Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulgaria and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulgaria and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $957 in Bulgaria versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,484 in Bulgaria versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,011 in Bulgaria versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Bulgaria is roughly 33% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Bulgaria 31% lower, China 48% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Bulgaria: monthly costs span $572 to $1,659, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Bulgaria.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 BGN 19.87

$2.93 ¥19.61

307.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.10 BGN 78.4

$22.72 ¥152

107.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 BGN 17.57

$5.07 ¥33.97

108.28%

Cappuccino

$2.54 BGN 4.22

$2.94 ¥19.71

-13.61%

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

$1.70 BGN 2.83

$0.48 ¥3.21

254.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 BGN 2.10

$0.30 ¥2.02

320.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 BGN 4.01

$1.06 ¥7.10

127.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 BGN 5.93

$2.25 ¥15.08

58.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.19

$1.79 ¥12.00

7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 BGN 2.00

$1.70 ¥11.36

-28.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 3.91

$0.96 ¥6.46

144.79%

Eggs

$3.49 BGN 5.80

$1.61 ¥10.80

116.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 BGN 17.88

$13.60 ¥91.2

-21.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.18 BGN 13.61

$3.41 ¥22.85

139.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 BGN 22.80

$11.07 ¥74.2

23.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 BGN 3.02

$1.81 ¥12.10

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 BGN 3.33

$1.30 ¥8.74

53.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 BGN 3.13

$1.48 ¥9.91

27.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 BGN 4.78

$1.30 ¥8.73

120.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 BGN 1.86

$0.72 ¥4.82

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.74

$0.94 ¥6.31

10.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 BGN 1.79

$0.61 ¥4.09

77.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 BGN 1.20

$0.56 ¥3.74

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 BGN 6.75

$3.67 ¥24.59

10.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.10 BGN 11.81

$11.90 ¥79.8

-40.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.82

$0.83 ¥5.56

31.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 BGN 2.98

$1.65 ¥11.08

8.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 BGN 1.58

$0.29 ¥1.92

227.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.07 BGN 48.37

$22.61 ¥152

28.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 BGN 2.62

$1.45 ¥9.72

8.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 BGN 1.25

$0.34 ¥2.31

120.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.64 BGN 21.03

$7.27 ¥48.74

73.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 BGN 2.75

$1.23 ¥8.27

34.15%

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

$31.2K BGN 51.9K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

59.72%

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

$24.9K BGN 41.4K

$17.2K ¥115.6K

44.46%

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

$134 BGN 223

$55.5 ¥372

141.44%

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

$18.93 BGN 31.49

$8.51 ¥57.0

122.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.43 BGN 24.00

$10.81 ¥72.4

33.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.00 BGN 59.9

$40.02 ¥268

-10.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.40 BGN 32.28

$14.80 ¥99.2

31.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.19 BGN 13.63

$6.73 ¥45.11

21.69%

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

$586 BGN 975

$454 ¥3,043

28.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,853 BGN 16.4K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-49.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 BGN 101

$44.95 ¥301

34.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.57 BGN 59.2

$35.81 ¥240

-0.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 BGN 155

$76.8 ¥514

21.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.9 BGN 153

$77.3 ¥518

18.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 BGN 821

$385 ¥2,582

28.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 BGN 612

$242 ¥1,623

51.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$840 BGN 1,397

$837 ¥5,606

0.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 BGN 968

$474 ¥3,179

22.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,395 BGN 3,984

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-48.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,643 BGN 2,733

$2,316 ¥15.5K

-29.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,174 BGN 1,953

$1,062 ¥7,113

10.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.14

3.47

-9.51%

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

Last update for Bulgaria: September 8, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $338 in Bulgaria, $295 in China. Capital cities: $809 in Sofia vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,093 in Bulgaria, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in Bulgaria.

Dining out costs 86% more in Bulgaria.

Public transport is 35% more expensive in Bulgaria.

Salaries are 26% higher in Bulgaria.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,116 per month in Bulgaria and $852 in China, there's a 31% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Bulgaria is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Bulgaria it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Bulgaria may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.