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 $2,547 per month in Australia vs $957 in Bulgaria, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,678 per month in Australia vs $1,484 in Bulgaria, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,808 per month in Australia vs $2,011 in Bulgaria, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 166% higher than in Bulgaria on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 85% above the global median, while Bulgaria is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,218–$3,352) than in Bulgaria ($572–$1,659), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 A$24.56

$11.94 BGN 19.87

48.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 A$120

$47.10 BGN 78.4

84.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 A$15.71

$10.56 BGN 17.57

7.48%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.53

$2.54 BGN 4.22

57.09%

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

$2.97 A$4.11

$1.70 BGN 2.83

74.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.47

$1.26 BGN 2.10

99.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 A$10.73

$2.41 BGN 4.01

221.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 A$11.17

$3.57 BGN 5.93

126.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.44

$1.92 BGN 3.19

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 A$3.97

$1.21 BGN 2.00

137.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 A$3.28

$2.35 BGN 3.91

0.85%

Eggs

$5.11 A$7.08

$3.49 BGN 5.80

46.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 A$14.03

$10.74 BGN 17.88

-5.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 A$13.25

$8.18 BGN 13.61

16.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.59 A$21.59

$13.70 BGN 22.80

13.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.30

$1.81 BGN 3.02

111.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.33

$2.00 BGN 3.33

56.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.64

$1.88 BGN 3.13

78.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.75

$2.87 BGN 4.78

70.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.04

$1.12 BGN 1.86

160.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.27

$1.04 BGN 1.74

126.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.40

$1.08 BGN 1.79

127.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.36

$0.72 BGN 1.20

136.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.46 A$54.6

$4.06 BGN 6.75

871.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.69 A$20.34

$7.10 BGN 11.81

106.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.02

$1.09 BGN 1.82

365.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 A$7.43

$1.79 BGN 2.98

199.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 A$3.93

$0.95 BGN 1.58

198.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 A$135

$29.07 BGN 48.37

234.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$4.93

$1.57 BGN 2.62

126.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 A$2.33

$0.75 BGN 1.25

124.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.94 A$56.7

$12.64 BGN 21.03

223.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.87

$1.65 BGN 2.75

-18.18%

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

$29.1K A$40.2K

$31.2K BGN 51.9K

-6.88%

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

$29.5K A$40.8K

$24.9K BGN 41.4K

18.32%

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

$207 A$287

$134 BGN 223

54.96%

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

$29.34 A$40.62

$18.93 BGN 31.49

54.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 A$83.1

$14.43 BGN 24.00

315.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$82.1

$36.00 BGN 59.9

64.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 A$28.07

$19.40 BGN 32.28

4.54%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 A$22.21

$8.19 BGN 13.63

95.85%

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

$2,194 A$3,037

$586 BGN 975

274.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K A$25.8K

$9,853 BGN 16.4K

89.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 A$112

$60.5 BGN 101

34.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 A$78.8

$35.57 BGN 59.2

59.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$164

$93.4 BGN 155

27.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$175

$91.9 BGN 153

37.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 A$2,266

$494 BGN 821

231.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 A$1,808

$368 BGN 612

255.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 A$3,584

$840 BGN 1,397

208.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 A$2,717

$582 BGN 968

237.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,394 A$11.6K

$2,395 BGN 3,984

250.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,140 A$8,500

$1,643 BGN 2,733

273.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,067 A$5,631

$1,174 BGN 1,953

246.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

3.14

88.85%

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

Last update for Australia: September 6, 2026

Last update for Bulgaria: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,426 in Australia vs $338 in Bulgaria. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,845 in Canberra and $809 in Sofia.

Average salary: $3,945 in Australia vs $1,093 in Bulgaria. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 322% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 118% more in Australia.

Public transport is 248% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 261% 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 105% 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 105% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 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.