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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $946 in Svishtov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,485 in Svishtov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,024 in Svishtov.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 143% more expensive than in Svishtov, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Svishtov is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$14.13 BGN 23.50

24.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$47.83 BGN 79.6

31.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$9.13 BGN 15.18

26.83%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.42 BGN 4.02

28.10%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.06 BGN 1.76

134.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.57 BGN 0.94

205.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.80 BGN 3.00

93.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.97 BGN 4.94

15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.50 BGN 2.49

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.85 BGN 1.41

124.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.78 BGN 2.96

-15.73%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.88 BGN 4.80

38.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$9.34 BGN 15.53

42.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$5.42 BGN 9.01

47.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$8.98 BGN 14.94

100.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.50 BGN 2.49

56.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.14 BGN 1.90

53.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.14 BGN 1.89

62.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.37 BGN 3.95

7.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.68 BGN 1.13

170.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.45 BGN 0.75

366.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.58 BGN 0.96

156.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.58 BGN 0.96

41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$3.73 BGN 6.20

90.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$7.00 BGN 11.65

-15.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.06 BGN 1.76

23.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.15 BGN 1.92

85.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.92 BGN 1.53

156.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$24.73 BGN 41.15

88.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.50 BGN 2.49

172.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.73 BGN 1.21

56.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$12.40 BGN 20.62

37.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.53 BGN 2.55

50.98%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$31.0K BGN 51.6K

9.94%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$23.0K BGN 38.3K

79.70%

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

$169 €147

$111 BGN 184

52.33%

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

$19.33 €16.82

$14.77 BGN 24.57

30.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$8.72 BGN 14.50

284.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.50

$31.40 BGN 52.2

55.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.91

$17.90 BGN 29.78

8.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$9.06 BGN 15.07

5.63%

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

$696 €606

$240 BGN 399

190.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$5,975 BGN 9,940

190.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.6

$52.9 BGN 87.9

99.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$26.70 BGN 44.41

78.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$72.0 BGN 120

39.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$70.2 BGN 117

77.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$342 BGN 570

385.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$264 BGN 438

372.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$561 BGN 933

428.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$422 BGN 703

384.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,818

$1,353 BGN 2,250

479.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,885

$1,108 BGN 1,844

302.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$1,315 BGN 2,188

24.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.25

16.31%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Svishtov: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $342 in Svishtov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 24% 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 $48.00 in Svishtov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $189 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 143% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $946 including rent). Svishtov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 24% 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 $342 in Svishtov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $240 in Svishtov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $946 in Svishtov versus $2,296 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 143% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.