Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Stara Zagora

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $864 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
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Stara Zagora Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Stara Zagora

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $864 in Stara Zagora.

Austin, TX $2,704
Stara Zagora $864

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,394 in Stara Zagora.

Austin, TX $4,133
Stara Zagora $1,394

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,924 in Stara Zagora.

Austin, TX $5,562
Stara Zagora $1,924

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 213% more expensive than in Stara Zagora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Stara Zagora is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$10.36 BGN 18.13

95.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$50.8 BGN 88.8

67.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$8.79 BGN 15.38

40.50%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.33 BGN 4.08

134.76%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.51 BGN 2.65

152.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.88 BGN 1.54

184.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.30 BGN 4.02

250.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.00 BGN 3.49

349.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.79 BGN 3.13

-36.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.88 BGN 1.54

329.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.45 BGN 2.54

124.14%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.37 BGN 4.14

74.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$9.27 BGN 16.22

41.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.62 BGN 11.58

116.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$8.59 BGN 15.04

85.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.32 BGN 2.31

231.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.71 BGN 3.00

-15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.76 BGN 3.08

157.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.98 BGN 3.46

111.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.01 BGN 1.77

160.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.76 BGN 1.33

210.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.54 BGN 0.95

225.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.64 BGN 1.11

237.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.79 BGN 6.64

158.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$5.04 BGN 8.82

192.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.14 BGN 2.00

143.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.71 BGN 2.99

103.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.89 BGN 1.55

67.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$18.61 BGN 32.56

117.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.31 BGN 2.29

103.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.64 BGN 1.12

146.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$11.52 BGN 20.16

206.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.60 BGN 2.81

-38.13%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$30.6K BGN 53.6K

16.93%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$22.3K BGN 39.1K

21.60%

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

$219 $219

$93.2 BGN 163

135.19%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$14.82 BGN 25.93

291.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$12.33 BGN 21.57

454.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$26.49 BGN 46.36

118.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$21.22 BGN 37.14

-30.16%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$8.66 BGN 15.16

63.16%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$234 BGN 410

544.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,272 BGN 3,975

844.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$31.04 BGN 54.3

66.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$19.21 BGN 33.62

129.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$63.9 BGN 112

33.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$51.7 BGN 90.5

103.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$298 BGN 522

547.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$250 BGN 438

408.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$494 BGN 865

642.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$395 BGN 692

538.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,449 BGN 2,536

425.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,064 BGN 1,861

200.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,058 BGN 1,852

382.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.99

127.09%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Stara Zagora

$250 28.7% 80.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Stara Zagora

$196 22.4% 51.3% $207

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Stara Zagora

$162 18.6% 53.4% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Stara Zagora

$120 13.8% 65.2% $225

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Stara Zagora

$75 8.5% 42.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Stara Zagora

$44 5% 49.2% $42

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Stara Zagora

$27 3.1% 53.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $298 in Stara Zagora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 382% 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 $51.0 in Stara Zagora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $196 per month, with Stara Zagora cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🕒 Local time

02:22 2:22 AM

10:22 10:22 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

149,266

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 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 = 0.509 EUR).

BGN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Stara Zagora 10,070 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Stara Zagora

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 Stara Zagora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stara Zagora wins on cost – living expenses run 213% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Stara Zagora the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 382% 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 $298 in Stara Zagora. 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 $864 in Stara Zagora – a 213% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Stara Zagora runs roughly 118% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $864 in Stara Zagora versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Stara Zagora but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Stara Zagora the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Stara Zagora 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 Stara Zagora gentler on the wallet – expenses run 213% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.