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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $919 in Silistra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,364 in Silistra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,809 in Silistra.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 149% more expensive than in Silistra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Silistra is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$10.72 BGN 17.83

51.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$25.59 BGN 42.57

147.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.00 BGN 14.97

14.67%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.72 BGN 2.87

64.53%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.17 BGN 1.94

95.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.65 BGN 1.08

143.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.94 BGN 3.23

75.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.72 BGN 4.53

48.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.63 BGN 2.71

-33.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.95 BGN 1.58

84.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.87 BGN 3.12

-5.88%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.31 BGN 5.50

-4.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$9.17 BGN 15.26

43.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$7.88 BGN 13.11

1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$11.53 BGN 19.17

34.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.93 BGN 3.22

22.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.12 BGN 3.52

-19.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.01 BGN 3.34

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.51 BGN 4.18

-3.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.46 BGN 2.42

20.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.35 BGN 2.25

50.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.05 BGN 1.74

82.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.83 BGN 1.38

2.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.63 BGN 6.03

81.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$5.19 BGN 8.64

7.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.94 BGN 1.56

41.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.73 BGN 2.88

71.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.62 BGN 1.03

267.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$26.41 BGN 43.94

73.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.20 BGN 1.99

252.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.71 BGN 1.18

14.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$6.05 BGN 10.06

204.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.46 BGN 2.43

42.47%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$32.5K BGN 54.0K

6.78%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$25.6K BGN 42.5K

53.12%

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

$148 €130

$94.8 BGN 158

56.24%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$16.72 BGN 27.82

22.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$14.08 BGN 23.42

180.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$31.80 BGN 52.9

50.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$14.54 BGN 24.19

27.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$7.12 BGN 11.84

29.49%

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

$616 €540

$233 BGN 388

164.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,159 BGN 6,919

295.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$59.6 BGN 99.1

72.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$29.12 BGN 48.45

43.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$71.5 BGN 119

32.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$72.0 BGN 120

69.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$235 BGN 391

595.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$210 BGN 349

488.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$339 BGN 564

813.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$258 BGN 430

686.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,389 BGN 2,311

463.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$972 BGN 1,617

351.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$735 BGN 1,223

118.59%

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 14, 2026

Last update for Silistra: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $235 in Silistra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 119% 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 $267 vs $231 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 149% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $919 including rent). Silistra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 119% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $235 in Silistra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $233 in Silistra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $919 in Silistra versus $2,291 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 149% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.