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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $956 in Svishtov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,499 in Svishtov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,041 in Svishtov.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 138% more expensive than in Svishtov, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Svishtov is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$11.88 BGN 19.76

32.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$50.6 BGN 84.2

25.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.94 BGN 14.87

16.89%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.32 BGN 3.86

25.43%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.78 BGN 2.96

28.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.62 BGN 1.03

141.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.79 BGN 2.97

98.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.87 BGN 4.77

37.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.45 BGN 2.42

-25.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.91 BGN 1.51

93.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.72 BGN 2.86

-1.16%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.85 BGN 4.73

14.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$9.84 BGN 16.37

34.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$5.34 BGN 8.88

44.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$9.06 BGN 15.07

74.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.43 BGN 2.38

59.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.15 BGN 1.91

44.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.13 BGN 1.88

78.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.35 BGN 3.91

5.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.67 BGN 1.12

167.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.49 BGN 0.81

322.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.62 BGN 1.03

217.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.56 BGN 0.94

48.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$3.84 BGN 6.39

70.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$7.12 BGN 11.85

-21.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.05 BGN 1.74

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.17 BGN 1.94

157.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.85 BGN 1.41

167.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$26.84 BGN 44.65

72.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.45 BGN 2.42

191.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.66 BGN 1.10

28.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$13.88 BGN 23.09

35.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.54 BGN 2.56

31.17%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$32.5K BGN 54.1K

7.56%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$29.1K BGN 48.4K

36.36%

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

$148 €128

$149 BGN 248

-0.78%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$18.39 BGN 30.59

11.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$8.62 BGN 14.33

358.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$29.66 BGN 49.35

62.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$14.52 BGN 24.16

26.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$9.03 BGN 15.02

0.78%

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

$615 €532

$644 BGN 1,072

-4.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$5,474 BGN 9,106

197.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$53.2 BGN 88.5

90.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$26.59 BGN 44.23

58.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$85.1 BGN 142

8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$69.6 BGN 116

75.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$291 BGN 485

453.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$232 BGN 385

441.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$472 BGN 785

550.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$350 BGN 582

482.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,333 BGN 2,218

481.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,098 BGN 1,827

290.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,272 BGN 2,115

25.97%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Svishtov: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $291 in Svishtov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 26% 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 $51.0 in Svishtov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 138% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $956 including rent). Svishtov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $291 in Svishtov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $644 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 $956 in Svishtov versus $2,280 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 138% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.