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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $933 in Vratsa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,409 in Vratsa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,886 in Vratsa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 139% more expensive than Vratsa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Vratsa is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$8.70 BGN 14.54

85.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$29.40 BGN 49.11

119.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$5.83 BGN 9.74

78.04%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.38 BGN 3.98

16.39%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.46 BGN 2.43

54.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.85 BGN 1.43

84.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.74 BGN 2.91

100.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.32 BGN 3.88

72.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.37 BGN 2.28

-21.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.03 BGN 1.72

68.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.33 BGN 2.23

30.83%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.24 BGN 5.41

-1.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$9.33 BGN 15.58

43.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$5.96 BGN 9.95

34.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$11.84 BGN 19.77

35.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.50 BGN 2.51

52.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.74 BGN 2.90

-1.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.20 BGN 2.01

61.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.79 BGN 2.98

41.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.99 BGN 1.65

84.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.90 BGN 1.50

126.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.85 BGN 1.43

132.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.58 BGN 0.96

46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.48 BGN 5.81

96.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$5.27 BGN 8.80

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.03 BGN 1.73

33.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.75 BGN 2.92

65.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.57 BGN 0.96

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$17.95 BGN 29.98

160.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.89 BGN 1.49

358.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.60 BGN 1.01

36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.32 BGN 10.56

189.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.53 BGN 2.55

31.37%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$32.1K BGN 53.7K

9.73%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$27.7K BGN 46.2K

39.18%

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

$145 €124

$97.7 BGN 163

48.76%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$12.78 BGN 21.34

64.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$14.82 BGN 24.75

170.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$23.78 BGN 39.71

105.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$14.63 BGN 24.44

27.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$5.85 BGN 9.77

54.87%

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

$607 €519

$425 BGN 709

42.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,959 BGN 11.6K

134.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$59.6 BGN 99.6

75.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$35.48 BGN 59.3

15.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$100 BGN 168

-6.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$104 BGN 173

14.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$258 BGN 430

522.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$270 BGN 451

357.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$477 BGN 796

538.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$420 BGN 701

390.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,483 BGN 2,477

419.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$784 BGN 1,309

444.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,149 BGN 1,918

37.90%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Vratsa: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $258 in Vratsa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 38% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Vratsa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $202 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 139% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $933 including rent). Vratsa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 38% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $258 in Vratsa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $425 in Vratsa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $933 in Vratsa versus $2,227 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 139% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.