Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vratsa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vratsa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $863 in Vratsa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,301 in Vratsa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,739 in Vratsa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 166% more expensive than in Vratsa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Vratsa is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$8.81 BGN 14.66

99.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$29.66 BGN 49.34

111.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$5.97 BGN 9.93

93.97%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.31 BGN 3.85

34.20%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.56 BGN 2.60

59.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.92 BGN 1.53

89.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.74 BGN 2.89

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.05 BGN 3.41

67.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.43 BGN 2.38

-19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.85 BGN 1.41

124.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.34 BGN 2.23

11.94%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.32 BGN 3.86

71.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$9.64 BGN 16.04

37.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.88 BGN 9.79

36.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$8.92 BGN 14.85

102.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.30 BGN 2.16

80.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.77 BGN 2.94

-1.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.16 BGN 1.93

59.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.79 BGN 2.99

42.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.97 BGN 1.62

89.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.76 BGN 1.26

176.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.61 BGN 1.01

144.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.61 BGN 1.02

34.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$3.44 BGN 5.72

106.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$5.48 BGN 9.11

7.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.18 BGN 1.96

11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.73 BGN 2.87

23.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.93 BGN 1.55

153.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$25.00 BGN 41.59

86.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.85 BGN 1.41

380.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.63 BGN 1.05

80.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$6.58 BGN 10.95

159.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.59 BGN 2.65

45.28%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$30.4K BGN 50.6K

12.14%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$21.1K BGN 35.0K

96.46%

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

$169 €147

$95.1 BGN 158

77.31%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$12.86 BGN 21.39

50.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$12.80 BGN 21.30

161.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$23.57 BGN 39.21

107.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$15.04 BGN 25.02

29.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$5.87 BGN 9.76

63.03%

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

$696 €607

$239 BGN 397

191.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$2,358 BGN 3,922

636.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$32.07 BGN 53.4

228.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$19.84 BGN 33.00

140.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$67.2 BGN 112

49.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$54.0 BGN 89.8

130.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$342 BGN 569

385.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$262 BGN 435

376.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$573 BGN 954

417.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$410 BGN 682

399.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,363 BGN 2,267

474.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,105 BGN 1,838

304.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,103 BGN 1,835

47.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.99

26.42%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Vratsa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $342 in Vratsa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 48% 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 $30.00 in Vratsa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $188 per month, with Vratsa 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 Vratsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Vratsa differ by about 166% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $863 including rent). Vratsa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $342 in Vratsa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $239 in Vratsa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $863 in Vratsa versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Vratsa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Vratsa 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 Vratsa 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 Vratsa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.