Cost of living in Bulgaria
Summary of cost of living in Bulgaria
- Family of four estimated monthly costs: 3,441 лв
- Single person estimated monthly costs: 1,419 лв
- Bulgaria is the 3rd cheapest country in Eastern Europe (10 out of 12)
- Cost of living in Bulgaria is cheaper than in 79% of countries in the World (61 out of 77)
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| Food | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district | 11 лв | ||
| Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) | 8 лв | ||
| 500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast | 5.27 лв | ||
| 1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | 2.08 лв | ||
| 12 eggs, large | 3.90 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | 2.91 лв | ||
| 500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese | 6 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | 2.20 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes | 1.21 лв | ||
| 0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket | 1.27 лв | ||
| 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | 10 лв | ||
| 2 liters of coca-cola | 2.40 лв | ||
| Bread for 2 people for 1 day | 0.74 лв | ||
| Housing | |||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area | 873 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area | 652 лв | ||
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | 197 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area | 576 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area | 450 лв | ||
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio | 133 лв | ||
| Internet 8 mbps (1 month) | 14 лв | ||
| 40” flat screen tv | 538 лв | ||
| Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) | 156 лв | ||
| Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | 17 лв | ||
| Hourly rate for cleaning help | 14 лв | ||
| Clothes | |||
| 1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) | 93 лв | ||
| 1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) | 53 лв | ||
| 1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) | 126 лв | ||
| 1 pair of men’s leather business shoes | 129 лв | ||
| Transportation | |||
| Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new | 40,092 лв | ||
| 1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | 1.90 лв | ||
| Monthly ticket public transport | 49 лв | ||
| Personal Care | |||
| Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) | 8 лв | ||
| 1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) | 13 лв | ||
| Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) | 26 лв | ||
| 1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) | 9 лв | ||
| Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | 4.12 лв | ||
| Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | 4.83 лв | ||
| 4 rolls of toilet paper | 2.21 лв | ||
| Tube of toothpaste | 2.80 лв | ||
| Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city | 10 лв | ||
| Entertainment | |||
| Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | 40 лв | ||
| 2 tickets to the movies | 23 лв | ||
| 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | 55 лв | ||
| Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert | 67 лв | ||
| 1 cocktail drink in downtown club | 10 лв | ||
| Cappuccino in expat area of the city | 4.00 лв | ||
| 1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) | 3.09 лв | ||
| Ipad wi-fi 128gb | 874 лв | ||
| 1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | 0.23 лв | ||
| 1 month of gym membership in business district | 39 лв | ||
| 1 package of marlboro cigarettes | 5.61 лв | ||
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 | 80 |
| 2nd | Vratsa | 80 |
| 3rd | Varna | 75 |
| 4th | Plovdiv | 70 |
| 5th | Burgas | 70 |
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 Varna is 6% cheaper than in Sofia
- Cost of living in Sofia is 15% cheaper than in Warsaw
- Cost of living in Sofia is 8% cheaper than in Quito
- Cost of living in Sofia is 57% cheaper than in Amsterdam
- Cost of living in Sofia is 36% more expensive than in Buenos Aires
- Cost of living in Sofia is 35% cheaper than in Lisbon
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 87% more expensive than in Eskişehir Province
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 53% cheaper than in Tampa, Florida
- Cost of living in Sofia is 45% cheaper than in Bonn
- Cost of living in Sofia is 32% cheaper than in Ljubljana
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 50% cheaper than in Jacksonville, Florida
- Cost of living in Sofia is 64% cheaper than in London
- Cost of living in Sofia is about the same as in Bucharest
- Cost of living in Sofia is about the same as in São Paulo
- Cost of living in Burgas is 51% cheaper than in Detroit, Michigan
- Cost of living in Sofia is 45% cheaper than in Rome
- Cost of living in Sliven is 39% cheaper than in Warsaw
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 52% cheaper than in Malmo
- Cost of living in Sofia is 15% cheaper than in Brno
- Cost of living in Sofia is 48% cheaper than in Nijmegen
Compare other countries
Prices recently added
- One-way ticket in public transport in Plovdiv costs 1.00 лв (6 days ago)
- Internet connection 300 mbps, 1 month in Plovdiv costs 50 лв (6 days ago)
- Internet 8 mbps, 1 month in Plovdiv costs 15 лв (6 days ago)
- Utilities (studio), monthly for 1 person in 45 m2 in Plovdiv costs 150 лв (6 days ago)
- Monthly rent - 45 m2 furnished studio in normal area in Plovdiv costs 350 лв (6 days ago)
- Monthly rent - 45 m2 furnished studio in expensive area in Plovdiv costs 700 лв (6 days ago)
- Utilities, monthly for 2 people in 85 m2 in Plovdiv costs 250 лв (6 days ago)
- Furnished accommodation in normal area, monthly rent - 85 m2 in Plovdiv costs 750 лв (6 days ago)
- Monthly rent - 85 m2 furnished accommodation in expensive area in Plovdiv costs 1,200 лв (6 days ago)
- 1 kg of rice in Plovdiv costs 2.30 лв (6 days ago)