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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,365 in Sofia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,143 in Sofia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,922 in Sofia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 68% more expensive than in Sofia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Sofia 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$11.72 BGN 19.51

38.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$49.80 BGN 82.8

27.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$8.77 BGN 14.59

17.67%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.63 BGN 4.38

7.60%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.78 BGN 2.96

28.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.42 BGN 2.36

11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.96 BGN 4.92

14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.27 BGN 5.43

23.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.86 BGN 3.09

-41.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.20 BGN 2.00

45.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.99 BGN 3.31

-11.56%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.96 BGN 6.58

-19.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$12.18 BGN 20.26

8.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$8.72 BGN 14.51

-8.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$12.98 BGN 21.60

19.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.91 BGN 3.18

24.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.96 BGN 3.27

-12.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.99 BGN 3.31

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.75 BGN 4.57

-11.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.12 BGN 1.86

57.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.05 BGN 1.75

93.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.19 BGN 1.98

61.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.66 BGN 1.10

28.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.87 BGN 6.43

70.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$7.39 BGN 12.29

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.10 BGN 1.83

20.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.83 BGN 3.04

62.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.98 BGN 1.63

132.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$29.45 BGN 48.99

55.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.45 BGN 2.40

191.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.78 BGN 1.30

3.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$14.34 BGN 23.86

28.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.57 BGN 2.62

32.48%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$32.1K BGN 53.3K

8.14%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$29.0K BGN 48.3K

34.88%

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

$148 €130

$150 BGN 249

-1.14%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$17.78 BGN 29.57

15.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$15.40 BGN 25.62

156.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$43.98 BGN 73.2

9.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$21.48 BGN 35.73

-13.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$9.61 BGN 15.98

-4.06%

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

$616 €540

$642 BGN 1,068

-4.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,298 BGN 15.5K

76.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$71.9 BGN 120

42.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$35.78 BGN 59.5

16.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$107 BGN 178

-11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$119 BGN 198

2.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$695 BGN 1,156

134.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$504 BGN 838

144.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,257 BGN 2,091

146.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$893 BGN 1,485

127.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$4,422 BGN 7,356

77.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$3,336 BGN 5,550

31.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,674 BGN 2,785

-3.99%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sofia: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $695 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $50.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $259 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 68% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,365 including rent). Sofia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $695 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $642 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 $1,365 in Sofia versus $2,291 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 68% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.