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 $2,186 per month in Australia vs $914 in Bulgaria, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $1,417 in Bulgaria, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,252 per month in Australia vs $1,920 in Bulgaria, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 139% higher than in Bulgaria on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Bulgaria is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,580–$2,807) than in Bulgaria ($734–$1,365), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.37 A$23.44

$11.87 BGN 19.76

37.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 A$111

$46.94 BGN 78.1

65.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 A$13.74

$9.05 BGN 15.06

5.97%

Cappuccino

$3.45 A$4.94

$2.33 BGN 3.88

48.07%

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

$2.63 A$3.77

$1.51 BGN 2.52

74.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.06

$1.07 BGN 1.79

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$9.08

$2.34 BGN 3.89

170.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 A$10.07

$2.99 BGN 4.98

135.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.18

$1.87 BGN 3.10

-18.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 A$3.58

$1.07 BGN 1.78

133.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.95

$2.14 BGN 3.56

-3.74%

Eggs

$4.22 A$6.04

$3.48 BGN 5.78

21.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 A$12.83

$11.26 BGN 18.73

-20.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 A$11.96

$7.88 BGN 13.11

5.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 A$19.67

$12.28 BGN 20.44

11.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.50

$1.65 BGN 2.75

90.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.91

$1.91 BGN 3.18

42.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 A$4.20

$1.89 BGN 3.15

55.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.34

$2.59 BGN 4.31

71.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.67

$1.13 BGN 1.89

126.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$3.04

$1.10 BGN 1.84

92.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 A$3.12

$1.05 BGN 1.75

107.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.24

$0.71 BGN 1.19

121.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.82 A$44.14

$3.65 BGN 6.07

744.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 A$20.29

$6.81 BGN 11.32

108.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.60 A$6.58

$1.04 BGN 1.73

342.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.98

$1.76 BGN 2.93

176.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 A$4.28

$0.92 BGN 1.53

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 A$138

$29.10 BGN 48.42

232.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.05

$1.39 BGN 2.31

153.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 A$2.60

$0.70 BGN 1.17

158.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.32 A$53.5

$12.29 BGN 20.44

203.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.66

$1.51 BGN 2.50

-23.18%

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

$29.4K A$42.2K

$31.7K BGN 52.8K

-7.15%

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

$22.6K A$32.3K

$28.1K BGN 46.7K

-19.55%

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

$176 A$252

$126 BGN 209

39.63%

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

$26.75 A$38.30

$17.74 BGN 29.51

50.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 A$77.1

$14.42 BGN 24.00

273.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.11 A$67.5

$35.28 BGN 58.7

33.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.57 A$23.73

$15.89 BGN 26.43

4.28%

Cinema Ticket

$13.42 A$19.22

$8.96 BGN 14.91

49.78%

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

$1,572 A$2,251

$532 BGN 886

195.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.2K

$7,595 BGN 12.6K

67.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 A$101

$57.8 BGN 96.1

22.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.6

$33.34 BGN 55.5

50.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$145

$95.2 BGN 158

6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$159

$102 BGN 169

9.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 A$1,965

$500 BGN 831

174.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 A$1,542

$384 BGN 639

180.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 A$3,370

$888 BGN 1,477

165.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,747 A$2,502

$627 BGN 1,043

178.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,882 A$11.3K

$2,300 BGN 3,826

242.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,906 A$8,457

$1,653 BGN 2,749

257.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,960 A$5,671

$1,127 BGN 1,875

251.34%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Bulgaria: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,230 in Australia vs $309 in Bulgaria. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,556 in Canberra and $672 in Sofia.

Average salary: $3,824 in Australia vs $1,062 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 114% more in Australia.

Public transport is 168% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 260% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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 109% 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 109% 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.