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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,070 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,686 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,302 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 116% more expensive than in Veliko Tarnovo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Veliko Tarnovo is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$11.80 BGN 19.62

46.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$48.39 BGN 80.5

30.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$10.21 BGN 16.99

11.56%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.06 BGN 3.43

54.85%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.33 BGN 2.22

84.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.08 BGN 1.80

62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.82 BGN 3.03

97.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.04 BGN 5.06

11.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.98 BGN 3.30

-37.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.04 BGN 1.74

90.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.74 BGN 4.56

-44.53%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$3.43 BGN 5.71

17.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$10.86 BGN 18.07

24.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$8.45 BGN 14.05

-0.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$13.24 BGN 22.03

37.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.68 BGN 2.79

36.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.02 BGN 3.36

-13.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.04 BGN 3.40

-8.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.74 BGN 4.56

-4.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.13 BGN 1.88

69.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.24 BGN 2.07

68.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.05 BGN 1.75

37.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.80 BGN 1.33

5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.11 BGN 6.83

64.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$6.72 BGN 11.18

-15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.20 BGN 2.00

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.71 BGN 2.85

29.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.91 BGN 1.52

163.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$23.67 BGN 39.37

97.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.21 BGN 2.01

244.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.72 BGN 1.20

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$12.05 BGN 20.04

46.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.52 BGN 2.52

52.63%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$31.7K BGN 52.7K

11.58%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$31.8K BGN 53.0K

30.20%

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

$170 €146

$107 BGN 179

58.58%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$19.33 BGN 32.16

0.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$14.59 BGN 24.27

130.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$31.04 BGN 51.6

54.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$21.21 BGN 35.28

-6.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$7.34 BGN 12.21

35.15%

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

$717 €617

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$49.30 BGN 82.0

112.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$32.21 BGN 53.6

45.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$128 BGN 213

-19.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$99.4 BGN 165

24.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$365 BGN 608

358.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$272 BGN 452

367.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$593 BGN 987

402.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$438 BGN 729

354.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,510 BGN 4,176

211.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,386 BGN 2,305

236.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$953 BGN 1,586

66.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.18

19.18%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $365 in Veliko Tarnovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 66% 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 $48.00 in Veliko Tarnovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $254 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 116% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,070 including rent). Veliko Tarnovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 66% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $365 in Veliko Tarnovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,070 in Veliko Tarnovo – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,070 in Veliko Tarnovo versus $2,316 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 116% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.