Cost of living in Bulgaria
Summary of cost of living in Bulgaria
- Family of four estimated monthly costs: 4,212 лв
- Single person estimated monthly costs: 1,727 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 88% of countries in the World (68 out of 77)
Change the currency:
| Food | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district | 20 лв | ||
| Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) | 13 лв | ||
| 500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast | 7 лв | ||
| 1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | 2.50 лв | ||
| 12 eggs, large | 4.28 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | 3.45 лв | ||
| 500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese | 8 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | 2.12 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes | 1.30 лв | ||
| 0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket | 1.54 лв | ||
| 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | 12 лв | ||
| 2 liters of coca-cola | 2.67 лв | ||
| Bread for 2 people for 1 day | 1.38 лв | ||
| Housing | |||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area | 1,108 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area | 715 лв | ||
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | 160 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area | 869 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area | 559 лв | ||
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio | 113 лв | ||
| Internet 8 mbps (1 month) | 18 лв | ||
| 40” flat screen tv | 618 лв | ||
| Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) | 284 лв | ||
| Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | 23 лв | ||
| Hourly rate for cleaning help | 9 лв | ||
| Clothes | |||
| 1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) | 69 лв | ||
| 1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) | 80 лв | ||
| 1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) | 134 лв | ||
| 1 pair of men’s leather business shoes | 130 лв | ||
| Transportation | |||
| Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new | 46,519 лв | ||
| 1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | 3.08 лв | ||
| Monthly ticket public transport | 46 лв | ||
| Personal Care | |||
| Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) | 12 лв | ||
| 1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) | 29 лв | ||
| Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) | 54 лв | ||
| 1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) | 8 лв | ||
| Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | 7 лв | ||
| Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | 5.00 лв | ||
| 4 rolls of toilet paper | 2.80 лв | ||
| Tube of toothpaste | 6 лв | ||
| Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city | 31 лв | ||
| Entertainment | |||
| Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | 40 лв | ||
| 2 tickets to the movies | 22 лв | ||
| 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | 33 лв | ||
| Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert | 78 лв | ||
| 1 cocktail drink in downtown club | 14 лв | ||
| Cappuccino in expat area of the city | 3.30 лв | ||
| 1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) | 3.52 лв | ||
| Ipad wi-fi 128gb | 1,135 лв | ||
| 1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | 0.20 лв | ||
| 1 month of gym membership in business district | 37 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 | Varna | 66 |
| 2nd | Plovdiv | 60 |
| 3rd | Burgas | 59 |
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 28% cheaper than in Thessaloniki
- Cost of living in Sofia is 31% cheaper than in Athens
- Cost of living in Sofia is 23% more expensive than in Kyiv
- Cost of living in Sofia is 61% cheaper than in Dublin
- Cost of living in Sofia is 25% cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro
- Cost of living in Sofia is 68% cheaper than in London
- Cost of living in Sofia is 57% cheaper than in Paris
- Cost of living in Sofia is 13% more expensive than in Bogotá
- Cost of living in Sofia is 28% cheaper than in São Paulo
- Cost of living in Sofia is 40% cheaper than in Madrid
- Cost of living in Sofia is 61% cheaper than in Toronto
- Cost of living in Sofia is 19% cheaper than in Manila
- Cost of living in Vratsa is 30% more expensive than in Brest
- Cost of living in Sofia is 14% more expensive than in Varna
- Cost of living in Sofia is 49% cheaper than in Tucson, Arizona
- Cost of living in Sofia is 58% cheaper than in Dubai
- Cost of living in Sofia is 32% more expensive than in Baku
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 20% cheaper than in Sofia
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 38% cheaper than in Alicante
- Cost of living in Burgas is 50% cheaper than in Nicosia
Compare other countries
Prices recently added
- 1 pack of marlboro cigarettes in Sofia costs 10 лв (1 day ago)
- Cappuccino in expat area of the city in Sofia costs 5.00 лв (7 days ago)
- Cocktail drink in downtown club in Sofia costs 12 лв (7 days ago)
- Nice dinner at an italian restaurant, dinner for two in Sofia costs 100 лв (7 days ago)
- 2 tickets to the movies in Sofia costs 15 лв (7 days ago)
- Basic dinner out in neighborhood pub, dinner for two in Sofia costs 50 лв (7 days ago)
- Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city in Sofia costs 20 лв (7 days ago)
- 75 ml tube of toothpaste in Sofia costs 5.00 лв (7 days ago)
- 4 rolls of toilet paper in Sofia costs 3.50 лв (7 days ago)
- 400 ml hair shampoo 2-in-1 in Sofia costs 5.00 лв (7 days ago)