Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Svishtov Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Svishtov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $974 in Svishtov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,482 in Svishtov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,990 in Svishtov.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 128% more expensive than Svishtov, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Svishtov is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$11.81 BGN 19.65

33.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$49.30 BGN 82.0

26.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$9.08 BGN 15.10

16.08%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.43 BGN 4.03

13.99%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$1.80 BGN 3.00

26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.56 BGN 0.94

176.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$1.79 BGN 2.98

98.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.99 BGN 4.98

33.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.49 BGN 2.48

-27.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.90 BGN 1.51

96.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.76 BGN 2.92

0.57%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.85 BGN 4.75

9.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$9.99 BGN 16.62

33.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$5.26 BGN 8.75

51.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$8.99 BGN 14.96

77.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.48 BGN 2.47

54.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.15 BGN 1.91

42.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.13 BGN 1.88

75.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.34 BGN 3.88

4.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.72 BGN 1.20

145.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.45 BGN 0.75

337.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.62 BGN 1.02

217.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.60 BGN 1.00

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$3.78 BGN 6.29

73.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$6.41 BGN 10.66

-10.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.08 BGN 1.80

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.21 BGN 2.02

147.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.90 BGN 1.49

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$26.34 BGN 43.82

74.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$1.50 BGN 2.50

184.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.71 BGN 1.18

18.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$14.36 BGN 23.89

31.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.54 BGN 2.56

34.42%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$31.9K BGN 53.1K

10.46%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$29.1K BGN 48.4K

32.65%

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

$151 €130

$148 BGN 246

2.39%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$17.78 BGN 29.58

17.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$9.00 BGN 14.96

339.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$29.66 BGN 49.34

63.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$15.01 BGN 24.96

23.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$9.07 BGN 15.09

-0.33%

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

$610 €525

$645 BGN 1,073

-5.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$5,561 BGN 9,251

192.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$53.8 BGN 89.4

88.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$26.77 BGN 44.54

51.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$84.2 BGN 140

10.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$70.2 BGN 117

69.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$290 BGN 482

452.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$233 BGN 388

431.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$477 BGN 794

532.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$361 BGN 600

471.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$1,368 BGN 2,275

483.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,125 BGN 1,872

302.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,326 BGN 2,205

22.81%

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 15, 2026

Last update for Svishtov: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $290 in Svishtov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 23% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $49.00 in Svishtov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $190 per month, with Svishtov 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 Svishtov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Svishtov differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $974 including rent). Svishtov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 23% more on average, 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $290 in Svishtov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $645 in Svishtov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $974 in Svishtov versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Svishtov but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Svishtov 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 Svishtov 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 Svishtov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.