Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruse and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruse and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,007 in Ruse versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,525 in Ruse versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,044 in Ruse versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Ruse costs roughly 57% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ruse is 27% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.23 BGN 15.35

$17.30 €14.89

-46.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.38 BGN 58.9

$63.3 €54.4

-44.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 BGN 16.38

$11.39 €9.80

-13.52%

Cappuccino

$1.75 BGN 2.91

$3.19 €2.75

-45.14%

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

$1.55 BGN 2.57

$2.45 €2.10

-36.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 BGN 1.37

$1.76 €1.52

-53.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 BGN 2.98

$3.59 €3.09

-50.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 BGN 5.04

$3.39 €2.92

-10.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 BGN 3.04

$1.24 €1.06

47.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 BGN 1.63

$1.98 €1.71

-50.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 3.91

$1.52 €1.31

54.61%

Eggs

$2.72 BGN 4.52

$4.04 €3.48

-32.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 BGN 16.04

$13.54 €11.65

-28.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 BGN 13.48

$8.39 €7.22

-3.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.93 BGN 24.84

$18.25 €15.70

-18.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 BGN 2.43

$2.29 €1.97

-36.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.22

$1.74 €1.50

10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 BGN 3.31

$1.86 €1.60

6.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.44

$2.63 €2.26

-21.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 BGN 1.86

$1.92 €1.65

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.79

$2.09 €1.80

-48.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 BGN 2.08

$1.44 €1.24

-13.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 BGN 1.12

$0.84 €0.72

-20.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 BGN 6.17

$6.78 €5.83

-45.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.61 BGN 11.00

$5.71 €4.91

15.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 BGN 2.05

$1.38 €1.18

-10.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 1.93

$2.22 €1.91

-47.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 BGN 1.43

$2.40 €2.06

-64.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.22 BGN 26.99

$46.78 €40.25

-65.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 BGN 2.24

$4.17 €3.59

-67.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 BGN 1.06

$1.14 €0.98

-43.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 BGN 17.16

$17.68 €15.21

-41.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 BGN 2.67

$2.32 €2.00

-30.60%

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

$30.7K BGN 51.1K

$35.3K €30.4K

-13.14%

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

$23.2K BGN 38.6K

$41.4K €35.7K

-43.95%

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

$105 BGN 175

$170 €147

-38.40%

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

$18.43 BGN 30.66

$19.34 €16.64

-4.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.53 BGN 22.51

$33.64 €28.95

-59.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.42 BGN 53.9

$48.10 €41.39

-32.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.81 BGN 14.66

$19.90 €17.12

-55.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.83 BGN 9.70

$9.92 €8.54

-41.23%

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

$543 BGN 904

$717 €617

-24.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,772 BGN 9,602

$17.5K €15.0K

-66.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 BGN 89.5

$105 €90.2

-48.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.62 BGN 49.27

$46.95 €40.40

-36.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 BGN 122

$103 €89.0

-29.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 BGN 147

$124 €107

-28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 BGN 609

$1,677 €1,443

-78.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 BGN 516

$1,271 €1,094

-75.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 BGN 896

$2,985 €2,568

-81.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 BGN 714

$1,992 €1,715

-78.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,701 BGN 2,830

$7,826 €6,734

-78.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,258 BGN 2,093

$4,658 €4,008

-72.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,010 BGN 1,679

$1,583 €1,362

-36.22%

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 Ruse: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Ruse and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 57% 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: $35.00 in Ruse vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $283 per month, with Ruse 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

Ruse vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ruse and Lisbon differ by about 130% in total monthly costs ($1,007 vs $2,316 including rent). Ruse is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 57% 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: $366 in Ruse versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $543 in Ruse 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 18% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,007 in Ruse versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ruse but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ruse 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, Ruse 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 Ruse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.