Cost of living in Bulgaria
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:
| Food | ||
|---|---|---|
| Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district | 12 лв | |
| Combo meal in fast food restaurant (Big Mac Meal or similar) | 9 лв | |
| 500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast | 5.02 лв | |
| 1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | 2.03 лв | |
| 12 eggs, large | 4.06 лв | |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | 2.72 лв | |
| 500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese | 6 лв | |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | 2.06 лв | |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes | 1.05 лв | |
| 0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket | 1.17 лв | |
| 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | 10 лв | |
| 2 liters of Coca-Cola | 2.23 лв | |
| Bread for 2 people for 1 day | 0.85 лв | |
| Housing | ||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in EXPENSIVE area | 919 лв | |
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in NORMAL area | 618 лв | |
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | 163 лв | |
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in EXPENSIVE area | 627 лв | |
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in NORMAL area | 429 лв | |
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 Sqft) studio | 93 лв | |
| Internet 8 Mbps (1 month) | 15 лв | |
| 40” flat screen TV | 687 лв | |
| Microwave 800/900 Watt (Bosch, Panasonic, LG, Sharp, or equivalent brands) | 186 лв | |
| Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | 13 лв | |
| Hourly rate for cleaning help | 12 лв | |
| Clothes | ||
| 1 pair of jeans (Levis 501 or similar) | 114 лв | |
| 1 summer dress in a High Street Store (Zara, H&M or similar retailers) | 51 лв | |
| 1 pair of sport shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands) | 146 лв | |
| 1 pair of men’s leather business shoes | 152 лв | |
| Transportation | ||
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI 150 CV (or equivalent), with no extras, new | 37,117 лв | |
| 1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | 2.08 лв | |
| Monthly ticket public transport | 48 лв | |
| Personal Care | ||
| Cold medicine for 6 days (Tylenol, Frenadol, Coldrex, or equivalent brands) | 9 лв | |
| 1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) | 17 лв | |
| Short visit to private Doctor (15 minutes) | 33 лв | |
| 1 box of 32 tampons (Tampax, OB, ...) | 5.62 лв | |
| Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | 5.69 лв | |
| Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | 5.38 лв | |
| 4 rolls of toilet paper | 2.30 лв | |
| Tube of toothpaste | 3.42 лв | |
| Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city | 11 лв | |
| Entertainment | ||
| Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | 33 лв | |
| 2 tickets to the movies | 21 лв | |
| 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | 47 лв | |
| Dinner for two at an Italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert | 66 лв | |
| 1 cocktail drink in downtown club | 9 лв | |
| Cappuccino in expat area of the city | 3.32 лв | |
| 1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) | 2.87 лв | |
| iPad Wi-Fi 128GB | 1,049 лв | |
| 1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | 0.32 лв | |
| 1 month of gym membership in business district | 54 лв | |
| 1 package of Marlboro cigarettes | 5.52 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.
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 | 81 |
| 2nd | Vratsa | 80 |
| 3rd | Varna | 72 |
| 4th | Plovdiv | 70 |
| 5th | Yambol | 68 |
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 64% cheaper than in London
- Cost of living in Sofia is about the same as in Bucharest
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 18% cheaper than in Marrakech
- Cost of living in Sofia is 63% cheaper than in Saipan
- Cost of living in Varna is 69% cheaper than in London
- Cost of living in Sofia is 7% cheaper than in Istanbul
- Cost of living in Burgas is about the same as in Kecskemét
- Cost of living in Sofia is 35% cheaper than in Athens
- Cost of living in Sofia is 25% more expensive than in Kiev
- Cost of living in Sofia is 59% cheaper than in Paris
- Cost of living in Sofia is 46% cheaper than in Rome
- Cost of living in Sofia is 36% cheaper than in Naples
- Cost of living in Sofia is 20% cheaper than in Bratislava
- Cost of living in Sofia is 19% cheaper than in Prague
- Cost of living in Varna is 48% cheaper than in Ottawa
- Cost of living in Sofia is 50% cheaper than in Minneapolis - St. Paul, Minnesota
- Cost of living in Yambol is 17% cheaper than in Sofia
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 48% cheaper than in Beersheba
- Cost of living in Yambol is 5% more expensive than in Edirne
- Cost of living in Sofia is 10% cheaper than in Kraków
Compare other countries
Recent Prices Added
- Internet connection 300 mbps, 1 month in Plovdiv costs 20 лв (8 days ago)
- 1 pack of marlboro cigarettes in Sofia costs 5.00 лв (8 days ago)
- 1 month of gym membership in business district in Sofia costs 100 лв (8 days ago)
- 500 ml beer in neighbourhood pub in Sofia costs 3.00 лв (8 days ago)
- Cappuccino in expat area of the city in Sofia costs 4.00 лв (8 days ago)
- Cocktail drink in downtown club in Sofia costs 8 лв (8 days ago)
- Nice dinner at an italian restaurant, dinner for two in Sofia costs 45 лв (8 days ago)
- 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) in Sofia costs 40 лв (8 days ago)
- 2 tickets to the movies in Sofia costs 22 лв (8 days ago)
- Basic dinner out in neighborhood pub, dinner for two in Sofia costs 30 лв (8 days ago)