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: $914 in Bulgaria versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,417 in Bulgaria versus $1,134 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,920 in Bulgaria versus $1,555 in China.

Living in Bulgaria is roughly 28% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Bulgaria 32% lower, China 47% lower.

Bulgaria ($734–$1,365) and China ($518–$1,224) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 BGN 19.76

$2.82 ¥19.12

320.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.94 BGN 78.1

$23.43 ¥159

100.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 BGN 15.06

$4.82 ¥32.67

87.76%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 3.88

$2.98 ¥20.18

-21.81%

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

$1.51 BGN 2.52

$0.48 ¥3.22

214.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 BGN 1.79

$0.27 ¥1.81

296.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 BGN 3.89

$1.01 ¥6.85

131.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 BGN 4.98

$2.06 ¥13.98

45.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 BGN 3.10

$1.82 ¥12.32

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 BGN 1.78

$1.63 ¥11.04

-34.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 BGN 3.56

$0.96 ¥6.48

122.92%

Eggs

$3.48 BGN 5.78

$1.55 ¥10.48

124.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 BGN 18.73

$13.05 ¥88.4

-13.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.88 BGN 13.11

$3.24 ¥21.94

143.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 BGN 20.44

$10.83 ¥73.4

13.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.75

$1.75 ¥11.84

-5.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 BGN 3.18

$1.28 ¥8.67

49.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 BGN 3.15

$1.44 ¥9.77

31.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 BGN 4.31

$1.18 ¥8.02

119.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 BGN 1.89

$0.70 ¥4.77

61.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 BGN 1.84

$0.88 ¥5.95

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 BGN 1.75

$0.58 ¥3.91

81.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.19

$0.53 ¥3.61

33.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 BGN 6.07

$3.46 ¥23.45

5.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 BGN 11.32

$11.91 ¥80.6

-42.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 BGN 1.73

$0.78 ¥5.27

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 BGN 2.93

$1.62 ¥10.95

8.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.53

$0.44 ¥2.96

109.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.10 BGN 48.42

$20.65 ¥140

40.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 BGN 2.31

$1.35 ¥9.16

2.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 BGN 1.17

$0.33 ¥2.20

112.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.29 BGN 20.44

$6.49 ¥43.95

89.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 BGN 2.50

$1.13 ¥7.64

33.63%

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

$31.7K BGN 52.8K

$19.4K ¥131.7K

63.06%

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

$28.1K BGN 46.7K

$16.5K ¥112.1K

69.52%

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

$126 BGN 209

$51.3 ¥348

145.31%

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

$17.74 BGN 29.51

$10.19 ¥69.0

74.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.42 BGN 24.00

$11.11 ¥75.2

29.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.28 BGN 58.7

$39.99 ¥271

-11.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 BGN 26.43

$14.55 ¥98.5

9.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.96 BGN 14.91

$6.18 ¥41.88

44.98%

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

$532 BGN 886

$416 ¥2,818

27.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,595 BGN 12.6K

$17.2K ¥116.7K

-55.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 BGN 96.1

$45.94 ¥311

25.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.34 BGN 55.5

$32.70 ¥221

1.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 BGN 158

$72.2 ¥489

31.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 BGN 169

$74.8 ¥507

35.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 BGN 831

$444 ¥3,007

12.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 BGN 639

$253 ¥1,715

51.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 BGN 1,477

$931 ¥6,304

-4.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 BGN 1,043

$546 ¥3,696

14.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,300 BGN 3,826

$4,778 ¥32.4K

-51.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,653 BGN 2,749

$2,418 ¥16.4K

-31.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,127 BGN 1,875

$1,069 ¥7,238

5.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

4.06

-3.45%

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

Last update for Bulgaria: July 21, 2026

Last update for China: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $309 in Bulgaria, $287 in China. Capital cities: $672 in Sofia vs $896 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,062 in Bulgaria, $856 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 8% higher in Bulgaria.

Dining out costs 71% more in Bulgaria.

Public transport is 39% more expensive in Bulgaria.

Salaries are 24% 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 $1,050 per month in Bulgaria and $871 in China, there's a 20% 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.