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 | 13 лв | |
| Combo meal in fast food restaurant (Big Mac Meal or similar) | 8 лв | |
| 500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast | 4.72 лв | |
| 1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | 1.99 лв | |
| 12 eggs, large | 3.56 лв | |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | 2.64 лв | |
| 500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese | 8 лв | |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | 1.98 лв | |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes | 1.02 лв | |
| 0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket | 1.13 лв | |
| 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | 11 лв | |
| 2 liters of Coca-Cola | 2.20 лв | |
| Bread for 2 people for 1 day | 0.73 лв | |
| Housing | ||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in EXPENSIVE area | 859 лв | |
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in NORMAL area | 577 лв | |
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | 166 лв | |
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in EXPENSIVE area | 555 лв | |
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in NORMAL area | 384 лв | |
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 Sqft) studio | 103 лв | |
| Internet 8 Mbps (1 month) | 16 лв | |
| 40” flat screen TV | 670 лв | |
| Microwave 800/900 Watt (Bosch, Panasonic, LG, Sharp, or equivalent brands) | 167 лв | |
| Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | 14 лв | |
| Hourly rate for cleaning help | 12 лв | |
| Clothes | ||
| 1 pair of jeans (Levis 501 or similar) | 118 лв | |
| 1 summer dress in a High Street Store (Zara, H&M or similar retailers) | 60 лв | |
| 1 pair of sport shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands) | 148 лв | |
| 1 pair of men’s leather business shoes | 140 лв | |
| Transportation | ||
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI 150 CV (or equivalent), with no extras, new | 33,796 лв | |
| 1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | 2.03 лв | |
| Monthly ticket public transport | 49 лв | |
| Personal Care | ||
| Cold medicine for 6 days (Tylenol, Frenadol, Coldrex, or equivalent brands) | 7 лв | |
| 1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) | 20 лв | |
| Short visit to private Doctor (15 minutes) | 32 лв | |
| 1 box of 32 tampons (Tampax, OB, ...) | 6 лв | |
| Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | 6 лв | |
| Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | 5.91 лв | |
| 4 rolls of toilet paper | 2.55 лв | |
| Tube of toothpaste | 3.56 лв | |
| Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city | 10 лв | |
| Entertainment | ||
| Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | 35 лв | |
| 2 tickets to the movies | 20 лв | |
| 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | 36 лв | |
| Dinner for two at an Italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert | 60 лв | |
| 1 cocktail drink in downtown club | 8 лв | |
| Cappuccino in expat area of the city | 2.99 лв | |
| 1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) | 2.70 лв | |
| iPad Air 2, 64GB | 969 лв | |
| 1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | 0.28 лв | |
| 1 month of gym membership in business district | 56 лв | |
| 1 package of Marlboro cigarettes | 5.30 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 | Vratsa | 84 |
| 2nd | Sofia | 82 |
| 3rd | Varna | 77 |
| 4th | Plovdiv | 73 |
| 5th | Yambol | 71 |
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:
What do you think about the cost of living in Bulgaria?
Recent Comparisons
- Cost of living in Sofia is 16% cheaper than in Budapest
- Cost of living in Sofia is 33% cheaper than in Campinas
- Cost of living in Sofia is 48% cheaper than in Edmonton
- Cost of living in Sofia is 63% cheaper than in London
- Cost of living in Pleven is 21% cheaper than in Brno
- Cost of living in Sofia is about the same as in Bucharest
- Cost of living in Sofia is 21% more expensive than in Bangalore
- Cost of living in Sofia is 22% cheaper than in Istanbul
- Cost of living in Sofia is 54% cheaper than in Tel Aviv
- Cost of living in Sofia is 41% cheaper than in Madrid
- Cost of living in Sofia is 203% more expensive than in Damascus
- Cost of living in Sofia is 62% cheaper than in Valencia
- Cost of living in Sofia is 76% cheaper than in Caracas
- Cost of living in Sofia is 11% more expensive than in Skopje
- Cost of living in Sofia is 8% cheaper than in Belgrade
- Cost of living in Sofia is 19% cheaper than in Bratislava
- Cost of living in Sofia is 45% cheaper than in Seoul
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 13% more expensive than in Kiev
- Cost of living in Sofia is 46% cheaper than in Belfast
- Cost of living in Sofia is 43% cheaper than in Jacksonville, Florida
Compare other countries
Recent Prices Added
- 1 pack of marlboro cigarettes in Sofia costs 5.00 лв (4 days ago)
- One-way ticket in public transport in Sofia costs 1.60 лв (4 days ago)
- Monthly rent - 85 m2 furnished accommodation in expensive area in Sofia costs 900 лв (4 days ago)
- Internet connection 300 mbps, 1 month in Sofia costs 50 лв (4 days ago)
- Public transport in Rousse costs 28 лв (6 days ago)
- Monthly rent - 85 m2 furnished accommodation in expensive area in Sofia costs 800 лв (10 days ago)
- Monthly rent - 85 m2 furnished accommodation in expensive area in Sofia costs 1,000 лв (10 days ago)