Cost of living in Bulgaria
Summary of cost of living in Bulgaria
- Family of four estimated monthly costs: 4,585 лв
- Single person estimated monthly costs: 1,839 лв
- Bulgaria is the 4th cheapest country in Eastern Europe (7 out of 10)
- Cost of living in Bulgaria is cheaper than in 78% of countries in the World (53 out of 68)
Change the currency:
| Food | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district | 21 лв | ||
| Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) | 13 лв | ||
| 500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast | 9 лв | ||
| 1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | 3.27 лв | ||
| 12 eggs, large | 7 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | 4.46 лв | ||
| 500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese | 12 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | 2.66 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes | 2.08 лв | ||
| 0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket | 1.68 лв | ||
| 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | 17 лв | ||
| 2 liters of coca-cola | 2.89 лв | ||
| Bread for 2 people for 1 day | 1.16 лв | ||
| Housing | |||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area | 1,174 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area | 731 лв | ||
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | 243 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area | 840 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area | 592 лв | ||
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio | 147 лв | ||
| Internet 8 mbps (1 month) | 15 лв | ||
| 40” flat screen tv | 665 лв | ||
| Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) | 226 лв | ||
| Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | 23 лв | ||
| Hourly rate for cleaning help | 20 лв | ||
| Clothes | |||
| 1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) | 138 лв | ||
| 1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) | 59 лв | ||
| 1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) | 172 лв | ||
| 1 pair of men’s leather business shoes | 131 лв | ||
| Transportation | |||
| Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new | 34,814 лв | ||
| 1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | 2.75 лв | ||
| Monthly ticket public transport | 50 лв | ||
| Personal Care | |||
| Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) | 15 лв | ||
| 1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) | 27 лв | ||
| Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) | 44 лв | ||
| 1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) | 8 лв | ||
| Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | 6 лв | ||
| Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | 7 лв | ||
| 4 rolls of toilet paper | 3.69 лв | ||
| Tube of toothpaste | 4.41 лв | ||
| Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city | 18 лв | ||
| Entertainment | |||
| Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | 42 лв | ||
| 2 tickets to the movies | 21 лв | ||
| 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | 62 лв | ||
| Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert | 94 лв | ||
| 1 cocktail drink in downtown club | 14 лв | ||
| Cappuccino in expat area of the city | 4.43 лв | ||
| 1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) | 3.56 лв | ||
| Ipad wi-fi 128gb | 1,584 лв | ||
| 1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | 0.45 лв | ||
| 1 month of gym membership in business district | 57 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 | 73 |
| 2nd | Plovdiv | 53 |
| 3rd | Burgas | 50 |
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 48% cheaper than in Oslo
- Cost of living in Sofia is 7% more expensive than in Bucharest
- Cost of living in Sofia is 31% cheaper than in Barcelona, Spain
- Cost of living in Sofia is 9% cheaper than in Budapest
- Cost of living in Sofia is 31% cheaper than in Montevideo
- Cost of living in Sofia is 29% cheaper than in Greenville, South Carolina
- Cost of living in Sofia is about the same as in Brasília
- Cost of living in Sofia is 64% cheaper than in London
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 30% cheaper than in Moscow
- Cost of living in Veliko Tarnovo is 44% cheaper than in Abbotsford
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 50% cheaper than in Florence
- Cost of living in Sofia is 31% cheaper than in Madrid
- Cost of living in Burgas is 52% cheaper than in Ramallah
- Cost of living in Sofia is 48% more expensive than in Piteşti
- Cost of living in Sofia is 16% cheaper than in Buenos Aires
- Cost of living in Varna is 17% cheaper than in Tehran
- Cost of living in Sofia is 5% more expensive than in Maribor
- Cost of living in Sofia is 24% cheaper than in Iowa City, Iowa
- Cost of living in Sofia is about the same as in Talcahuano
- Cost of living in Sofia is 46% cheaper than in Las Vegas, Nevada
Compare other countries
Prices recently added
- Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) in Varna costs 200 лв (3 days ago)
- 40′ flat screen tv in Varna costs 600 лв (3 days ago)
- Internet 8 mbps, 1 month in Varna costs 30 лв (3 days ago)
- Utilities (studio), monthly for 1 person in 45 m2 in Varna costs 150 лв (3 days ago)
- Monthly rent - 45 m2 furnished studio in normal area in Varna costs 900 лв (3 days ago)
- Utilities, monthly for 2 people in 85 m2 in Varna costs 150 лв (3 days ago)
- Furnished accommodation in normal area, monthly rent - 85 m2 in Varna costs 600 лв (3 days ago)
- Monthly rent - 85 m2 furnished accommodation in expensive area in Varna costs 1,000 лв (3 days ago)
- 1 kg of rice in Varna costs 4.00 лв (3 days ago)
- Bread for 2 people for 1 day (250 g) in Varna costs 1.50 лв (3 days ago)