Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sofia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sofia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,373 in Sofia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,132 in Sofia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,892 in Sofia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 61% more expensive than Sofia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Sofia 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$11.89 BGN 19.78

33.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$50.6 BGN 84.2

27.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$8.76 BGN 14.57

19.98%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.60 BGN 4.32

10.38%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.74 BGN 2.89

28.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.43 BGN 2.38

4.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.93 BGN 4.88

19.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.23 BGN 5.37

20.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.94 BGN 3.23

-41.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.20 BGN 2.00

45.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.99 BGN 3.31

-11.56%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.82 BGN 6.35

-15.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$12.54 BGN 20.86

7.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.74 BGN 14.55

-9.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$13.29 BGN 22.11

19.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.90 BGN 3.16

21.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.90 BGN 3.16

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.00 BGN 3.33

0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.84 BGN 4.73

-13.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.10 BGN 1.83

67.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.02 BGN 1.69

96.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.18 BGN 1.96

63.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.66 BGN 1.10

19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.81 BGN 6.33

73.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$7.65 BGN 12.73

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.09 BGN 1.82

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.79 BGN 2.98

65.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.92 BGN 1.53

157.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$29.72 BGN 49.45

53.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.49 BGN 2.48

187.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.76 BGN 1.27

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$14.34 BGN 23.86

27.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.51 BGN 2.51

36.42%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$32.5K BGN 54.0K

5.53%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$28.4K BGN 47.3K

38.32%

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

$148 €127

$154 BGN 256

-4.01%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$18.05 BGN 30.04

13.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$14.97 BGN 24.90

164.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$44.03 BGN 73.3

8.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$21.88 BGN 36.40

-13.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$9.24 BGN 15.37

-0.65%

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

$614 €529

$624 BGN 1,037

-1.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$9,327 BGN 15.5K

72.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$71.3 BGN 119

46.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$35.76 BGN 59.5

17.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$105 BGN 175

-10.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$119 BGN 198

0.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$696 BGN 1,157

134.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$501 BGN 834

150.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,296 BGN 2,157

133.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$910 BGN 1,513

122.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$4,510 BGN 7,502

72.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$3,161 BGN 5,258

35.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,674 BGN 2,786

-4.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.09

23.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sofia: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $696 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $51.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $261 per month, with Sofia 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 Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sofia differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,373 including rent). Sofia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sofia earns 4% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $696 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $624 in Sofia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,373 in Sofia versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia 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 Sofia 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 Sofia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.