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: $943 in Shumen versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,474 in Shumen versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,005 in Shumen versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Shumen costs roughly 59% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shumen is 31% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.72 BGN 16.18

$17.59 €15.33

-44.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 BGN 58.3

$62.9 €54.8

-44.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 BGN 15.17

$11.58 €10.10

-21.24%

Cappuccino

$1.81 BGN 3.00

$3.10 €2.70

-41.61%

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

$1.47 BGN 2.44

$2.49 €2.17

-40.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 BGN 1.74

$1.74 €1.52

-39.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 BGN 4.83

$3.48 €3.03

-16.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 BGN 4.82

$3.44 €3.00

-15.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 BGN 3.17

$1.15 €1.00

66.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 BGN 1.86

$1.91 €1.66

-41.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 BGN 4.33

$1.50 €1.31

73.33%

Eggs

$2.98 BGN 4.96

$3.98 €3.47

-25.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 BGN 15.91

$13.29 €11.59

-27.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.06 BGN 8.42

$8.01 €6.98

-36.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 BGN 15.27

$18.04 €15.73

-49.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 BGN 2.60

$2.35 €2.05

-33.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 BGN 3.53

$1.75 €1.53

21.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 BGN 3.64

$1.85 €1.62

18.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 BGN 3.78

$2.55 €2.22

-10.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 BGN 3.47

$1.84 €1.61

13.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 BGN 2.20

$2.10 €1.83

-37.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 BGN 1.38

$1.49 €1.30

-44.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BGN 1.31

$0.82 €0.71

-4.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.74 BGN 6.22

$7.10 €6.19

-47.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 BGN 11.95

$5.91 €5.15

21.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 BGN 1.65

$1.31 €1.15

-24.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 BGN 2.44

$2.13 €1.86

-31.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.53

$2.36 €2.05

-61.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.37 BGN 43.86

$46.62 €40.63

-43.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 BGN 2.98

$4.08 €3.55

-56.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 BGN 0.86

$1.14 €0.99

-54.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 BGN 2.62

$2.31 €2.01

-31.60%

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

$31.9K BGN 53.0K

$34.1K €29.7K

-6.66%

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

$23.1K BGN 38.5K

$41.4K €36.1K

-44.10%

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

$136 BGN 226

$169 €147

-19.41%

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

$18.06 BGN 30.05

$19.33 €16.85

-6.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.42 BGN 28.98

$33.51 €29.21

-48.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.40 BGN 67.2

$48.84 €42.57

-17.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.74 BGN 19.53

$19.43 €16.94

-39.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 BGN 11.62

$9.57 €8.34

-26.96%

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

$588 BGN 979

$696 €607

-15.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K BGN 17.6K

$17.4K €15.1K

-39.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.68 BGN 82.6

$105 €91.8

-52.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 BGN 86.2

$47.75 €41.62

8.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 BGN 157

$101 €87.6

-6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.7 BGN 106

$124 €108

-48.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 BGN 459

$1,662 €1,449

-83.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 BGN 310

$1,246 €1,086

-85.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 BGN 730

$2,965 €2,584

-85.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 BGN 567

$2,049 €1,786

-83.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,261 BGN 2,098

$7,834 €6,829

-83.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,030 BGN 1,714

$4,464 €3,892

-76.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,035 BGN 1,722

$1,632 €1,422

-36.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

3.78

-14.02%

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

Last update for Shumen: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $276 in Shumen and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 58% 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 Shumen vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $277 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 144% in total monthly costs ($943 vs $2,296 including rent). Shumen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 58% 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: $276 in Shumen versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $588 in Shumen versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $943 in Shumen versus $2,296 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 144% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.