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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,659 in Sofia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,553 in Sofia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,447 in Sofia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 37% more expensive than in Sofia, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Sofia 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$17.14 BGN 28.51

2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$64.0 BGN 106

0.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$12.13 BGN 20.18

-3.96%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.55 BGN 5.91

-8.17%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.45 BGN 4.08

1.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.94 BGN 3.22

-13.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.54 BGN 5.89

-1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.60 BGN 7.65

-22.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.08 BGN 3.46

-43.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.52 BGN 2.53

28.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.31 BGN 3.84

-32.47%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$4.55 BGN 7.57

-11.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$11.88 BGN 19.76

11.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$8.94 BGN 14.88

-5.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$17.42 BGN 28.99

4.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.17 BGN 3.61

6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.06 BGN 3.43

-16.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.90 BGN 3.17

1.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.12 BGN 6.85

-35.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.11 BGN 1.85

71.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.95 BGN 1.58

122.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.25 BGN 2.08

15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.85 BGN 1.41

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.49 BGN 7.46

56.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.42 BGN 12.34

-20.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.20 BGN 1.99

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.92 BGN 3.20

11.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.95 BGN 1.57

150.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$30.10 BGN 50.1

53.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.82 BGN 3.03

130.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.93 BGN 1.55

18.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$15.98 BGN 26.58

8.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.78 BGN 2.96

26.40%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$31.5K BGN 52.3K

9.58%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$27.9K BGN 46.5K

49.01%

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

$171 €147

$165 BGN 274

3.83%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$21.72 BGN 36.13

-12.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$14.99 BGN 24.94

128.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$48.62 BGN 80.9

2.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$29.09 BGN 48.40

-32.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$10.52 BGN 17.50

-3.99%

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

$699 €603

$781 BGN 1,298

-10.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$13.2K BGN 22.0K

34.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$91.6 BGN 152

14.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$43.54 BGN 72.4

10.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$106 BGN 176

-3.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$109 BGN 182

17.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$809 BGN 1,345

105.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$619 BGN 1,030

98.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,586 BGN 2,638

83.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$1,097 BGN 1,825

84.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$4,590 BGN 7,635

77.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$3,336 BGN 5,550

38.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,796 BGN 2,988

-9.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.9

30.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Sofia: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $809 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $64.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $293 per month, with Lisbon 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 37% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,659 including rent). Sofia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Sofia. 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $809 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $781 in Sofia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,659 in Sofia versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $3,000 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 37% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.