Cost of Living Comparison Between Pleven and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Pleven and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $820 in Pleven versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,287 in Pleven versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,755 in Pleven versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Pleven costs roughly 63% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pleven is 39% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.99 BGN 14.96

$15.91 €13.70

-43.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.12 BGN 51.8

$64.8 €55.8

-51.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 BGN 10.65

$10.51 €9.05

-39.11%

Cappuccino

$1.87 BGN 3.11

$2.87 €2.47

-34.84%

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

$1.29 BGN 2.14

$2.24 €1.93

-42.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 BGN 1.14

$1.50 €1.29

-54.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 BGN 2.00

$3.49 €3.01

-65.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 BGN 3.49

$3.88 €3.34

-45.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 BGN 2.60

$1.14 €0.98

36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.33

$1.75 €1.51

-54.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 BGN 2.50

$1.76 €1.51

-14.77%

Eggs

$2.25 BGN 3.74

$3.22 €2.77

-30.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 BGN 15.06

$13.49 €11.61

-32.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 BGN 12.38

$7.91 €6.81

-5.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 BGN 14.64

$15.87 €13.67

-44.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.13

$2.31 €1.99

-44.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.75

$1.70 €1.46

-2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 BGN 3.00

$2.01 €1.73

-9.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.67

$2.46 €2.12

-10.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BGN 1.68

$1.84 €1.59

-45.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 BGN 1.33

$2.00 €1.72

-60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 BGN 1.00

$1.93 €1.66

-68.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 BGN 1.25

$0.79 €0.68

-5.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 BGN 6.00

$6.61 €5.69

-45.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 BGN 10.79

$5.72 €4.93

13.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 BGN 1.41

$1.37 €1.18

-37.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 BGN 2.04

$2.97 €2.56

-58.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 BGN 1.52

$2.37 €2.04

-61.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.31 BGN 68.7

$45.56 €39.22

-9.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 BGN 2.20

$4.29 €3.69

-69.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 BGN 1.18

$0.82 €0.70

-13.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.59 BGN 19.27

$18.30 €15.76

-36.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 BGN 2.45

$2.06 €1.78

-28.64%

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

$25.3K BGN 42.1K

$34.3K €29.5K

-26.15%

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

$17.6K BGN 29.2K

$39.3K €33.8K

-55.28%

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

$100.0 BGN 166

$148 €127

-32.40%

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

$14.82 BGN 24.65

$20.52 €17.67

-27.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.43 BGN 19.02

$39.61 €34.10

-71.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.86 BGN 44.68

$47.85 €41.19

-43.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.95 BGN 24.88

$18.92 €16.29

-20.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 BGN 13.30

$9.18 €7.91

-12.85%

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

$234 BGN 390

$614 €529

-61.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,355 BGN 3,918

$16.0K €13.8K

-85.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.73 BGN 64.4

$105 €90.1

-62.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.18 BGN 31.92

$42.06 €36.21

-54.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 BGN 129

$94.0 €80.9

-17.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.8 BGN 126

$120 €103

-36.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 BGN 579

$1,628 €1,401

-78.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 BGN 290

$1,255 €1,081

-86.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 BGN 967

$3,030 €2,609

-80.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 BGN 561

$2,020 €1,739

-83.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,489 BGN 2,478

$7,800 €6,715

-80.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,170 BGN 1,947

$4,273 €3,678

-72.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$957 BGN 1,591

$1,603 €1,380

-40.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.81

-10.76%

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

Last update for Pleven: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $348 in Pleven and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 68% 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: $31.00 in Pleven vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $269 per month, with Pleven 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

Pleven vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pleven and Lisbon differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($820 vs $2,210 including rent). Pleven is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 68% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $348 in Pleven versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $234 in Pleven versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $820 in Pleven versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pleven but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pleven 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, Pleven and Lisbon 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 Pleven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.