Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulgaria and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulgaria: $1,159 a month against $2,539 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Bulgaria
Learn more

Bulgaria Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,159

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bulgaria and in Australia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bulgaria and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,159 per month in Bulgaria vs $2,539 in Australia, rent included.

Bulgaria $1,159
Australia $2,539

A couple spends around $1,775 per month in Bulgaria vs $3,716 in Australia, rent included.

Bulgaria $1,775
Australia $3,716

A family of three spends $2,390 per month in Bulgaria vs $4,892 in Australia, rent included.

Bulgaria $2,390
Australia $4,892

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,635–$3,245) than in Bulgaria ($554–$1,600), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Bulgaria is roughly 54% lower than in Australia on average.

Bulgaria sits 14% below the global median, while Australia is 87% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 BGN 19.86

$17.35 A$24.97

-34.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.05 BGN 78.4

$84.5 A$122

-46.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 BGN 18.06

$10.98 A$15.79

-5.46%

Cappuccino

$2.58 BGN 4.49

$3.84 A$5.53

-32.81%

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

$1.62 BGN 2.81

$2.89 A$4.16

-43.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 BGN 2.14

$2.29 A$3.29

-46.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 BGN 3.91

$7.79 A$11.21

-71.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 BGN 5.81

$8.42 A$12.12

-60.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$1.75 A$2.52

4.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 BGN 2.05

$2.78 A$4.00

-57.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 BGN 3.93

$2.31 A$3.33

-2.16%

Eggs

$3.44 BGN 5.98

$4.89 A$7.04

-29.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 BGN 17.67

$9.95 A$14.32

2.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 BGN 13.91

$9.06 A$13.03

-11.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 BGN 22.63

$14.92 A$21.46

-12.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.96

$3.65 A$5.25

-53.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 BGN 3.50

$3.03 A$4.36

-33.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$3.24 A$4.66

-43.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 BGN 4.65

$4.69 A$6.76

-43.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 BGN 1.84

$2.85 A$4.11

-62.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$2.32 A$3.34

-55.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 BGN 1.85

$2.43 A$3.50

-56.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.24

$1.66 A$2.39

-57.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 BGN 6.62

$38.47 A$55.4

-90.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.68 BGN 11.63

$13.84 A$19.92

-51.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 BGN 1.86

$4.87 A$7.01

-78.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 BGN 3.06

$5.28 A$7.59

-66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$2.71 A$3.90

-67.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.69 BGN 48.18

$94.0 A$135

-70.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 BGN 2.64

$3.57 A$5.14

-57.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 BGN 1.27

$1.63 A$2.35

-55.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.25 BGN 21.31

$40.04 A$57.6

-69.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 BGN 2.79

$1.33 A$1.91

21.05%

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

$30.2K BGN 52.5K

$29.1K A$41.9K

3.52%

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

$24.5K BGN 42.7K

$25.7K A$37.0K

-4.63%

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

$126 BGN 220

$205 A$296

-38.56%

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

$18.70 BGN 32.54

$28.24 A$40.63

-33.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.05 BGN 24.44

$57.0 A$82.0

-75.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 BGN 58.6

$55.4 A$79.7

-39.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 BGN 31.43

$19.46 A$28.01

-7.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 BGN 14.85

$15.06 A$21.66

-43.36%

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

$567 BGN 986

$2,097 A$3,017

-72.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,482 BGN 16.5K

$18.0K A$26.0K

-47.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 BGN 102

$78.0 A$112

-25.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.29 BGN 57.9

$55.3 A$79.6

-39.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 BGN 157

$112 A$161

-19.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 BGN 156

$122 A$175

-26.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 BGN 832

$1,559 A$2,244

-69.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 BGN 633

$1,215 A$1,748

-70.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 BGN 1,359

$2,435 A$3,504

-67.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 BGN 1,007

$1,924 A$2,769

-69.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,178 BGN 3,791

$8,175 A$11.8K

-73.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,601 BGN 2,785

$6,060 A$8,721

-73.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,129 BGN 1,965

$4,038 A$5,811

-72.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.94

-46.80%

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

Last update for Bulgaria: October 17, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bulgaria

$364 31.4%

Australia

$1.2K 47.8% 234% $851

Groceries & Markets

Bulgaria

$244 21%

Australia

$372 14.7% 52.7% $128

Eating Out

Bulgaria

$183 15.8%

Australia

$294 11.6% 61.1% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bulgaria

$159 13.7%

Australia

$291 11.4% 82.8% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Bulgaria

$122 10.6%

Australia

$165 6.5% 35.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Bulgaria

$51 4.4%

Australia

$85 3.4% 68.5% $35

Getting Around

Bulgaria

$36 3.1%

Australia

$117 4.6% 221% $80

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $328 in Bulgaria vs $1,364 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $770 in Sofia and $1,719 in Canberra.

Average salary: $1,044 in Bulgaria vs $3,853 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 316% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 110% more in Australia.

Public transport is 241% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 269% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

21:35 9:35 PM

8 h ahead of Bulgaria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,795,803

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bulgaria Australia 15,340 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Bulgaria
Australia

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

Bulgaria vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bulgaria is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 119% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,364 versus $328 in Bulgaria.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Bulgaria, adding to the overall 119% price gap.

$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.