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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $928 in Vratsa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,407 in Vratsa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,886 in Vratsa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 146% more expensive than in Vratsa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Vratsa is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.67

$9.02 BGN 15.00

74.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.1

$29.43 BGN 48.97

115.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.07

$5.87 BGN 9.77

78.02%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.53

$2.39 BGN 3.97

21.76%

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

$2.29 €1.99

$1.44 BGN 2.39

59.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.86 BGN 1.43

74.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.74 BGN 2.89

104.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.44

$2.41 BGN 4.01

64.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.40 BGN 2.33

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.01 BGN 1.68

74.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.34 BGN 2.23

26.87%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.82

$3.11 BGN 5.17

4.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.49

$9.40 BGN 15.64

40.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.68

$5.99 BGN 9.97

28.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.68

$12.00 BGN 19.96

31.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$1.58 BGN 2.63

44.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.76 BGN 2.93

-5.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.21 BGN 2.01

66.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.82 BGN 3.02

35.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.98 BGN 1.64

82.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.84 BGN 1.40

146.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.89 BGN 1.49

121.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.61 BGN 1.01

36.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.69

$3.48 BGN 5.79

88.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.83

$5.32 BGN 8.85

4.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.03 BGN 1.72

29.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.61

$1.82 BGN 3.02

65.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.57 BGN 0.95

298.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.21

$17.89 BGN 29.76

159.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.67

$0.91 BGN 1.51

364.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.60 BGN 1.00

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.33

$6.56 BGN 10.91

187.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.50 BGN 2.50

34.67%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$32.4K BGN 53.9K

7.88%

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

$39.6K €34.4K

$27.8K BGN 46.2K

42.77%

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

$148 €128

$94.5 BGN 157

56.56%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$13.10 BGN 21.80

56.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.29

$14.50 BGN 24.13

172.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.79

$23.75 BGN 39.52

102.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.95

$15.04 BGN 25.02

22.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.89

$6.01 BGN 10.00

51.41%

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

$615 €533

$418 BGN 695

47.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$5,475 BGN 9,108

197.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.1

$60.7 BGN 101

67.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.51

$35.43 BGN 58.9

18.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.1

$100 BGN 167

-8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$106 BGN 177

14.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,398

$261 BGN 434

518.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,088

$269 BGN 447

366.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,663

$463 BGN 771

562.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,767

$417 BGN 694

388.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,724

$1,349 BGN 2,244

474.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,718

$1,079 BGN 1,794

297.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,390

$1,102 BGN 1,833

45.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.49

-15.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Vratsa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $261 in Vratsa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 45% 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 $29.00 in Vratsa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $203 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 146% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $928 including rent). Vratsa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $261 in Vratsa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $418 in Vratsa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $928 in Vratsa versus $2,280 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 146% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.