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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,216 in Varna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,853 in Varna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,491 in Varna.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 84% more expensive than Varna, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Varna is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$11.82 BGN 19.74

33.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$47.21 BGN 78.8

33.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$8.80 BGN 14.69

17.27%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$2.61 BGN 4.35

7.66%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.73 BGN 2.88

34.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.27 BGN 2.12

18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$3.02 BGN 5.04

11.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.03 BGN 5.06

29.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.79 BGN 2.99

-39.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.03 BGN 1.72

69.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.52 BGN 4.21

-30.56%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$3.48 BGN 5.81

-10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$10.92 BGN 18.24

21.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$8.28 BGN 13.82

-5.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$12.14 BGN 20.27

32.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.60 BGN 2.68

49.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.05 BGN 3.42

-16.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.78 BGN 2.97

10.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$2.74 BGN 4.58

-6.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.15 BGN 1.92

55.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.14 BGN 1.91

72.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.03 BGN 1.71

90.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.70 BGN 1.18

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$3.86 BGN 6.45

76.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$7.79 BGN 13.01

-24.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.16 BGN 1.93

18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$1.90 BGN 3.17

53.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.21 BGN 2.02

89.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$29.54 BGN 49.32

58.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.34 BGN 2.24

207.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.71 BGN 1.18

14.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$12.18 BGN 20.34

55.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.48 BGN 2.46

41.22%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$32.6K BGN 54.5K

7.62%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$29.4K BGN 49.1K

35.11%

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

$150 €128

$123 BGN 206

21.30%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$19.22 BGN 32.10

6.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$15.76 BGN 26.32

148.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$41.38 BGN 69.1

19.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$14.72 BGN 24.59

25.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$8.81 BGN 14.71

4.43%

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

$624 €533

$401 BGN 669

55.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$5,517 BGN 9,214

188.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$61.5 BGN 103

66.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$34.03 BGN 56.8

20.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$90.8 BGN 152

5.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$102 BGN 170

18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$518 BGN 866

218.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$393 BGN 657

213.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$908 BGN 1,516

235.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$644 BGN 1,075

219.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$3,150 BGN 5,260

150.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$2,061 BGN 3,442

108.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$1,213 BGN 2,026

29.13%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Varna: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $518 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 29% 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 in Lisbon vs $47 in Varna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $247 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 84% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,216 including rent). Varna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 29% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $518 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $401 in Varna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,216 in Varna versus $2,243 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 84% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.