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: $891 in Popovo versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,347 in Popovo versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,803 in Popovo versus $4,411 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 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.01 BGN 14.98

$15.91 €13.70

-43.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.47 BGN 49.02

$64.8 €55.8

-54.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 BGN 11.47

$10.51 €9.05

-34.44%

Cappuccino

$1.16 BGN 1.93

$2.87 €2.47

-59.58%

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

$0.79 BGN 1.32

$2.24 €1.93

-64.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 BGN 2.36

$1.50 €1.29

-5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 BGN 4.83

$3.49 €3.01

-16.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 BGN 5.41

$3.88 €3.34

-16.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 BGN 1.83

$1.14 €0.98

-3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 BGN 1.64

$1.75 €1.51

-43.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 BGN 2.61

$1.76 €1.51

-10.80%

Eggs

$1.87 BGN 3.11

$3.22 €2.77

-41.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.06 BGN 10.07

$13.49 €11.61

-55.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 14.62

$7.91 €6.81

11.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 BGN 22.00

$15.87 €13.67

-16.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 BGN 1.92

$2.31 €1.99

-50.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 BGN 1.99

$1.70 €1.46

-29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 BGN 1.91

$2.01 €1.73

-42.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.68

$2.46 €2.12

-10.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 BGN 1.61

$1.84 €1.59

-47.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 BGN 1.76

$2.00 €1.72

-47.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 BGN 1.63

$1.93 €1.66

-49.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 BGN 1.01

$0.79 €0.68

-22.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.93 BGN 6.54

$6.61 €5.69

-40.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 BGN 10.21

$5.72 €4.93

7.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 BGN 1.50

$1.37 €1.18

-34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 BGN 0.95

$2.97 €2.56

-80.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.52

$2.37 €2.04

-61.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.64 BGN 44.31

$45.56 €39.22

-41.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 BGN 1.02

$4.29 €3.69

-85.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 BGN 0.86

$0.82 €0.70

-36.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 BGN 13.80

$18.30 €15.76

-54.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.49

$2.06 €1.78

-27.18%

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

$29.3K BGN 48.7K

$34.3K €29.5K

-14.59%

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

$22.5K BGN 37.4K

$39.3K €33.8K

-42.82%

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

$116 BGN 194

$148 €127

-21.33%

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

$18.41 BGN 30.62

$20.52 €17.67

-10.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.34 BGN 25.52

$39.61 €34.10

-61.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.27 BGN 48.69

$47.85 €41.19

-38.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 BGN 24.17

$18.92 €16.29

-23.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 BGN 11.91

$9.18 €7.91

-22.00%

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

$640 BGN 1,065

$614 €529

4.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,441 BGN 9,052

$16.0K €13.8K

-66.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 BGN 89.7

$105 €90.1

-48.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 BGN 59.4

$42.06 €36.21

-15.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 BGN 119

$94.0 €80.9

-23.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.39 BGN 77.2

$120 €103

-61.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$292 BGN 486

$1,628 €1,401

-82.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 BGN 383

$1,255 €1,081

-81.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 BGN 779

$3,030 €2,609

-84.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 BGN 595

$2,020 €1,739

-82.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,467 BGN 2,440

$7,800 €6,715

-81.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,215 BGN 2,021

$4,273 €3,678

-71.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,330 BGN 2,212

$1,603 €1,380

-17.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

3.81

-18.90%

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

Last update for Popovo: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $292 in Popovo and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 21% 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: $29.00 in Popovo vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $269 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 148% in total monthly costs ($891 vs $2,210 including rent). Popovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 21% 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: $292 in Popovo versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $640 in Popovo 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 $891 in Popovo versus $2,210 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 148% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.