Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shumen and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Shumen: $913 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Shumen
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Shumen Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Shumen

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$913

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shumen and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shumen and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Shumen versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Shumen $913
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,422 in Shumen versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Shumen $1,422
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Shumen versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Shumen $1,931
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Shumen costs roughly 59% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shumen is 33% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 BGN 15.99

$16.65 €14.91

-45.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.66 BGN 60.7

$61.7 €55.3

-43.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 BGN 15.99

$11.36 €10.17

-19.54%

Cappuccino

$1.69 BGN 2.96

$2.97 €2.66

-43.10%

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

$1.43 BGN 2.50

$2.29 €2.05

-37.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 BGN 1.87

$1.74 €1.56

-38.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 BGN 5.15

$3.40 €3.05

-13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 BGN 5.06

$3.31 €2.96

-12.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 BGN 3.23

$1.16 €1.04

58.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 BGN 1.89

$1.91 €1.71

-43.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 BGN 4.49

$1.51 €1.35

70.20%

Eggs

$2.85 BGN 4.98

$4.02 €3.60

-29.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 BGN 15.94

$12.94 €11.59

-29.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 BGN 8.95

$7.77 €6.96

-34.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.86 BGN 15.51

$17.76 €15.91

-50.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 BGN 2.66

$2.30 €2.06

-33.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.73 €1.55

17.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.80

$1.86 €1.66

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$2.59 €2.32

-11.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.59

$1.82 €1.63

12.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 BGN 2.20

$1.97 €1.76

-36.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 BGN 1.53

$1.47 €1.32

-40.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.34

$0.72 €0.65

6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 BGN 6.41

$6.58 €5.90

-44.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 BGN 12.25

$5.61 €5.02

24.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 BGN 1.69

$1.36 €1.22

-28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 BGN 2.57

$2.14 €1.91

-31.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$2.33 €2.09

-62.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.12 BGN 45.72

$44.68 €40.01

-41.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$3.85 €3.45

-54.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 BGN 0.93

$1.07 €0.96

-50.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.74

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 BGN 2.78

$2.20 €1.97

-27.73%

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

$30.9K BGN 54.1K

$34.2K €30.6K

-9.58%

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

$22.3K BGN 39.1K

$38.7K €34.7K

-42.32%

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

$133 BGN 232

$161 €144

-17.70%

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

$17.68 BGN 30.94

$18.41 €16.49

-3.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.94 BGN 29.64

$32.74 €29.32

-48.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.15 BGN 66.8

$44.55 €39.90

-14.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.41 BGN 19.97

$19.10 €17.10

-40.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 BGN 12.32

$9.60 €8.60

-26.67%

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

$561 BGN 982

$668 €598

-15.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K BGN 18.4K

$17.6K €15.8K

-40.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.91 BGN 83.8

$102 €91.4

-53.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 BGN 90.4

$44.46 €39.82

16.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 BGN 165

$98.5 €88.2

-4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 BGN 106

$124 €111

-51.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 BGN 460

$1,608 €1,440

-83.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 BGN 315

$1,190 €1,066

-84.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 BGN 748

$2,812 €2,519

-84.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 BGN 584

$2,013 €1,803

-83.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,231 BGN 2,154

$7,839 €7,021

-84.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$997 BGN 1,744

$4,576 €4,098

-78.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,024 BGN 1,792

$1,575 €1,411

-34.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

3.85

-15.58%

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

Last update for Shumen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Shumen

$214 23.4%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 27.5% $59

Accommodation & Living

Shumen

$180 19.7%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 562% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shumen

$167 18.3%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 26.9% $45

Eating Out

Shumen

$151 16.6%

Lisbon

$243 11% 60.3% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Shumen

$114 12.5%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 45% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Shumen

$52 5.7%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 22% $12

Getting Around

Shumen

$34 3.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 85.6% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $263 in Shumen and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 54% 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 in Shumen vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $272 per month, with Shumen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Shumen

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

20:21 8:21 PM

18:21 6:21 PM

2 h behind Shumen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,504

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shumen Lisbon 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shumen
Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $913 in Shumen and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Shumen is about 59% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Shumen. 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: $263 in Shumen versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Shumen versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $913 in Shumen versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Shumen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.