Cost of Living Comparison Between Plovdiv and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Plovdiv and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,255 in Plovdiv versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,928 in Plovdiv versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,601 in Plovdiv versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Plovdiv costs roughly 46% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Plovdiv is 9% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.43 BGN 15.69

$17.30 €14.92

-45.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.81 BGN 77.9

$63.3 €54.6

-26.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 BGN 16.21

$11.39 €9.83

-14.49%

Cappuccino

$2.97 BGN 4.95

$3.19 €2.75

-6.90%

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

$1.76 BGN 2.93

$2.45 €2.11

-28.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 BGN 2.73

$1.76 €1.52

-6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 BGN 4.52

$3.59 €3.10

-24.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 BGN 6.80

$3.39 €2.93

20.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 BGN 3.10

$1.24 €1.07

50.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 BGN 2.02

$1.98 €1.71

-38.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 BGN 3.72

$1.52 €1.31

47.37%

Eggs

$3.78 BGN 6.28

$4.04 €3.49

-6.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 BGN 20.13

$13.54 €11.68

-10.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 BGN 14.90

$8.39 €7.23

6.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 BGN 24.51

$18.25 €15.74

-19.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 BGN 2.97

$2.29 €1.97

-22.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.21

$1.74 €1.50

10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 BGN 3.35

$1.86 €1.60

8.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 BGN 4.38

$2.63 €2.27

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 BGN 1.85

$1.92 €1.65

-42.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 BGN 1.90

$2.09 €1.81

-45.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 BGN 2.03

$1.44 €1.24

-15.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 BGN 1.25

$0.84 €0.73

-10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 BGN 6.99

$6.78 €5.85

-38.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 BGN 10.57

$5.71 €4.93

11.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 BGN 2.04

$1.38 €1.19

-10.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 BGN 3.40

$2.22 €1.91

-8.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 BGN 1.03

$2.40 €2.07

-74.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.02 BGN 49.94

$46.78 €40.35

-35.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 BGN 2.23

$4.17 €3.60

-67.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 BGN 1.12

$1.14 €0.98

-41.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.90 BGN 18.13

$17.68 €15.25

-38.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 BGN 2.79

$2.32 €2.00

-27.59%

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

$31.0K BGN 51.5K

$35.3K €30.5K

-12.36%

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

$25.4K BGN 42.3K

$41.4K €35.7K

-38.61%

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

$119 BGN 197

$170 €147

-30.33%

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

$19.32 BGN 32.14

$19.34 €16.68

-0.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.32 BGN 27.15

$33.64 €29.01

-51.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 BGN 70.8

$48.10 €41.48

-11.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.66 BGN 36.04

$19.90 €17.16

8.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 BGN 15.56

$9.92 €8.56

-5.75%

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

$536 BGN 891

$717 €619

-25.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,743 BGN 9,554

$17.5K €15.1K

-67.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 BGN 117

$105 €90.4

-32.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.64 BGN 72.6

$46.95 €40.49

-7.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BGN 170

$103 €89.2

-1.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 182

$124 €107

-11.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 BGN 908

$1,677 €1,446

-67.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 BGN 662

$1,271 €1,096

-68.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 BGN 1,525

$2,985 €2,574

-69.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 BGN 1,126

$1,992 €1,718

-66.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 BGN 3,935

$7,826 €6,750

-69.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,619 BGN 2,693

$4,658 €4,017

-65.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,174 BGN 1,954

$1,583 €1,365

-25.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

3.79

-18.21%

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

Last update for Plovdiv: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $546 in Plovdiv and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 35% 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: $47.00 in Plovdiv vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $283 per month, with Plovdiv 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

Plovdiv vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plovdiv and Lisbon differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($1,255 vs $2,316 including rent). Plovdiv is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Lisbon. 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: $546 in Plovdiv versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $536 in Plovdiv versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,255 in Plovdiv versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Plovdiv but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Plovdiv 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, Plovdiv 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 Plovdiv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.