Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,650 in Sofia versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,556 in Sofia versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,462 in Sofia versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Sofia costs roughly 29% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 20% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 BGN 28.96

$17.30 €14.93

0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 BGN 109

$63.3 €54.6

3.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 BGN 20.25

$11.39 €9.83

6.85%

Cappuccino

$3.63 BGN 6.05

$3.19 €2.75

13.79%

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

$2.36 BGN 3.92

$2.45 €2.11

-3.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 BGN 3.24

$1.76 €1.52

10.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 BGN 5.89

$3.59 €3.10

-1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 BGN 7.59

$3.39 €2.93

34.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 BGN 3.35

$1.24 €1.07

62.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 BGN 2.69

$1.98 €1.71

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 BGN 4.02

$1.52 €1.31

59.21%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.33

$4.04 €3.49

9.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 BGN 19.64

$13.54 €11.68

-12.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 BGN 15.39

$8.39 €7.24

10.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.23 BGN 28.66

$18.25 €15.75

-5.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.61

$2.29 €1.98

-5.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.41

$1.74 €1.50

17.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.21

$1.86 €1.60

3.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 BGN 7.03

$2.63 €2.27

60.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 BGN 1.91

$1.92 €1.65

-40.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 BGN 1.66

$2.09 €1.81

-52.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 1.97

$1.44 €1.24

-18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 BGN 1.50

$0.84 €0.73

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 BGN 7.21

$6.78 €5.85

-36.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 BGN 12.80

$5.71 €4.93

34.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 BGN 2.00

$1.38 €1.19

-12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.08

$2.22 €1.91

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.52

$2.40 €2.07

-61.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.12 BGN 50.1

$46.78 €40.37

-35.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 BGN 3.12

$4.17 €3.60

-54.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.52

$1.14 €0.98

-20.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.21 BGN 26.96

$17.68 €15.26

-8.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 BGN 2.94

$2.32 €2.01

-24.14%

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

$31.4K BGN 52.2K

$35.3K €30.5K

-11.20%

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

$27.4K BGN 45.6K

$41.4K €35.8K

-33.89%

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

$170 BGN 283

$170 €147

-0.15%

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

$22.02 BGN 36.64

$19.34 €16.69

13.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.43 BGN 25.67

$33.64 €29.03

-54.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.50 BGN 79.0

$48.10 €41.50

-1.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.53 BGN 49.13

$19.90 €17.17

48.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 BGN 17.18

$9.92 €8.56

4.13%

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

$799 BGN 1,330

$717 €619

11.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K BGN 22.2K

$17.5K €15.1K

-23.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 BGN 147

$105 €90.4

-15.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 BGN 70.8

$46.95 €40.51

-9.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 179

$103 €89.2

4.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 BGN 187

$124 €107

-9.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 BGN 1,305

$1,677 €1,447

-53.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 BGN 1,034

$1,271 €1,097

-51.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 BGN 2,622

$2,985 €2,575

-47.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 BGN 1,785

$1,992 €1,719

-46.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,637 BGN 7,714

$7,826 €6,753

-40.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,355 BGN 5,581

$4,658 €4,019

-27.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 2,898

$1,583 €1,366

10.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

3.79

-23.48%

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

Last update for Sofia: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $784 in Sofia and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Sofia vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $283 per month, with Lisbon 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

Sofia vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia and Lisbon differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,650 vs $2,316 including rent). Sofia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Sofia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $784 in Sofia versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $799 in Sofia versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,650 in Sofia versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia 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, Sofia 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 Sofia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.