Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulgaria and India

Name: India
Address: IN

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $395 a month against $1,159 in Bulgaria, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Bulgaria
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Bulgaria Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index

Jump to prices

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,159

/mo nomad

🇮🇳 India

$395

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bulgaria and in India

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 India actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Bulgaria versus $395 in India.

Bulgaria $1,159
India $395

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,775 in Bulgaria versus $628 in India.

Bulgaria $1,775
India $628

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,390 in Bulgaria versus $861 in India.

Bulgaria $2,390
India $861

Internal cost variation is higher in Bulgaria: monthly costs span $554 to $1,600, compared to $229–$828 in India. City choice carries more weight in Bulgaria.

Living in Bulgaria is roughly 193% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Bulgaria 14% lower, India 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 BGN 19.86

$2.14 ₹203

433.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.05 BGN 78.4

$10.57 ₹1,004

326.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 BGN 18.06

$3.77 ₹358

175.33%

Cappuccino

$2.58 BGN 4.49

$1.76 ₹167

46.59%

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

$1.62 BGN 2.81

$0.42 ₹39.67

285.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 BGN 2.14

$0.14 ₹13.45

778.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 BGN 3.91

$1.95 ₹186

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 BGN 5.81

$3.11 ₹295

7.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$0.63 ₹59.6

190.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 BGN 2.05

$0.46 ₹43.45

156.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 BGN 3.93

$0.68 ₹64.3

232.35%

Eggs

$3.44 BGN 5.98

$0.93 ₹88.4

269.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 BGN 17.67

$4.83 ₹458

110.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 BGN 13.91

$2.91 ₹276

174.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 BGN 22.63

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.96

$2.00 ₹190

-15.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 BGN 3.50

$0.63 ₹59.6

219.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$0.98 ₹92.8

86.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 BGN 4.65

$0.51 ₹48.04

423.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 BGN 1.84

$0.36 ₹34.28

194.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$0.39 ₹36.72

164.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 BGN 1.85

$0.43 ₹41.31

146.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.24

$0.29 ₹27.53

144.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 BGN 6.62

$5.14 ₹488

-26.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.68 BGN 11.63

$7.33 ₹696

-8.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 BGN 1.86

$1.65 ₹157

-35.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 BGN 3.06

$2.73 ₹259

-35.53%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.08 ₹483

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.25 ₹23.70

248.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.69 BGN 48.18

$8.49 ₹806

226.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 BGN 2.64

$1.03 ₹97.9

47.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 BGN 1.27

$0.25 ₹23.69

192.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.25 BGN 21.31

$1.61 ₹153

660.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 BGN 2.79

$1.07 ₹101

50.47%

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

$30.2K BGN 52.5K

$11.3K ₹1.1M

166.11%

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

$24.5K BGN 42.7K

$20.1K ₹1.9M

21.85%

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

$126 BGN 220

$37.73 ₹3,583

234.40%

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

$18.70 BGN 32.54

$3.58 ₹340

422.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.05 BGN 24.44

$6.89 ₹655

103.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 BGN 58.6

$14.63 ₹1,390

130.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 BGN 31.43

$7.25 ₹688

149.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 BGN 14.85

$3.17 ₹301

169.09%

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

$567 BGN 986

$56.5 ₹5,369

902.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,482 BGN 16.5K

$1,646 ₹156.3K

476.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 BGN 102

$22.73 ₹2,158

156.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.29 BGN 57.9

$24.04 ₹2,283

38.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 BGN 157

$41.04 ₹3,898

120.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 BGN 156

$30.60 ₹2,906

193.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 BGN 832

$144 ₹13.6K

233.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 BGN 633

$91.5 ₹8,691

297.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 BGN 1,359

$324 ₹30.8K

140.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 BGN 1,007

$214 ₹20.3K

170.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,178 BGN 3,791

$1,200 ₹114.0K

81.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,601 BGN 2,785

$619 ₹58.8K

158.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,129 BGN 1,965

$440 ₹41.8K

156.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

8.92

-64.57%

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

Last update for Bulgaria: October 17, 2026

Last update for India: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bulgaria

$364 31.4%

India

$92 23.1% 74.9% $272

Groceries & Markets

Bulgaria

$244 21%

India

$102 25.8% 58.2% $142

Eating Out

Bulgaria

$183 15.8%

India

$68 17.1% 62.9% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bulgaria

$159 13.7%

India

$48 12.2% 69.7% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Bulgaria

$122 10.6%

India

$53 13.5% 56.4% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Bulgaria

$51 4.4%

India

$21 5.3% 58.6% $30

Getting Around

Bulgaria

$36 3.1%

India

$12 3% 67.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $328 in Bulgaria, $119 in India. Capital cities: $770 in Sofia vs $271 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $1,044 in Bulgaria, $413 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 176% higher in Bulgaria.

Dining out costs 290% more in Bulgaria.

Public transport is 214% more expensive in Bulgaria.

Salaries are 153% higher in Bulgaria, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

🇮🇳 India

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

15:14 3:14 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bulgaria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,795,803

1,326,093,247

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bulgaria India 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bulgaria
India

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,159 per month in Bulgaria and $395 in India, there's a 193% 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 cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $328 in Bulgaria and $119 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 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: India wins on affordability; Bulgaria may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.