Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Silistra Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Silistra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $891 in Silistra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,265 in Silistra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,639 in Silistra.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 160% more expensive than in Silistra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Silistra is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$10.77 BGN 17.92

60.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$26.00 BGN 43.25

143.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$9.51 BGN 15.82

19.77%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$1.76 BGN 2.92

81.25%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.18 BGN 1.96

107.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.84 BGN 1.39

109.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.87 BGN 3.11

91.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.03 BGN 3.37

67.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.80 BGN 2.99

-31.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.88 BGN 1.47

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.49 BGN 2.47

2.01%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.42 BGN 4.03

66.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$9.55 BGN 15.89

41.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$6.61 BGN 11.00

26.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$8.73 BGN 14.52

109.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.32 BGN 2.20

73.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.78 BGN 2.96

-2.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.75 BGN 2.92

6.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.05 BGN 3.41

28.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.00 BGN 1.66

92.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.74 BGN 1.23

182.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.61 BGN 1.02

136.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.68 BGN 1.14

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.85 BGN 6.40

76.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$5.37 BGN 8.93

6.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.13 BGN 1.88

22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.74 BGN 2.90

27.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.92 BGN 1.53

160.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$26.50 BGN 44.09

76.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.16 BGN 1.93

259.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.67 BGN 1.12

70.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$6.00 BGN 9.99

194.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.49 BGN 2.48

55.70%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$31.3K BGN 52.0K

13.06%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$21.5K BGN 35.8K

92.38%

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

$170 €146

$96.8 BGN 161

75.92%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$15.34 BGN 25.53

26.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$12.47 BGN 20.75

169.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$32.39 BGN 53.9

48.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$18.14 BGN 30.17

9.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$7.01 BGN 11.65

41.51%

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

$717 €617

$236 BGN 393

203.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$2,403 BGN 3,998

627.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$31.03 BGN 51.6

237.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$19.83 BGN 32.99

136.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$66.9 BGN 111

54.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$53.3 BGN 88.7

132.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$351 BGN 584

377.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$261 BGN 434

387.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$351 BGN 584

750.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$255 BGN 424

682.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,333 BGN 2,217

487.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,227 BGN 2,042

279.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$738 BGN 1,228

114.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

2.99

26.76%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Silistra: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $351 in Silistra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 114% 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 $26.00 in Silistra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $200 per month, with Silistra 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 Silistra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Silistra differ by about 160% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $891 including rent). Silistra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 114% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $351 in Silistra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $236 in Silistra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $891 in Silistra versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Silistra but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Silistra 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 Silistra 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 Silistra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.