Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Targovishte Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Targovishte

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $854 in Targovishte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,350 in Targovishte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,845 in Targovishte.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 168% more expensive than in Targovishte, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Targovishte is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$9.00 BGN 14.98

79.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$42.05 BGN 70.0

50.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.60 BGN 14.30

20.00%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.47 BGN 4.10

14.57%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.44 BGN 2.39

59.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.85 BGN 1.41

85.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.96 BGN 4.93

14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.97 BGN 4.94

35.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.61 BGN 2.68

-32.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.76 BGN 1.26

130.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.13 BGN 3.55

-17.37%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.80 BGN 4.66

13.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.66 BGN 14.41

52.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$5.80 BGN 9.64

37.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$8.89 BGN 14.80

74.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.56 BGN 2.59

51.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.70 BGN 2.82

0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.64 BGN 2.73

22.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.46 BGN 4.10

-1.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.03 BGN 1.71

70.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.14 BGN 1.90

78.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.92 BGN 1.53

108.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.62 BGN 1.03

37.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.52 BGN 5.85

86.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.95 BGN 9.90

-6.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.68 BGN 1.13

95.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.08 BGN 1.79

175.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.84 BGN 1.39

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$26.08 BGN 43.38

75.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.20 BGN 1.99

252.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.48 BGN 0.81

68.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$10.74 BGN 17.87

71.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.59 BGN 2.64

30.82%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$31.7K BGN 52.8K

9.25%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.7K BGN 34.4K

89.37%

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

$148 €130

$58.5 BGN 97.2

153.29%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$8.97 BGN 14.92

128.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$13.08 BGN 21.77

202.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$17.93 BGN 29.83

167.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$23.56 BGN 39.20

-21.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$4.75 BGN 7.90

94.11%

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

$616 €539

$417 BGN 693

47.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,466 BGN 9,093

200.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$61.2 BGN 102

67.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$34.99 BGN 58.2

19.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$93.6 BGN 156

1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$107 BGN 178

14.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$147 BGN 245

1010.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$228 BGN 380

440.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$381 BGN 634

713.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$359 BGN 597

466.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,369 BGN 2,278

471.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,166 BGN 1,940

276.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,301 BGN 2,164

23.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.49

-15.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Targovishte: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $147 in Targovishte. 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 $42.00 in Targovishte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $196 per month, with Targovishte 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 Targovishte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Targovishte differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $854 including rent). Targovishte 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $147 in Targovishte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $417 in Targovishte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $854 in Targovishte versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Targovishte but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Targovishte 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 Targovishte 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 Targovishte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.