Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varna Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varna

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,486 in Varna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,323 in Varna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,161 in Varna.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 53% more expensive than in Varna, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Varna 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$14.23 BGN 23.67

23.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$59.9 BGN 99.6

7.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$10.72 BGN 17.83

8.68%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$2.97 BGN 4.94

9.76%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$1.96 BGN 3.27

27.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.67 BGN 2.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.89 BGN 4.80

20.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$3.70 BGN 6.16

-3.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.01 BGN 3.34

-41.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.28 BGN 2.14

52.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$2.70 BGN 4.49

-42.22%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$3.72 BGN 6.18

7.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$11.67 BGN 19.42

13.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$9.35 BGN 15.56

-9.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$14.86 BGN 24.72

22.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.07 BGN 3.45

12.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.27 BGN 3.78

-23.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.21 BGN 3.68

-12.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.19 BGN 5.31

-17.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.30 BGN 2.16

46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.08 BGN 1.80

95.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.05 BGN 1.75

37.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.86 BGN 1.43

-6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$4.24 BGN 7.06

65.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$8.94 BGN 14.87

-33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.28 BGN 2.12

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.95 BGN 3.24

10.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.04 BGN 1.72

128.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$29.45 BGN 48.99

56.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$1.58 BGN 2.62

165.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.93 BGN 1.54

18.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$12.45 BGN 20.71

38.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.75 BGN 2.90

28.57%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$31.6K BGN 52.6K

9.07%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$26.2K BGN 43.7K

58.57%

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

$171 €147

$179 BGN 297

-4.40%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$21.82 BGN 36.30

-12.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$17.25 BGN 28.70

98.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$53.8 BGN 89.5

-7.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$20.59 BGN 34.25

-5.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$9.10 BGN 15.14

10.99%

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

$699 €601

$536 BGN 892

30.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$6,573 BGN 10.9K

170.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$67.2 BGN 112

55.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$34.37 BGN 57.2

39.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$104 BGN 173

-2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$106 BGN 176

21.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$636 BGN 1,059

161.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$489 BGN 813

151.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$1,359 BGN 2,261

114.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$927 BGN 1,542

118.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$3,327 BGN 5,534

144.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$2,199 BGN 3,659

110.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

$1,297 BGN 2,158

24.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.9

30.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Varna: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $636 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 25% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $60.0 in Varna. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $283, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Varna differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,486 including rent). Varna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $636 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $536 in Varna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,486 in Varna versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varna but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Varna 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 Varna 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 Varna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.