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 | 5.07 лв | |
| 1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | 2.04 лв | |
| 12 eggs, large | 4.06 лв | |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | 2.77 лв | |
| 500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese | 6 лв | |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | 2.22 лв | |
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes | 1.08 лв | |
| 0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket | 1.19 лв | |
| 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | 11 лв | |
| 2 liters of Coca-Cola | 2.27 лв | |
| Bread for 2 people for 1 day | 0.86 лв | |
| Housing | ||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in EXPENSIVE area | 926 лв | |
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in NORMAL area | 644 лв | |
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | 164 лв | |
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in EXPENSIVE area | 623 лв | |
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 Sqft) furnished studio in NORMAL area | 419 лв | |
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 Sqft) studio | 105 лв | |
| Internet 8 Mbps (1 month) | 15 лв | |
| 40” flat screen TV | 727 лв | |
| Microwave 800/900 Watt (Bosch, Panasonic, LG, Sharp, or equivalent brands) | 184 лв | |
| Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | 13 лв | |
| Hourly rate for cleaning help | 10 лв | |
| Clothes | ||
| 1 pair of jeans (Levis 501 or similar) | 110 лв | |
| 1 summer dress in a High Street Store (Zara, H&M or similar retailers) | 62 лв | |
| 1 pair of sport shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands) | 170 лв | |
| 1 pair of men’s leather business shoes | 164 лв | |
| Transportation | ||
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI 150 CV (or equivalent), with no extras, new | 38,500 лв | |
| 1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | 2.13 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) | 18 лв | |
| Short visit to private Doctor (15 minutes) | 40 лв | |
| 1 box of 32 tampons (Tampax, OB, ...) | 6 лв | |
| Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | 5.76 лв | |
| Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | 5.45 лв | |
| 4 rolls of toilet paper | 2.35 лв | |
| Tube of toothpaste | 3.15 лв | |
| Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city | 12 лв | |
| Entertainment | ||
| Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | 34 лв | |
| 2 tickets to the movies | 22 лв | |
| 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | 52 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 | 9 лв | |
| Cappuccino in expat area of the city | 3.61 лв | |
| 1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) | 2.91 лв | |
| iPad Wi-Fi 128GB | 1,001 лв | |
| 1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | 0.33 лв | |
| 1 month of gym membership in business district | 59 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.
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 | 83 |
| 2nd | Vratsa | 80 |
| 3rd | Varna | 74 |
| 4th | Plovdiv | 71 |
| 5th | Yambol | 69 |
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 Delhi
- Cost of living in Sofia is 5% more expensive than in Delhi
- Cost of living in Burgas is 42% cheaper than in Catania
- Cost of living in Sofia is 22% more expensive than in Kiev
- Cost of living in Sofia is about the same as in Bucharest
- Cost of living in Sofia is 48% cheaper than in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Cost of living in Varna is 43% cheaper than in Pretoria
- Cost of living in Sofia is 63% cheaper than in London
- Cost of living in Sofia is 14% cheaper than in Quito
- Cost of living in Sofia is 45% cheaper than in Berlin
- Cost of living in Sofia is 62% cheaper than in Washington D.C.
- Cost of living in Sofia is about the same as in Sofia
- Cost of living in Sofia is 53% cheaper than in Tel Aviv
- Cost of living in Sofia is 27% cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro
- Cost of living in Sofia is 40% cheaper than in Ashqelon
- Cost of living in Varna is 39% cheaper than in Volos
- Cost of living in Varna is 28% cheaper than in Cape Town
- Cost of living in Sofia is 33% cheaper than in Athens
- Cost of living in Sofia is 57% cheaper than in Paris
- Cost of living in Sofia is 17% cheaper than in Prague
Compare other countries
Recent Prices Added
- Monthly rent - 85 m2 furnished accommodation in expensive area in Sofia costs 1,800 лв (about 21 hours ago)
- Monthly rent - 85 m2 furnished accommodation in expensive area in Sofia costs 1,100 лв (about 22 hours ago)
- 1 pack of marlboro cigarettes in Sofia costs 5.20 лв (about 23 hours ago)
- 1 month of gym membership in business district in Sofia costs 50 лв (about 23 hours ago)
- 1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) in Sofia costs 0.39 лв (about 23 hours ago)
- Cappuccino in expat area of the city in Sofia costs 2.70 лв (about 23 hours ago)
- Cocktail drink in downtown club in Sofia costs 8 лв (about 23 hours ago)
- Nice dinner at an italian restaurant, dinner for two in Sofia costs 70 лв (about 23 hours ago)
- 1 ticket to the theater (best available seats) in Sofia costs 30 лв (about 23 hours ago)
- 2 tickets to the movies in Sofia costs 20 лв (about 23 hours ago)