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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $846 in Stara Zagora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,330 in Stara Zagora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,814 in Stara Zagora.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 171% more expensive than in Stara Zagora, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Stara Zagora is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$9.10 BGN 15.13

77.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$35.43 BGN 58.9

78.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.16 BGN 15.23

12.66%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.91 BGN 3.18

48.17%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.28 BGN 2.13

78.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.73 BGN 1.22

116.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.20 BGN 2.00

183.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.04 BGN 3.40

97.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.90 BGN 3.15

-42.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.82 BGN 1.37

113.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.55 BGN 2.58

13.55%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.27 BGN 3.78

39.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$9.13 BGN 15.19

44.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$7.36 BGN 12.25

8.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$8.49 BGN 14.12

82.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.37 BGN 2.28

72.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.66 BGN 2.76

3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.85 BGN 3.08

8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.16 BGN 3.60

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.01 BGN 1.69

74.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.81 BGN 1.35

150.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.56 BGN 0.93

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.71 BGN 1.19

19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.92 BGN 6.52

67.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.31 BGN 8.84

5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.23 BGN 2.05

8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.16 BGN 3.60

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.91 BGN 1.51

150.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$19.02 BGN 31.65

140.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.34 BGN 2.23

215.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.67 BGN 1.12

20.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$11.59 BGN 19.27

59.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.49 BGN 2.47

39.60%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$24.8K BGN 41.3K

39.59%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$17.4K BGN 29.0K

124.56%

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

$148 €130

$101 BGN 169

45.92%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$15.19 BGN 25.26

34.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$11.35 BGN 18.88

248.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$19.34 BGN 32.17

148.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$17.37 BGN 28.90

7.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.88 BGN 13.11

17.01%

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

$616 €539

$232 BGN 386

165.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,400 BGN 3,993

584.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$38.78 BGN 64.5

164.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$19.03 BGN 31.65

119.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$77.9 BGN 130

21.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$75.2 BGN 125

62.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$248 BGN 413

557.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$226 BGN 376

445.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$399 BGN 664

676.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$356 BGN 592

470.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,497 BGN 2,490

423.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,082 BGN 1,800

305.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,044 BGN 1,737

53.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.4

12.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $248 in Stara Zagora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 54% 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 $35.00 in Stara Zagora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $204 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 171% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $846 including rent). Stara Zagora is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $248 in Stara Zagora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $232 in Stara Zagora. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $846 in Stara Zagora versus $2,291 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 171% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.