Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Bulgaria Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Bulgaria

Name: Bulgaria
Address: BG

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,182 per month in Australia vs $914 in Bulgaria, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,216 per month in Australia vs $1,419 in Bulgaria, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,250 per month in Australia vs $1,923 in Bulgaria, rent included.

Australia costs about 139% more than Bulgaria on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Bulgaria is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,579–$2,759) than Bulgaria ($714–$1,373), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 A$22.97

$11.62 BGN 19.34

39.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$112

$47.78 BGN 79.5

64.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.46

$8.74 BGN 14.54

8.47%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$5.05

$2.22 BGN 3.70

60.36%

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

$2.60 A$3.69

$1.54 BGN 2.57

68.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.14

$1.04 BGN 1.73

112.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.19

$2.34 BGN 3.89

176.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.21

$2.99 BGN 4.97

140.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.86 BGN 3.09

-16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.60

$1.02 BGN 1.69

148.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.87

$2.12 BGN 3.53

-4.72%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.35

$3.39 BGN 5.64

31.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.59

$10.90 BGN 18.13

-18.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 A$11.90

$7.99 BGN 13.28

4.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 A$19.46

$12.12 BGN 20.16

13.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.58

$1.69 BGN 2.82

91.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.04

$2.00 BGN 3.33

42.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.23

$1.81 BGN 3.00

64.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.22

$2.61 BGN 4.34

67.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.47

$1.14 BGN 1.90

114.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$3.00

$1.07 BGN 1.78

97.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.07

$1.06 BGN 1.76

103.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.25

$0.68 BGN 1.13

132.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.61 A$43.47

$3.65 BGN 6.07

738.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$20.21

$7.18 BGN 11.95

98.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.46

$1.08 BGN 1.79

321.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.97

$1.72 BGN 2.86

185.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.11

$0.91 BGN 1.52

217.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$138

$29.66 BGN 49.34

228.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.03

$1.44 BGN 2.39

145.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.48

$0.68 BGN 1.13

157.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$54.1

$12.31 BGN 20.48

209.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.65

$1.56 BGN 2.60

-25.64%

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

$28.8K A$40.9K

$31.9K BGN 53.1K

-9.70%

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

$23.2K A$32.9K

$27.8K BGN 46.3K

-16.61%

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

$179 A$254

$126 BGN 210

41.92%

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

$26.75 A$37.99

$17.79 BGN 29.60

50.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 A$76.3

$14.75 BGN 24.54

264.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 A$68.8

$34.85 BGN 58.0

39.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.97

$15.61 BGN 25.97

8.14%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$19.33

$8.97 BGN 14.91

51.73%

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

$1,605 A$2,279

$536 BGN 891

199.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$7,636 BGN 12.7K

66.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 A$101

$57.3 BGN 95.3

24.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.1

$32.95 BGN 54.8

51.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$142

$95.8 BGN 159

4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$155

$102 BGN 169

7.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 A$1,967

$489 BGN 814

183.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,528

$382 BGN 636

181.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,244

$869 BGN 1,446

162.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 A$2,495

$637 BGN 1,059

175.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,462 A$10.6K

$2,406 BGN 4,003

210.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,617 A$7,977

$1,671 BGN 2,780

236.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 A$5,780

$1,162 BGN 1,932

250.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

3.92

61.99%

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

Last update for Australia: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bulgaria: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,233 in Australia vs $310 in Bulgaria. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,548 in Canberra and $696 in Sofia.

Average salary: $3,906 in Australia vs $1,079 in Bulgaria. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 298% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 120% more in Australia.

Public transport is 158% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 262% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

Australia vs Bulgaria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bulgaria is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 108% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Bulgaria, contributing to the overall 108% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Bulgaria, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Bulgaria is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.