Cost of Living Comparison Between Shumen and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Shumen and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $900 in Shumen versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,382 in Shumen versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,865 in Shumen versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Shumen is 33% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.51 BGN 15.82

$15.94 €13.73

-40.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.11 BGN 48.42

$63.4 €54.6

-54.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 BGN 14.53

$10.38 €8.95

-15.90%

Cappuccino

$1.63 BGN 2.71

$2.79 €2.40

-41.58%

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

$1.33 BGN 2.21

$2.34 €2.01

-43.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 BGN 1.08

$1.57 €1.35

-58.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 BGN 3.33

$3.43 €2.95

-41.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 BGN 3.86

$3.91 €3.37

-40.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 BGN 2.82

$1.08 €0.93

57.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 BGN 1.60

$1.77 €1.52

-45.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.23

$1.71 €1.47

13.45%

Eggs

$3.02 BGN 5.02

$3.15 €2.71

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 BGN 15.27

$13.68 €11.79

-32.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 BGN 9.64

$8.01 €6.90

-27.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.75 BGN 19.55

$15.52 €13.37

-24.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 BGN 2.94

$2.29 €1.98

-22.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 BGN 3.43

$1.64 €1.41

25.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 BGN 3.36

$1.94 €1.67

4.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 BGN 3.77

$2.51 €2.17

-9.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.39

$1.79 €1.54

-19.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 BGN 2.29

$2.01 €1.73

-31.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 BGN 1.52

$1.97 €1.69

-53.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 BGN 1.23

$0.84 €0.73

-11.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 BGN 6.15

$6.79 €5.85

-45.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 BGN 11.95

$5.67 €4.89

26.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 BGN 1.67

$1.39 €1.20

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 BGN 2.67

$3.02 €2.60

-47.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 BGN 1.59

$2.27 €1.95

-58.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.38 BGN 43.88

$45.44 €39.15

-41.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 BGN 2.09

$4.29 €3.70

-70.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 BGN 0.55

$0.85 €0.73

-61.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.25 BGN 22.04

$18.28 €15.75

-27.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.49

$1.99 €1.71

-24.62%

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

$32.5K BGN 54.1K

$35.0K €30.2K

-7.23%

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

$26.0K BGN 43.3K

$39.5K €34.1K

-34.19%

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

$96.0 BGN 160

$146 €126

-34.34%

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

$16.63 BGN 27.66

$20.45 €17.62

-18.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.04 BGN 23.35

$38.98 €33.58

-63.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.48 BGN 67.3

$48.98 €42.21

-17.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.02 BGN 20.00

$18.83 €16.22

-36.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 BGN 12.10

$9.52 €8.21

-23.63%

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

$238 BGN 397

$608 €524

-60.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K BGN 17.5K

$16.5K €14.2K

-36.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 BGN 90.2

$104 €89.5

-47.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.69 BGN 69.4

$42.12 €36.29

-1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 BGN 136

$92.2 €79.5

-11.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 BGN 119

$120 €103

-40.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 BGN 465

$1,621 €1,397

-82.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 BGN 322

$1,268 €1,092

-84.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 BGN 846

$3,048 €2,626

-83.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 BGN 546

$2,009 €1,731

-83.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,266 BGN 2,106

$7,663 €6,602

-83.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,051 BGN 1,748

$4,329 €3,730

-75.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,044 BGN 1,737

$1,585 €1,366

-34.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

3.81

19.95%

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

Last update for Shumen: June 9, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Shumen and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 52% 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 Shumen vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $269 per month, with Shumen 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

Shumen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shumen and Lisbon differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($900 vs $2,263 including rent). Shumen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 52% 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: $280 in Shumen versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Shumen versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $900 in Shumen versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shumen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shumen 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, Shumen 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 Shumen 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.