Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Smolyan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Smolyan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $751 in Smolyan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,188 in Smolyan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $1,625 in Smolyan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 201% more expensive than Smolyan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Smolyan is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$6.35 BGN 10.56

151.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$38.53 BGN 64.1

64.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$5.83 BGN 9.71

78.04%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$1.31 BGN 2.18

112.98%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.29 BGN 2.15

81.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.00 BGN 1.66

57.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.76 BGN 2.92

94.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.15 BGN 3.58

81.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.73 BGN 2.88

-37.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.93 BGN 1.54

90.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.72 BGN 2.87

-0.58%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.64 BGN 6.06

-13.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$10.77 BGN 17.91

27.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.07 BGN 10.10

31.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$9.11 BGN 15.15

70.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.15 BGN 1.91

99.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.82 BGN 3.02

-9.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.16 BGN 1.93

67.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.40 BGN 3.99

4.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.17 BGN 1.94

52.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.38 BGN 2.30

45.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.20 BGN 2.00

64.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.58 BGN 0.96

44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.53 BGN 5.87

92.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$5.91 BGN 9.84

-4.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.58 BGN 0.96

139.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.66 BGN 2.77

81.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.91 BGN 1.52

149.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$34.01 BGN 56.6

33.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.20 BGN 2.00

257.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.54 BGN 0.90

57.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$11.76 BGN 19.57

55.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.57 BGN 2.61

26.75%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$23.3K BGN 38.7K

50.68%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$24.3K BGN 40.5K

62.42%

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

$146 €126

$117 BGN 194

25.33%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$16.40 BGN 27.29

24.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$9.40 BGN 15.64

314.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$22.99 BGN 38.25

113.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$14.72 BGN 24.49

27.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$7.13 BGN 11.87

33.52%

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

$608 €524

$326 BGN 543

86.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$5,464 BGN 9,089

202.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$29.11 BGN 48.44

256.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$22.40 BGN 37.27

88.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$61.0 BGN 101

51.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$63.9 BGN 106

87.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$209 BGN 347

676.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$145 BGN 241

774.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$290 BGN 482

951.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$248 BGN 413

710.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,327 BGN 2,208

477.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,115 BGN 1,855

288.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$717 BGN 1,192

121.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.5

-15.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Smolyan: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $209 in Smolyan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 121% 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 $39.00 in Smolyan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $207 per month, with Smolyan 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 Smolyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Smolyan differ by about 201% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $751 including rent). Smolyan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 121% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $209 in Smolyan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $326 in Smolyan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $751 in Smolyan versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Smolyan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Smolyan 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 Smolyan 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 Smolyan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.