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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $922 in Silistra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,357 in Silistra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,792 in Silistra.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 140% more expensive than Silistra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Silistra is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$10.74 BGN 17.86

48.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$24.98 BGN 41.56

159.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.98 BGN 14.94

17.04%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.81 BGN 3.02

58.56%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.20 BGN 2.00

86.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.67 BGN 1.11

123.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.87 BGN 3.12

86.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.57 BGN 4.28

50.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.69 BGN 2.80

-32.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.90 BGN 1.51

94.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.95 BGN 3.24

-9.74%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.29 BGN 5.47

-2.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$9.20 BGN 15.31

46.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.75 BGN 12.89

2.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$11.70 BGN 19.46

35.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.93 BGN 3.20

19.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.03 BGN 3.39

-16.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.08 BGN 3.46

-3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.48 BGN 4.13

-0.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.43 BGN 2.38

28.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.36 BGN 2.26

47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.05 BGN 1.75

83.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.76 BGN 1.27

3.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.70 BGN 6.15

78.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.39 BGN 8.96

6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.96 BGN 1.60

42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.75 BGN 2.92

69.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.57 BGN 0.95

315.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$26.46 BGN 44.02

72.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.20 BGN 1.99

257.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.68 BGN 1.13

20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$5.86 BGN 9.74

212.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.53 BGN 2.55

34.64%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$31.9K BGN 53.1K

7.48%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.8K BGN 43.0K

52.17%

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

$148 €127

$93.7 BGN 156

57.80%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$16.47 BGN 27.41

24.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$13.85 BGN 23.04

185.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$31.88 BGN 53.0

50.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$14.76 BGN 24.56

28.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.25 BGN 12.06

26.62%

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

$614 €528

$234 BGN 390

162.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,177 BGN 6,949

284.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$58.6 BGN 97.5

78.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$29.77 BGN 49.53

41.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$70.9 BGN 118

32.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$70.4 BGN 117

69.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$233 BGN 388

598.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$206 BGN 342

510.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$340 BGN 566

790.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$253 BGN 420

699.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,340 BGN 2,229

482.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,078 BGN 1,793

296.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$752 BGN 1,252

113.14%

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 1, 2026

Last update for Silistra: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $233 in Silistra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 113% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Silistra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $230 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 140% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $922 including rent). Silistra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 113% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $233 in Silistra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $234 in Silistra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $922 in Silistra versus $2,210 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 140% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.