Cost of Living Comparison Between Popovo and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Popovo and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $924 in Popovo versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Popovo versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,911 in Popovo versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Popovo costs roughly 60% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Popovo is 33% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.93 BGN 14.85

$17.30 €14.89

-48.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.12 BGN 50.1

$63.3 €54.4

-52.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.33 BGN 12.20

$11.39 €9.80

-35.65%

Cappuccino

$1.18 BGN 1.96

$3.19 €2.75

-63.01%

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

$0.79 BGN 1.32

$2.45 €2.10

-67.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 BGN 2.72

$1.76 €1.52

-6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 BGN 4.58

$3.59 €3.09

-23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 BGN 6.82

$3.39 €2.92

20.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 BGN 2.51

$1.24 €1.06

21.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 BGN 1.80

$1.98 €1.71

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 BGN 3.85

$1.52 €1.31

52.63%

Eggs

$2.75 BGN 4.58

$4.04 €3.48

-31.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 BGN 12.13

$13.54 €11.65

-46.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 BGN 13.58

$8.39 €7.22

-2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 BGN 24.61

$18.25 €15.70

-18.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 BGN 2.50

$2.29 €1.97

-34.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 BGN 2.45

$1.74 €1.50

-15.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 BGN 2.50

$1.86 €1.60

-19.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 BGN 3.90

$2.63 €2.26

-11.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 BGN 1.76

$1.92 €1.65

-44.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 BGN 1.86

$2.09 €1.80

-46.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 BGN 2.02

$1.44 €1.24

-15.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BGN 1.30

$0.84 €0.72

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 BGN 6.93

$6.78 €5.83

-38.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.31 BGN 10.50

$5.71 €4.91

10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 BGN 1.42

$1.38 €1.18

-38.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 BGN 3.49

$2.22 €1.91

-5.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.45

$2.40 €2.06

-63.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.71 BGN 36.11

$46.78 €40.25

-53.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 BGN 0.95

$4.17 €3.59

-86.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 BGN 0.96

$1.14 €0.98

-49.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 BGN 13.96

$17.68 €15.21

-52.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 BGN 2.60

$2.32 €2.00

-32.76%

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

$29.1K BGN 48.4K

$35.3K €30.4K

-17.71%

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

$22.4K BGN 37.3K

$41.4K €35.7K

-45.93%

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

$115 BGN 191

$170 €147

-32.50%

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

$18.94 BGN 31.50

$19.34 €16.64

-2.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.27 BGN 27.07

$33.64 €28.95

-51.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.82 BGN 34.64

$48.10 €41.39

-56.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 BGN 30.12

$19.90 €17.12

-9.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 BGN 10.99

$9.92 €8.54

-33.37%

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

$538 BGN 894

$717 €617

-25.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,771 BGN 9,600

$17.5K €15.0K

-66.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 BGN 88.2

$105 €90.2

-49.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.73 BGN 69.4

$46.95 €40.40

-11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 BGN 120

$103 €89.0

-30.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.76 BGN 79.5

$124 €107

-61.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 BGN 651

$1,677 €1,443

-76.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 BGN 459

$1,271 €1,094

-78.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 BGN 871

$2,985 €2,568

-82.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 BGN 654

$1,992 €1,715

-80.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,565 BGN 2,604

$7,826 €6,734

-80.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,065 BGN 1,772

$4,658 €4,008

-77.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 BGN 2,202

$1,583 €1,362

-16.39%

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 Popovo: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $392 in Popovo and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 20% 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: $30.00 in Popovo vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $283 per month, with Popovo 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

Popovo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Popovo and Lisbon differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($924 vs $2,316 including rent). Popovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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: $392 in Popovo versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $538 in Popovo 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 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $924 in Popovo versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Popovo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Popovo 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, Popovo 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 Popovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.