Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sliven Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sliven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $763 in Sliven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,234 in Sliven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,706 in Sliven.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 200% more expensive than in Sliven, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sliven is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$8.96 BGN 14.91

80.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$35.15 BGN 58.5

80.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.81 BGN 14.65

17.14%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.93 BGN 3.20

46.63%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.32 BGN 2.20

73.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.88 BGN 1.46

79.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.82 BGN 3.02

86.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.34 BGN 3.89

72.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.57 BGN 2.61

-30.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.84 BGN 1.40

108.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.19 BGN 3.65

-19.63%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.25 BGN 3.74

40.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.02 BGN 13.35

64.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$5.49 BGN 9.13

45.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$6.96 BGN 11.59

123.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.49 BGN 2.48

59.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.70 BGN 2.83

0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.43 BGN 2.37

40.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.21 BGN 3.68

9.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.52 BGN 0.87

238.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.89 BGN 1.48

128.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.05 BGN 1.75

82.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.49 BGN 0.81

73.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.60 BGN 5.98

82.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$6.08 BGN 10.12

-8.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.07 BGN 1.78

24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.28 BGN 2.14

132.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.69 BGN 1.14

230.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$36.52 BGN 60.8

25.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.15 BGN 1.91

267.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.74 BGN 1.23

9.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$8.59 BGN 14.29

114.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.50 BGN 2.49

38.67%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$32.7K BGN 54.5K

5.86%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$28.0K BGN 46.5K

39.94%

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

$148 €130

$86.8 BGN 144

70.58%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$17.78 BGN 29.57

15.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$9.46 BGN 15.73

318.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$23.71 BGN 39.44

102.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$14.85 BGN 24.71

25.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$5.95 BGN 9.89

54.96%

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

$616 €539

$430 BGN 715

43.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$7,076 BGN 11.8K

132.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$58.9 BGN 98.0

74.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$23.14 BGN 38.50

80.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$71.2 BGN 118

33.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$62.2 BGN 104

96.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$239 BGN 398

581.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$145 BGN 241

749.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$340 BGN 565

812.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$267 BGN 444

661.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,159 BGN 1,929

575.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$954 BGN 1,587

360.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,329 BGN 2,211

20.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.25

-10.35%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sliven: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $239 in Sliven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 21% 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 $35.00 in Sliven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $182 per month, with Sliven 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 Sliven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sliven differ by about 200% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $763 including rent). Sliven is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% 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 $239 in Sliven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $430 in Sliven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $763 in Sliven versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sliven but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sliven 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 Sliven 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 Sliven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.