 17.6K

54.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$54.5 BGN 90.6

86.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$41.57 BGN 69.2

1.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$83.1 BGN 138

11.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$72.2 BGN 120

69.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$272 BGN 452

492.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$189 BGN 314

563.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$508 BGN 844

504.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$326 BGN 542

524.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,289 BGN 2,144

501.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,017 BGN 1,691

321.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,034 BGN 1,719

54.98%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shumen: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $272 in Shumen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 55% 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 $267 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 156% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $889 including rent). Shumen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $272 in Shumen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $237 in Shumen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $889 in Shumen versus $2,280 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 156% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.