Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliven and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliven and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $814 in Sliven versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,284 in Sliven versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,754 in Sliven versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Sliven costs roughly 64% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sliven is 41% below, Lisbon is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 BGN 19.86

$17.55 €15.09

-31.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.86 BGN 59.7

$64.5 €55.5

-44.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 BGN 17.43

$11.65 €10.01

-10.04%

Cappuccino

$1.93 BGN 3.21

$3.26 €2.80

-40.80%

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

$1.28 BGN 2.12

$2.49 €2.14

-48.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 BGN 1.51

$1.67 €1.44

-45.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 BGN 2.89

$3.47 €2.99

-49.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 BGN 3.86

$3.58 €3.07

-35.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 BGN 2.65

$1.18 €1.02

34.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 BGN 1.32

$1.95 €1.67

-59.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 BGN 4.68

$1.56 €1.34

80.13%

Eggs

$2.24 BGN 3.73

$4.01 €3.45

-44.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 BGN 13.44

$13.27 €11.41

-39.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 BGN 9.29

$8.42 €7.24

-33.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.66 BGN 11.08

$18.23 €15.68

-63.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 BGN 2.55

$2.32 €2.00

-34.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 BGN 2.77

$1.73 €1.49

-4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.41

$1.93 €1.66

-24.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.66

$2.64 €2.27

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 BGN 0.85

$1.90 €1.63

-73.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 BGN 1.43

$2.11 €1.82

-59.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 BGN 1.81

$1.44 €1.24

-24.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 BGN 0.81

$0.80 €0.69

-38.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 BGN 6.05

$7.01 €6.03

-48.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 BGN 10.59

$5.92 €5.09

7.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 BGN 1.83

$1.36 €1.17

-19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 BGN 2.24

$2.15 €1.85

-37.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 BGN 1.13

$2.38 €2.05

-71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.20 BGN 61.9

$46.22 €39.74

-19.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 BGN 2.02

$4.19 €3.60

-71.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 BGN 1.00

$1.10 €0.94

-45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.66 BGN 14.41

$17.26 €14.84

-49.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 BGN 2.57

$2.25 €1.93

-31.11%

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

$30.8K BGN 51.2K

$34.5K €29.6K

-10.70%

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

$23.3K BGN 38.7K

$41.6K €35.8K

-44.07%

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

$87.8 BGN 146

$171 €147

-48.65%

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

$21.17 BGN 35.21

$19.01 €16.34

11.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.25 BGN 15.39

$34.28 €29.48

-73.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.00 BGN 39.93

$49.65 €42.69

-51.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 BGN 9.92

$10.10 €8.68

-40.89%

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

$529 BGN 880

$699 €601

-24.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,434 BGN 10.7K

$17.8K €15.3K

-63.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 BGN 97.8

$105 €89.9

-43.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.13 BGN 40.14

$47.97 €41.24

-49.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 BGN 119

$102 €87.6

-29.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.8 BGN 108

$128 €110

-49.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 BGN 392

$1,661 €1,428

-85.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 BGN 243

$1,228 €1,056

-88.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 BGN 565

$2,915 €2,506

-88.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 BGN 447

$2,023 €1,740

-86.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,174 BGN 1,954

$8,129 €6,989

-85.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$966 BGN 1,607

$4,635 €3,985

-79.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,383 BGN 2,301

$1,619 €1,392

-14.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.87

3.78

-24.07%

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

Last update for Sliven: September 8, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $235 in Sliven and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 17% 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: $36.00 in Sliven vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $281 per month, with Sliven 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

Sliven vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliven and Lisbon differ by about 179% in total monthly costs ($814 vs $2,268 including rent). Sliven is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $235 in Sliven versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $529 in Sliven versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $814 in Sliven versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sliven but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sliven 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, Sliven 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 Sliven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 179% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.