Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Silistra and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Silistra: $858 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Silistra
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$858
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Silistra 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 Silistra and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $858 in Silistra versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Silistra $858
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,223 in Silistra versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Silistra $1,223
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,589 in Silistra versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Silistra $1,589
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Silistra costs roughly 61% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Silistra is 37% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Silistra
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.13 BGN 17.62
$17.04 €15.15
-40.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.96 BGN 43.43
$62.3 €55.4
-59.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.75 BGN 15.22
$11.02 €9.80
-20.60%
Cappuccino
$1.66 BGN 2.89
$3.12 €2.78
-46.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 BGN 1.93
$2.27 €2.02
-51.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 BGN 1.38
$1.74 €1.55
-54.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.83 BGN 3.19
$3.42 €3.04
-46.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 BGN 3.48
$3.74 €3.33
-46.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Silistra
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 BGN 2.98
$1.17 €1.04
46.15%
White Bread (500g)
$0.81 BGN 1.42
$1.86 €1.66
-56.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.49 BGN 2.59
$1.54 €1.37
-3.25%
Eggs
$2.35 BGN 4.10
$4.06 €3.61
-42.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.41 BGN 16.37
$12.91 €11.49
-27.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.36 BGN 11.07
$7.90 €7.03
-19.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.31 BGN 14.46
$17.64 €15.69
-52.89%
Apples (1kg)
$1.25 BGN 2.17
$2.26 €2.01
-44.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 BGN 2.97
$1.75 €1.55
-2.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.68 BGN 2.92
$1.89 €1.68
-11.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 BGN 3.42
$2.56 €2.27
-23.05%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 BGN 1.66
$1.85 €1.64
-48.11%
Onion (1kg)
$0.71 BGN 1.23
$1.97 €1.75
-63.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 BGN 0.97
$1.45 €1.29
-61.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 BGN 1.17
$0.77 €0.69
-12.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.64 BGN 6.33
$6.71 €5.97
-45.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.16 BGN 8.98
$5.67 €5.04
-8.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 BGN 1.87
$1.37 €1.22
-21.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 BGN 2.94
$2.11 €1.88
-19.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Silistra
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.83 BGN 1.44
$2.32 €2.07
-64.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$23.87 BGN 41.54
$44.43 €39.52
-46.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 BGN 2.03
$3.95 €3.51
-70.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.65 BGN 1.13
$1.05 €0.93
-38.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.61 BGN 9.76
$17.15 €15.26
-67.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 BGN 2.47
$2.19 €1.95
-35.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K BGN 52.6K
$33.8K €30.0K
-10.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K BGN 37.9K
$38.3K €34.0K
-43.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Silistra
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.5 BGN 161
$164 €146
-43.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.56 BGN 25.33
$18.48 €16.43
-21.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.13 BGN 21.10
$32.96 €29.32
-63.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Silistra
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.10 BGN 54.1
$45.87 €40.80
-32.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.20 BGN 29.93
$18.68 €16.61
-7.92%
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 BGN 11.58
$9.75 €8.67
-31.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Silistra
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$232 BGN 404
$684 €608
-66.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,274 BGN 3,958
$17.6K €15.7K
-87.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Silistra
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$30.97 BGN 53.9
$104 €92.3
-70.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.44 BGN 33.83
$46.20 €41.09
-57.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$63.3 BGN 110
$99.7 €88.7
-36.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$52.0 BGN 90.5
$125 €111
-58.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Silistra
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$332 BGN 578
$1,589 €1,414
-79.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$248 BGN 431
$1,169 €1,040
-78.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$333 BGN 580
$2,851 €2,536
-88.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$243 BGN 423
$1,993 €1,773
-87.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,304 BGN 2,268
$7,793 €6,932
-83.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,082 BGN 1,883
$4,418 €3,930
-75.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Silistra
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$720 BGN 1,252
$1,600 €1,423
-55.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.99
3.85
-22.34%

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

Last update for Silistra: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Silistra
$248
Lisbon
$1.2K 372% $921
Groceries & Markets
Silistra
$192
Lisbon
$273 42% $81
Eating Out
Silistra
$148
Lisbon
$247 67.3% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Silistra
$119
Lisbon
$215 80.5% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Silistra
$75
Lisbon
$168 126% $94
Sport & Entertainment
Silistra
$44
Lisbon
$65 47.2% $21
Getting Around
Silistra
$32
Lisbon
$63 99.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $332 in Silistra and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 122% 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: $25.00 in Silistra vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $273 per month, with Silistra cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Silistra
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
13:48 1:48 PM
11:48 11:48 AM
2 h behind Silistra
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,923
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Silistra Lisbon 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Silistra
  • 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
Silistra vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Silistra and in Lisbon?
Silistra and Lisbon differ by about 157% in total monthly costs ($858 vs $2,202 including rent). Silistra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 122% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Silistra and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $332 in Silistra versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Silistra and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $232 in Silistra versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $858 in Silistra versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Silistra but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Silistra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Silistra and Lisbon?
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.
Is Silistra or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Silistra 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.
Where should expats move: Silistra or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Silistra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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