Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Varna

For one person, living is cheaper in Varna: $1,411 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Varna
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Varna Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,411

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,411 in Varna.

Austin, TX $2,704
Varna $1,411

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,231 in Varna.

Austin, TX $4,133
Varna $2,231

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,050 in Varna.

Austin, TX $5,562
Varna $3,050

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 92% more expensive than in Varna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Varna 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$12.63 BGN 22.11

60.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$60.3 BGN 106

40.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.49 BGN 18.36

17.73%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.93 BGN 5.12

86.69%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.95 BGN 3.42

95.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.60 BGN 2.79

56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.90 BGN 5.07

177.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.55 BGN 6.21

153.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.98 BGN 3.46

-42.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.24 BGN 2.18

204.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.67 BGN 4.68

21.72%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.46 BGN 6.06

19.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.47 BGN 20.08

14.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$9.37 BGN 16.40

52.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.95 BGN 24.41

14.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.93 BGN 3.39

126.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.09 BGN 3.66

-30.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.14 BGN 3.75

112.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.87 BGN 5.03

45.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.26 BGN 2.21

108.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.04 BGN 1.81

126.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.05 BGN 1.85

67.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.78 BGN 1.36

176.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.92 BGN 6.86

150.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.58 BGN 15.01

71.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.21 BGN 2.12

129.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.90 BGN 3.32

83.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.93 BGN 1.63

60.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$29.12 BGN 51.0

39.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.54 BGN 2.70

73.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.85 BGN 1.49

85.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$12.18 BGN 21.32

189.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.75 BGN 3.06

-43.43%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$29.6K BGN 51.8K

20.90%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$25.9K BGN 45.2K

5.12%

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

$219 $219

$173 BGN 302

26.86%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$21.09 BGN 36.91

174.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$16.09 BGN 28.17

324.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$51.4 BGN 89.9

12.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$19.87 BGN 34.78

-25.42%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$8.75 BGN 15.31

61.49%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$508 BGN 890

196.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,188 BGN 10.8K

246.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$65.1 BGN 114

-20.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$33.76 BGN 59.1

30.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$98.3 BGN 172

-13.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$101 BGN 177

3.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$636 BGN 1,112

203.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$471 BGN 825

169.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,348 BGN 2,358

172.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$918 BGN 1,606

175.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,051 BGN 5,339

149.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,166 BGN 3,791

47.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,263 BGN 2,211

304.10%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Varna: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Varna

$471 33.7% 63% $801

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Varna

$271 19.4% 32.6% $131

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Varna

$203 14.6% 41.5% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Varna

$210 15% 39.2% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Varna

$134 9.6% 4.3% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Varna

$69 4.9% 20% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Varna

$39 2.8% 32.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $636 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 304% 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 $60.0 in Varna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $271 per month, with Varna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇬 Varna

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

05:49 5:49 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

348,058

💱 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 Varna 10,150 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Varna

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 Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varna wins on cost – living expenses run 92% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varna the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 304% 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 $636 in Varna. 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 $1,411 in Varna – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Varna runs roughly 39% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,411 in Varna versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varna but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Varna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varna delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,411 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varna hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Varna 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 Varna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.