Cost of living in Bulgaria
Summary of cost of living in Bulgaria
- Family of four estimated monthly costs: 5,136 лв
- Single person estimated monthly costs: 2,170 лв
- Cost of living in Bulgaria is cheaper than in 69% of countries in Eastern Europe (9 out of 13)
- Cost of living in Bulgaria is cheaper than in 70% of countries in the World (43 out of 61)
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| Food | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district | 17 лв | ||
| Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) | 16 лв | ||
| 500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast | 8 лв | ||
| 1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | 3.37 лв | ||
| 12 eggs, large | 8 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | 4.10 лв | ||
| 500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese | 10 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | 2.86 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes | 2.13 лв | ||
| 0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket | 2.09 лв | ||
| 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | 21 лв | ||
| 2 liters of coca-cola | 3.12 лв | ||
| Bread for 2 people for 1 day | 1.08 лв | ||
| Housing | |||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area | 1,464 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area | 943 лв | ||
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | 235 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area | 794 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area | 713 лв | ||
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio | 174 лв | ||
| Internet 8 mbps (1 month) | 19 лв | ||
| 40” flat screen tv | 583 лв | ||
| Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) | 193 лв | ||
| Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | 25 лв | ||
| Hourly rate for cleaning help | 27 лв | ||
| Clothes | |||
| 1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) | 110 лв | ||
| 1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) | 72 лв | ||
| 1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) | 190 лв | ||
| 1 pair of men’s leather business shoes | 172 лв | ||
| Transportation | |||
| Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new | 51,609 лв | ||
| 1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | 2.65 лв | ||
| Monthly ticket public transport | 47 лв | ||
| Personal Care | |||
| Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) | 13 лв | ||
| 1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) | 24 лв | ||
| Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) | 98 лв | ||
| 1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) | 7 лв | ||
| Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | 5.90 лв | ||
| Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | 8 лв | ||
| 4 rolls of toilet paper | 4.08 лв | ||
| Tube of toothpaste | 3.73 лв | ||
| Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city | 25 лв | ||
| Entertainment | |||
| Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | 55 лв | ||
| 2 tickets to the movies | 30 лв | ||
| 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | 50 лв | ||
| Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert | 132 лв | ||
| 1 cocktail drink in downtown club | 14 лв | ||
| Cappuccino in expat area of the city | 5.73 лв | ||
| 1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) | 5.04 лв | ||
| Ipad wi-fi 128gb | 1,897 лв | ||
| 1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | 0.33 лв | ||
| 1 month of gym membership in business district | 76 лв | ||
| 1 package of marlboro cigarettes | 7 лв | ||
Moving to Bulgaria with your children?
International Schools in Bulgaria
Map of Cost of Living in Bulgaria
This map shows only the top cities in Bulgaria. We also have on this page a list of all the cities available in Expatistan:
List of all the cities available in Expatistan
The color of each marker corresponds with the cost of living in the city red markers show more expensive cities green ones show cheaper cities
Moving the mouse on top of a city will show its name and the Cost of Living Index of that city.
What is the Cost of Living Index? To calculate each city's Price Index value, we start by assigning a value of 100 to a
central reference city (that happens to be Prague).
Once the reference point has been established, the Price Index value of every other city in the
database is calculated by comparing their cost of living to the cost of living in Prague.
Therefore, if a city has a Price Index of 134, that means that living there is 34% more expensive than living in Prague.
Cost of Living Ranking in Bulgaria
(top cities by data quality)
| Ranking | City | Price Index * |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sofia | 78 |
| 2nd | Plovdiv | 58 |
| 3rd | Burgas | 56 |
Price Index:
To calculate each city's Price Index value, we start by assigning a value of 100 to a central reference city (that happens to be Prague). Once the reference point has been established, the Price Index value of every other city in the database is calculated by comparing their cost of living to the cost of living in Prague.Therefore, if a city has a Price Index of 134, that means that living there is 34% more expensive than living in Prague.
Are you moving to Bulgaria? Do you know how much money you will need there to maintain your current standard of living?
Find out what is the real equivalent in Bulgaria of your current salary and improve your chances of a happy relocation.
Get a salary calculation for:
Recent Comparisons
- Cost of living in Sofia is 22% cheaper than in Mar del Plata
- Cost of living in Sofia is 35% cheaper than in San Luis
- Cost of living in Burgas is 11% cheaper than in Tangier
- Cost of living in Burgas is 66% cheaper than in Brisbane
- Cost of living in Sofia is 64% more expensive than in Cherkasy
- Cost of living in Sofia is 131% more expensive than in Saratov
- Cost of living in Sofia is 83% more expensive than in Kalyan
- Cost of living in Sofia is 9% more expensive than in Suva
- Cost of living in Sofia is 42% cheaper than in Limerick
- Cost of living in Sofia is about the same as in Saltillo
- Cost of living in Sofia is 24% cheaper than in Abidjan
- Cost of living in Sofia is 30% more expensive than in Zrenjanin
- Cost of living in Sofia is about the same as in Lima
- Cost of living in Sofia is 62% cheaper than in Honolulu, Hawaii
- Cost of living in Sofia is 51% cheaper than in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Cost of living in Sofia is 9% more expensive than in Santa Cruz
- Cost of living in Sofia is 16% cheaper than in Taichung City
- Cost of living in Sofia is 53% cheaper than in Brighton and Hove
- Cost of living in Sofia is 27% more expensive than in León, Nicaragua
- Cost of living in Sofia is 45% cheaper than in York