Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sliven

For one person, living is cheaper in Sliven: $779 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Sliven
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Sliven Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Sliven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Sliven

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Sliven actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $779 in Sliven.

Lisbon $2,202
Sliven $779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,232 in Sliven.

Lisbon $3,274
Sliven $1,232

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,684 in Sliven.

Lisbon $4,346
Sliven $1,684

Living in Lisbon is roughly 183% more expensive than in Sliven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Sliven is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$11.37 BGN 19.78

49.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$35.06 BGN 61.0

77.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$10.19 BGN 17.74

8.15%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$1.79 BGN 3.11

74.30%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$1.25 BGN 2.17

81.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.88 BGN 1.53

97.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$1.71 BGN 2.97

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$2.36 BGN 4.10

58.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-24.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.79 BGN 1.37

135.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.58 BGN 4.49

-40.31%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$2.09 BGN 3.63

94.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$8.12 BGN 14.12

58.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$5.50 BGN 9.57

43.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$6.67 BGN 11.61

164.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.47 BGN 2.56

53.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.65 BGN 2.88

6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.45 BGN 2.52

30.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.16 BGN 3.77

18.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$0.51 BGN 0.88

262.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$0.88 BGN 1.53

123.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.02 BGN 1.77

42.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.48 BGN 0.83

60.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$3.49 BGN 6.08

92.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$6.14 BGN 10.68

-7.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.01 BGN 1.77

35.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.27 BGN 2.21

66.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.70 BGN 1.22

231.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$34.80 BGN 60.6

27.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$1.12 BGN 1.96

252.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.59 BGN 1.03

77.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$8.71 BGN 15.16

96.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.53 BGN 2.66

43.14%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$30.3K BGN 52.7K

11.56%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$22.2K BGN 38.6K

72.36%

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

$164 €146

$86.7 BGN 151

88.94%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$20.37 BGN 35.44

-9.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$9.44 BGN 16.43

249.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$23.32 BGN 40.58

96.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$5.80 BGN 10.09

68.10%

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

$684 €608

$508 BGN 885

34.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$6,395 BGN 11.1K

175.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$58.1 BGN 101

78.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$22.56 BGN 39.25

104.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$69.1 BGN 120

44.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$61.6 BGN 107

102.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$231 BGN 402

588.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$146 BGN 253

703.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$329 BGN 572

767.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$254 BGN 441

686.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$1,147 BGN 1,996

579.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$915 BGN 1,593

382.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$1,325 BGN 2,306

20.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

2.82

36.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sliven: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Sliven

$146 18.7% 87.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Sliven

$181 23.2% 33.8% $92

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Sliven

$165 21.1% 33.4% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Sliven

$117 15% 45.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Sliven

$95 12.2% 43.6% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Sliven

$35 4.5% 46.6% $30

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Sliven

$42 5.4% 33.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $231 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Sliven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $181 per month, with Sliven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇬 Sliven

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

10:09 10:09 AM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

95,806

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Sliven 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Sliven

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 183% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $779 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $231 in Sliven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $508 in Sliven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $779 in Sliven versus $2,202 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 183% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.