Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,216 in Varna versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,853 in Varna versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Varna versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Varna costs roughly 46% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varna is 9% below, Lisbon is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.82 BGN 19.74

$15.73 €13.42

-24.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.21 BGN 78.8

$63.2 €53.9

-25.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 BGN 14.69

$10.32 €8.80

-14.73%

Cappuccino

$2.61 BGN 4.35

$2.81 €2.40

-7.12%

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

$1.73 BGN 2.88

$2.33 €1.99

-25.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 BGN 2.12

$1.51 €1.29

-15.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 BGN 5.04

$3.37 €2.87

-10.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 BGN 5.06

$3.91 €3.34

-22.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 2.99

$1.08 €0.92

65.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 BGN 1.72

$1.75 €1.49

-41.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 BGN 4.21

$1.75 €1.50

44.00%

Eggs

$3.48 BGN 5.81

$3.10 €2.64

12.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 BGN 18.24

$13.28 €11.33

-17.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.28 BGN 13.82

$7.85 €6.70

5.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 BGN 20.27

$16.05 €13.69

-24.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 BGN 2.68

$2.39 €2.04

-33.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.42

$1.72 €1.47

19.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 BGN 2.97

$1.97 €1.68

-9.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 BGN 4.58

$2.55 €2.17

7.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 BGN 1.92

$1.79 €1.53

-35.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 BGN 1.91

$1.97 €1.68

-42.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 BGN 1.71

$1.96 €1.67

-47.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 BGN 1.18

$0.84 €0.71

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 BGN 6.45

$6.82 €5.82

-43.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 BGN 13.01

$5.85 €4.99

33.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 1.93

$1.38 €1.18

-15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.17

$2.92 €2.49

-34.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 BGN 2.02

$2.29 €1.95

-47.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.54 BGN 49.32

$46.88 €39.99

-36.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 BGN 2.24

$4.12 €3.51

-67.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 BGN 1.18

$0.81 €0.69

-12.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.18 BGN 20.34

$18.94 €16.16

-35.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 BGN 2.46

$2.09 €1.78

-29.19%

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

$32.6K BGN 54.5K

$35.1K €30.0K

-7.08%

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

$29.4K BGN 49.1K

$39.7K €33.9K

-25.99%

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

$123 BGN 206

$150 €128

-17.56%

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

$19.22 BGN 32.10

$20.49 €17.48

-6.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.76 BGN 26.32

$39.15 €33.40

-59.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 BGN 69.1

$49.65 €42.35

-16.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.72 BGN 24.59

$18.47 €15.76

-20.30%

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 BGN 14.71

$9.20 €7.84

-4.24%

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

$401 BGN 669

$624 €533

-35.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,517 BGN 9,214

$15.9K €13.6K

-65.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 BGN 103

$102 €87.2

-39.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 BGN 56.8

$40.88 €34.87

-16.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 BGN 152

$95.7 €81.6

-5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 BGN 170

$121 €103

-15.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 BGN 866

$1,653 €1,410

-68.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 BGN 657

$1,233 €1,051

-68.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 BGN 1,516

$3,043 €2,596

-70.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 BGN 1,075

$2,059 €1,756

-68.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,150 BGN 5,260

$7,879 €6,720

-60.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,061 BGN 3,442

$4,303 €3,671

-52.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 BGN 2,026

$1,566 €1,336

-22.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.71

3.81

23.62%

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

Last update for Varna: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Varna and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 29% 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: $47 in Varna vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $270 per month, with Varna 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

Varna vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varna and Lisbon differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($1,216 vs $2,243 including rent). Varna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 29% less. 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: $518 in Varna versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $401 in Varna versus $624 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,216 in Varna versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varna but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Varna 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, Varna 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 Varna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.