Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burgas and Lusaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $872 a month against $1,219 in Burgas, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Burgas
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,219
/mo nomad
Lusaka
🇿🇲 Zambia
$872
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burgas and in Lusaka

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

A single person spends $1,219 per month in Burgas vs $872 in Lusaka, rent included.

  • Burgas $1,219
  • Lusaka $872

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Burgas vs $1,488 in Lusaka, rent included.

  • Burgas $1,841
  • Lusaka $1,488

A family of three spends $2,463 per month in Burgas vs $2,103 in Lusaka, rent included.

  • Burgas $2,463
  • Lusaka $2,103

Burgas costs about 40% more than Lusaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Burgas and Lusaka are more affordable than the global median – Burgas 10% lower, Lusaka 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Burgas
Lusaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.91 BGN 24.21
$5.58 ZMW 111
149.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.33 BGN 80.6
$29.94 ZMW 595
54.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.82 BGN 20.57
$4.99 ZMW 99.3
136.87%
Cappuccino
$3.43 BGN 5.97
$2.84 ZMW 56.5
20.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 BGN 1.80
$0.77 ZMW 15.27
33.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 BGN 1.31
$0.46 ZMW 9.13
63.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.97 BGN 3.43
$1.27 ZMW 25.34
55.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 BGN 5.04
$2.30 ZMW 45.73
26.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Burgas
Lusaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 BGN 2.89
$1.69 ZMW 33.64
-1.78%
White Bread (500g)
$1.03 BGN 1.79
$1.17 ZMW 23.28
-11.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.02 BGN 3.52
$2.01 ZMW 39.99
0.50%
Eggs
$3.28 BGN 5.71
$1.96 ZMW 39.04
67.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.02 BGN 17.44
$10.49 ZMW 209
-4.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.91 BGN 15.50
$6.34 ZMW 126
40.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.69 BGN 20.34
$6.61 ZMW 131
76.85%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 BGN 3.95
$3.30 ZMW 65.6
-31.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 BGN 3.41
$2.45 ZMW 48.81
-20.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 BGN 3.70
$3.66 ZMW 72.8
-42.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.48 BGN 4.31
$1.57 ZMW 31.27
57.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 BGN 2.80
$2.52 ZMW 50.1
-36.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.44 BGN 2.51
$1.79 ZMW 35.66
-19.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 BGN 1.60
$1.12 ZMW 22.24
-17.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 BGN 1.51
$0.74 ZMW 14.75
17.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.46 BGN 6.02
$2.94 ZMW 58.5
17.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.97 BGN 12.14
$10.09 ZMW 201
-30.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 BGN 1.77
$1.42 ZMW 28.21
-28.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 BGN 3.30
$2.32 ZMW 46.18
-18.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Burgas
Lusaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 BGN 1.49
$0.97 ZMW 19.35
-11.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.64 BGN 60.3
$50.0 ZMW 995
-30.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.70 BGN 2.95
$2.46 ZMW 48.89
-30.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.73 BGN 1.28
$1.52 ZMW 30.18
-51.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.19 BGN 21.21
$4.99 ZMW 99.2
144.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 BGN 2.99
$1.51 ZMW 29.99
13.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.5K BGN 51.4K
$7,644 ZMW 152.0K
286.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K BGN 41.5K
$27.8K ZMW 553.6K
-14.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Burgas
Lusaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$101 BGN 177
$81.7 ZMW 1,626
24.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.52 BGN 25.27
$10.28 ZMW 204
41.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.66 BGN 20.29
$54.4 ZMW 1,081
-78.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Burgas
Lusaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.51 BGN 67.0
$55.1 ZMW 1,096
-30.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.20 BGN 24.71
$15.21 ZMW 303
-6.64%
Cinema Ticket
$8.64 BGN 15.03
$6.03 ZMW 120
43.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Burgas
Lusaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$231 BGN 403
$139 ZMW 2,774
65.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.7K BGN 25.5K
$16.5K ZMW 328.6K
-11.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Burgas
Lusaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.3 BGN 101
$23.04 ZMW 458
152.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.21 BGN 50.8
$15.19 ZMW 302
92.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.2 BGN 126
$45.38 ZMW 903
59.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.5 BGN 131
$72.9 ZMW 1,450
3.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Burgas
Lusaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$541 BGN 942
$380 ZMW 7,564
42.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$429 BGN 746
$177 ZMW 3,513
142.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$816 BGN 1,420
$1,067 ZMW 21.2K
-23.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$628 BGN 1,092
$593 ZMW 11.8K
5.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,503 BGN 4,355
$1,895 ZMW 37.7K
32.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,942 BGN 3,379
$5,017 ZMW 99.8K
-61.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Burgas
Lusaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$990 BGN 1,722
$316 ZMW 6,290
212.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.25
29
-88.79%

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

Last update for Burgas: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Burgas
$429
Lusaka
$177 58.8% $252
Groceries & Markets
Burgas
$246
Lusaka
$238 3.6% $8.8
Eating Out
Burgas
$211
Lusaka
$110 48% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Burgas
$128
Lusaka
$146 14.7% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Burgas
$106
Lusaka
$70 33.5% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Burgas
$56
Lusaka
$67 20.4% $11
Getting Around
Burgas
$43
Lusaka
$64 47.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Burgas versus $380 in Lusaka. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 213% higher in Burgas, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Burgas versus $30.00 in Lusaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $238 – making Lusaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Burgas
🇿🇲 Lusaka
🕒 Local time
18:30 6:30 PM
17:30 5:30 PM
1 h behind Burgas
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
189,741
1,742,979 Capital
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Burgas Lusaka 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Burgas
  • Lusaka

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
Burgas vs Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Burgas and in Lusaka compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,219 in Burgas, $872 in Lusaka – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Burgas compared to Lusaka?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,828 per month in Burgas and $1,308 in Lusaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Burgas and Lusaka?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lusaka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Burgas and in Lusaka?
Public transport costs about 44% less in Lusaka. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Burgas and Lusaka?
Kindergarten costs $231 per month in Burgas and $139 in Lusaka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lusaka, where all-in costs run around $872, than in Burgas at $1,219. In Lusaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burgas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Burgas and Lusaka?
It depends on your priorities. Burgas has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $872 in Lusaka to $1,219 in Burgas. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Burgas or Lusaka safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Burgas and Lusaka?
If budget matters most, go with Lusaka. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Burgas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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