Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Stara Zagora Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Stara Zagora

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $904 in Stara Zagora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,414 in Stara Zagora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,925 in Stara Zagora.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 154% more expensive than in Stara Zagora, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Stara Zagora is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$10.80 BGN 17.97

62.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$52.3 BGN 87.0

20.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$9.43 BGN 15.69

22.80%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.29 BGN 3.82

35.37%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.56 BGN 2.59

59.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.92 BGN 1.53

89.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.32 BGN 3.86

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.10 BGN 3.49

63.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.86 BGN 3.09

-38.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.89 BGN 1.49

114.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.51 BGN 2.51

-0.66%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.34 BGN 3.89

70.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$9.34 BGN 15.54

42.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$6.81 BGN 11.34

17.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$8.52 BGN 14.18

111.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.36 BGN 2.26

72.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.68 BGN 2.79

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.75 BGN 2.91

5.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.95 BGN 3.24

30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.02 BGN 1.70

80.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.79 BGN 1.31

165.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.58 BGN 0.96

156.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.68 BGN 1.14

20.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$3.90 BGN 6.49

82.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$5.16 BGN 8.59

14.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.18 BGN 1.97

11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.79 BGN 2.97

18.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.93 BGN 1.55

153.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$18.62 BGN 30.97

150.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.33 BGN 2.21

206.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.68 BGN 1.13

67.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$12.02 BGN 20.00

42.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.58 BGN 2.63

46.20%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$30.8K BGN 51.2K

10.91%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$20.9K BGN 34.9K

97.50%

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

$169 €147

$94.5 BGN 157

78.45%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$14.98 BGN 24.92

29.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$12.50 BGN 20.79

168.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$27.89 BGN 46.40

75.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$21.77 BGN 36.21

-10.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$8.89 BGN 14.79

7.65%

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

$696 €607

$239 BGN 397

191.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$2,395 BGN 3,984

624.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$31.86 BGN 53.0

230.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$19.81 BGN 32.95

141.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$65.6 BGN 109

53.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$52.8 BGN 87.9

135.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$299 BGN 497

456.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$263 BGN 438

373.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$516 BGN 858

475.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$407 BGN 677

403.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,496 BGN 2,488

423.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,101 BGN 1,831

305.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,086 BGN 1,807

50.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.99

26.42%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $299 in Stara Zagora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 50% 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 $52.0 in Stara Zagora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $199 per month, with Stara Zagora 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 Stara Zagora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Stara Zagora differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $904 including rent). Stara Zagora is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $299 in Stara Zagora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $239 in Stara Zagora. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $904 in Stara Zagora versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Stara Zagora but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Stara Zagora 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 Stara Zagora 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 Stara Zagora gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.