Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Plovdiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Plovdiv: $1,212 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Plovdiv
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Plovdiv Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Plovdiv

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Plovdiv actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,212 in Plovdiv.

Austin, TX $2,704
Plovdiv $1,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,850 in Plovdiv.

Austin, TX $4,133
Plovdiv $1,850

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,489 in Plovdiv.

Austin, TX $5,562
Plovdiv $2,489

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 123% more expensive than in Plovdiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Plovdiv is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$9.12 BGN 15.96

121.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$44.93 BGN 78.6

89.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.39 BGN 16.43

31.52%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.78 BGN 4.86

96.76%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.77 BGN 3.09

115.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.58 BGN 2.76

58.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.53 BGN 4.43

218.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.14 BGN 7.25

117.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.76 BGN 3.07

-35.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.16 BGN 2.03

225.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.24 BGN 3.93

45.09%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.64 BGN 6.37

13.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.42 BGN 19.98

14.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$8.46 BGN 14.81

69.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$14.11 BGN 24.70

13.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.67 BGN 2.92

162.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.82 BGN 3.18

-20.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.90 BGN 3.33

138.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.58 BGN 4.51

62.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.04 BGN 1.83

152.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.06 BGN 1.85

122.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.16 BGN 2.04

51.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.73 BGN 1.27

195.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.06 BGN 7.11

141.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$6.17 BGN 10.79

138.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.12 BGN 1.96

148.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.03 BGN 3.56

71.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.55 BGN 0.96

170.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$28.99 BGN 50.7

39.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.29 BGN 2.27

106.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.61 BGN 1.06

159.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$10.13 BGN 17.73

248.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.70 BGN 2.98

-41.76%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.8K $35.8K

$30.0K BGN 52.4K

19.50%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.2K $27.2K

$25.1K BGN 43.8K

8.47%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$114 BGN 200

91.74%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.0 $58.0

$18.53 BGN 32.43

212.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$15.25 BGN 26.69

348.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$40.23 BGN 70.4

43.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$20.30 BGN 35.52

-27.00%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$9.01 BGN 15.76

56.83%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,509 $1,509

$515 BGN 901

193.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,450 BGN 9,537

293.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$67.3 BGN 118

-23.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$42.10 BGN 73.7

4.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$96.0 BGN 168

-11.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$103 BGN 181

1.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$530 BGN 928

264.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$388 BGN 679

228.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$878 BGN 1,536

318.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$670 BGN 1,173

276.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,226 BGN 3,896

242.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,572 BGN 2,751

103.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,161 BGN 2,032

339.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.1

119.03%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Plovdiv

$388 32.6% 69.5% $884

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Plovdiv

$252 21.2% 37.5% $151

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Plovdiv

$169 14.2% 51.5% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Plovdiv

$148 12.5% 57.1% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Plovdiv

$139 11.7% 7.9% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Plovdiv

$58 4.9% 32.4% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Plovdiv

$36 3% 37.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $530 in Plovdiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 340% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $45.00 in Plovdiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $252 per month, with Plovdiv cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🕒 Local time

06:15 6:15 AM

14:15 2:15 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

368,983

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

BGN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Plovdiv 10,040 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Plovdiv

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Plovdiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plovdiv wins on cost – living expenses run 123% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Plovdiv the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 340% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $530 in Plovdiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,212 in Plovdiv – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Plovdiv runs roughly 40% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,212 in Plovdiv versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Plovdiv but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Plovdiv the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Plovdiv delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,212 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Plovdiv hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Plovdiv are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Plovdiv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.