Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Veliko Tarnovo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Veliko Tarnovo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $971 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,528 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,085 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 136% more expensive than in Veliko Tarnovo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Veliko Tarnovo is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$10.37 BGN 17.25

56.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$40.59 BGN 67.5

56.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.09 BGN 15.11

13.53%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.87 BGN 3.10

51.34%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.38 BGN 2.29

65.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.66 BGN 1.10

139.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.93 BGN 3.22

76.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.99 BGN 4.97

34.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.68 BGN 2.80

-35.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.91 BGN 1.51

92.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.97 BGN 3.28

-10.66%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.28 BGN 5.46

-3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$9.50 BGN 15.80

38.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$7.88 BGN 13.10

1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$11.50 BGN 19.14

35.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.65 BGN 2.75

43.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.06 BGN 3.42

-16.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.01 BGN 3.35

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.49 BGN 4.14

-2.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.20 BGN 2.00

46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.35 BGN 2.25

50.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.01 BGN 1.67

90.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.80 BGN 1.32

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.58 BGN 5.95

83.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.64 BGN 11.04

-15.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.95 BGN 1.58

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.61 BGN 2.68

84.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.86 BGN 1.43

165.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$34.46 BGN 57.3

32.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.21 BGN 2.01

249.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.62 BGN 1.02

30.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$11.97 BGN 19.91

54.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.56 BGN 2.60

33.33%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$32.0K BGN 53.3K

8.28%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$26.1K BGN 43.4K

50.10%

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

$148 €130

$93.9 BGN 156

57.65%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$16.63 BGN 27.67

23.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$13.38 BGN 22.26

195.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$35.95 BGN 59.8

33.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$21.78 BGN 36.24

-14.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$7.00 BGN 11.65

31.71%

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

$616 €540

$233 BGN 388

164.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,168 BGN 6,934

294.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$43.83 BGN 72.9

134.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$29.93 BGN 49.78

39.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$82.4 BGN 137

14.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$71.5 BGN 119

70.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$364 BGN 606

348.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$254 BGN 422

385.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$577 BGN 960

436.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$435 BGN 724

366.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,514 BGN 4,182

211.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,388 BGN 2,309

216.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$923 BGN 1,536

74.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.57

-16.63%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $364 in Veliko Tarnovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 74% 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 $41.00 in Veliko Tarnovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $232 per month, with Veliko Tarnovo 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 Veliko Tarnovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Veliko Tarnovo differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $971 including rent). Veliko Tarnovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% 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 $364 in Veliko Tarnovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $233 in Veliko Tarnovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $971 in Veliko Tarnovo versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Veliko Tarnovo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Veliko Tarnovo 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 Veliko Tarnovo 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 Veliko Tarnovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.