Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sliven

For one person, living is cheaper in Sliven: $774 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Sliven
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$774
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Sliven actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $774 in Sliven.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Sliven $774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,228 in Sliven.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Sliven $1,228

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,681 in Sliven.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Sliven $1,681

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 244% more expensive than in Sliven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Sliven is 43% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Sliven
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$11.63 BGN 20.24
78.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$33.58 BGN 58.4
151.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$10.13 BGN 17.63
21.62%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$1.85 BGN 3.23
204.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.23 BGN 2.15
202.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.93 BGN 1.63
168.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$1.73 BGN 3.01
365.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$2.25 BGN 3.91
300.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Sliven
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.52 BGN 2.64
-26.32%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$0.81 BGN 1.41
362.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.66 BGN 4.64
22.56%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$2.11 BGN 3.67
97.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$7.97 BGN 13.86
61.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$5.54 BGN 9.64
155.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$6.72 BGN 11.69
141.37%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$1.45 BGN 2.53
198.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.60 BGN 2.78
-8.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$1.39 BGN 2.42
224.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.18 BGN 3.79
99.08%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$0.50 BGN 0.88
416.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.83 BGN 1.44
183.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.06 BGN 1.84
67.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.50 BGN 0.86
344.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$3.55 BGN 6.18
178.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$6.08 BGN 10.58
148.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.05 BGN 1.82
178.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.22 BGN 2.13
183.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Sliven
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.66 BGN 1.14
125.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$35.36 BGN 61.5
17.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$1.11 BGN 1.93
145.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.58 BGN 1.00
186.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$8.31 BGN 14.46
324.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.53 BGN 2.66
-37.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$30.5K BGN 53.0K
18.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$21.9K BGN 38.1K
23.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Sliven
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$84.8 BGN 148
169.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$20.02 BGN 34.83
196.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$9.07 BGN 15.79
670.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Sliven
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$23.19 BGN 40.35
146.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$5.62 BGN 9.79
154.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Sliven
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$500 BGN 869
201.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$6,332 BGN 11.0K
238.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Sliven
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$56.2 BGN 97.8
-6.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$22.74 BGN 39.57
92.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$67.2 BGN 117
26.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$62.1 BGN 108
65.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Sliven
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$230 BGN 401
727.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$142 BGN 248
795.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$328 BGN 570
1017.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$259 BGN 451
879.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$1,121 BGN 1,951
578.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$918 BGN 1,596
244.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Sliven
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$1,335 BGN 2,323
283.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
2.85
138.25%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sliven: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Sliven
$142 88.8% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Sliven
$181 55.4% $224
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Sliven
$114 68.2% $244
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Sliven
$168 52.7% $186
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Sliven
$94 26.8% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Sliven
$34 59.9% $51
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Sliven
$42 28.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $230 in Sliven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 284% 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 $34.00 in Sliven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $181 per month, with Sliven cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇧🇬 Sliven
🕒 Local time
16:26 4:26 PM
00:26 12:26 AM
8 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
95,806
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Sliven 10,100 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Sliven

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 Sliven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Sliven?
Sliven wins on cost – living expenses run 244% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sliven the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Sliven?
Average pay runs 284% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Sliven?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $230 in Sliven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Sliven?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $774 in Sliven – a 244% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Sliven?
A monthly transit pass in Sliven runs roughly 18% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Sliven?
At $774 in Sliven versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sliven but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sliven the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Sliven?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Sliven?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Sliven are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Sliven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 244% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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