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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,189 in Varna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,839 in Varna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,489 in Varna.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 86% more expensive than Varna, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Varna is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$11.58 BGN 19.26

37.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$46.66 BGN 77.6

38.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.11

$8.68 BGN 14.43

21.08%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$2.58 BGN 4.30

11.24%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$1.82 BGN 3.03

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.28 BGN 2.13

17.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$2.88 BGN 4.79

21.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$3.02 BGN 5.03

28.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.88 BGN 3.14

-39.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.08 BGN 1.79

62.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.44 BGN 4.06

-27.87%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$3.30 BGN 5.48

-2.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$11.00 BGN 18.30

22.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.86

$8.46 BGN 14.08

-6.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$12.26 BGN 20.40

29.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.66 BGN 2.77

39.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.13 BGN 3.54

-20.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.85 BGN 3.08

8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$2.79 BGN 4.64

-11.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.19 BGN 1.98

54.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.14 BGN 1.90

75.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.03 BGN 1.71

87.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.70 BGN 1.16

12.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$3.76 BGN 6.26

75.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.96

$9.12 BGN 15.16

-37.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.16 BGN 1.92

18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$1.92 BGN 3.19

54.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.20 BGN 2.00

97.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.51

$29.96 BGN 49.84

52.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.39 BGN 2.31

208.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.71 BGN 1.17

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.87

$12.51 BGN 20.80

46.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.51 BGN 2.51

36.42%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$31.7K BGN 52.7K

8.22%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$28.7K BGN 47.7K

36.98%

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

$148 €128

$125 BGN 208

18.51%

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

$20.52 €17.79

$19.16 BGN 31.87

7.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.35

$15.85 BGN 26.37

149.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.49

$40.38 BGN 67.2

18.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.41

$14.52 BGN 24.15

30.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.96

$9.11 BGN 15.16

0.77%

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

$614 €532

$400 BGN 666

53.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$5,515 BGN 9,174

191.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$60.2 BGN 100

73.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.47

$33.44 BGN 55.6

25.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$92.6 BGN 154

1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$100 BGN 167

19.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$515 BGN 857

216.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$391 BGN 650

221.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,628

$907 BGN 1,508

234.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,752

$646 BGN 1,075

212.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,764

$3,420 BGN 5,690

128.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,705

$2,147 BGN 3,572

98.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$1,196 BGN 1,989

34.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.71

-19.11%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Varna: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $515 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 34% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Varna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $253 per month, with Varna 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 Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Varna differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,189 including rent). Varna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 34% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $515 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $400 in Varna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,189 in Varna versus $2,210 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 86% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.