Cost of living in Bulgaria
Summary of cost of living in Bulgaria
- Family of four estimated monthly costs: 3,777 лв
- Single person estimated monthly costs: 1,618 лв
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) | 9 лв | ||
| 500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast | 5.19 лв | ||
| 1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | 2.27 лв | ||
| 12 eggs, large | 3.39 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | 2.70 лв | ||
| 500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese | 7 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | 2.34 лв | ||
| 1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes | 0.90 лв | ||
| 0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket | 1.33 лв | ||
| 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | 13 лв | ||
| 2 liters of coca-cola | 2.34 лв | ||
| Bread for 2 people for 1 day | 0.80 лв | ||
| Housing | |||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area | 1,109 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area | 726 лв | ||
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | 187 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area | 706 лв | ||
| Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area | 476 лв | ||
| Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio | 114 лв | ||
| Internet 8 mbps (1 month) | 14 лв | ||
| 40” flat screen tv | 705 лв | ||
| Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) | 180 лв | ||
| Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | 14 лв | ||
| Hourly rate for cleaning help | 16 лв | ||
| Clothes | |||
| 1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) | 90 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) | 114 лв | ||
| 1 pair of men’s leather business shoes | 139 лв | ||
| Transportation | |||
| Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new | 43,724 лв | ||
| 1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | 2.30 лв | ||
| Monthly ticket public transport | 49 лв | ||
| Personal Care | |||
| Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) | 12 лв | ||
| 1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) | 10 лв | ||
| Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) | 24 лв | ||
| 1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) | 8 лв | ||
| Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | 4.69 лв | ||
| Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | 4.42 лв | ||
| 4 rolls of toilet paper | 2.27 лв | ||
| Tube of toothpaste | 3.39 лв | ||
| Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city | 11 лв | ||
| Entertainment | |||
| Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | 35 лв | ||
| 2 tickets to the movies | 19 лв | ||
| 2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | 40 лв | ||
| Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert | 65 лв | ||
| 1 cocktail drink in downtown club | 9 лв | ||
| Cappuccino in expat area of the city | 3.08 лв | ||
| 1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) | 3.50 лв | ||
| Ipad wi-fi 128gb | 1,135 лв | ||
| 1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | 0.21 лв | ||
| 1 month of gym membership in business district | 29 лв | ||
| 1 package of marlboro cigarettes | 6 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 | 74 |
| 2nd | Burgas | 64 |
| 3rd | Plovdiv | 63 |
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.
Recent Comparisons
- Cost of living in Sofia is 43% cheaper than in Barcelona
- Cost of living in Sofia is 61% cheaper than in Lugano
- Cost of living in Sofia is 102% more expensive than in Buenos Aires
- Cost of living in Sofia is about the same as in Bucharest
- Cost of living in Sofia is 13% cheaper than in Budapest
- Cost of living in Sofia is 29% cheaper than in Wichita, Kansas
- Cost of living in Sofia is 38% cheaper than in Lisbon
- Cost of living in Sofia is 41% cheaper than in Madrid
- Cost of living in Rousse is about the same as in Cairo
- Cost of living in Sofia is 48% cheaper than in Berlin
- Cost of living in Sofia is 12% cheaper than in Mexico City
- Cost of living in Varna is 42% cheaper than in Hanover
- Cost of living in Varna is 72% cheaper than in Zurich
- Cost of living in Khaskovo is 9% cheaper than in Plovdiv
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 17% cheaper than in Bucharest
- Cost of living in Varna is 78% cheaper than in Beirut
- Cost of living in Sofia is 6% more expensive than in Vladivostok
- Cost of living in Sofia is 25% cheaper than in Granada
- Cost of living in Sofia is 60% cheaper than in Copenhagen
- Cost of living in Plovdiv is 48% cheaper than in Bilbao
Compare other countries
Prices recently added
- One-way ticket in public transport in Sofia costs 1.60 лв (5 days ago)
- Taxi fare per distance, weekday at noon, per 1 km. in Sofia costs 1.21 лв (5 days ago)
- Public transport in Sofia costs 50 лв (5 days ago)
- Hourly rate for domestic cleaning help in Sofia costs 15 лв (5 days ago)
- Monthly rent - 45 m2 furnished studio in normal area in Sofia costs 550 лв (5 days ago)
- Monthly rent - 45 m2 furnished studio in expensive area in Sofia costs 650 лв (5 days ago)
- Furnished accommodation in normal area, monthly rent - 85 m2 in Sofia costs 650 лв (5 days ago)
- Monthly rent - 85 m2 furnished accommodation in expensive area in Sofia costs 850 лв (5 days ago)
- 1 bottle of red table wine, good quality in Sofia costs 10 лв (5 days ago)
- Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district in Sofia costs 20 лв (5 days ago)