Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Burgas Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Burgas

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,397 per month in Cartagena vs $1,136 in Burgas, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,993 per month in Cartagena vs $1,723 in Burgas, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,589 per month in Cartagena vs $2,310 in Burgas, rent included.

Cartagena costs about 23% more than Burgas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cartagena sits 4% above the global median, while Burgas is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 €11.94

$11.71 BGN 19.56

19.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 €49.20

$41.93 BGN 70.0

37.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 €6.79

$8.84 BGN 14.76

-10.29%

Cappuccino

$2.57 €2.20

$2.57 BGN 4.30

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

$2.39 €2.04

$1.38 BGN 2.30

73.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$0.71 BGN 1.19

174.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €2.95

$2.08 BGN 3.47

65.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €2.95

$2.87 BGN 4.80

20.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.97

$1.64 BGN 2.73

-30.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 €0.86

$0.91 BGN 1.52

10.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.95 BGN 3.25

-9.74%

Eggs

$2.94 €2.52

$3.30 BGN 5.52

-10.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 €9.88

$9.55 BGN 15.94

20.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 €7.22

$7.75 BGN 12.94

8.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 €12.14

$11.43 BGN 19.09

24.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €1.94

$1.95 BGN 3.25

16.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.54

$2.05 BGN 3.43

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 €1.19

$2.00 BGN 3.34

-30.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.47 BGN 4.13

-29.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 €1.10

$1.51 BGN 2.52

-14.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.35 BGN 2.26

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.06 BGN 1.77

3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.79 BGN 1.31

-29.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 €4.84

$3.51 BGN 5.86

60.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 €5.30

$6.09 BGN 10.18

1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €0.98

$1.00 BGN 1.67

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.74 BGN 2.90

-25.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.21

$0.85 BGN 1.42

65.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.64 €9.97

$35.20 BGN 58.8

-66.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 €2.98

$1.21 BGN 2.02

187.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.02

$0.67 BGN 1.12

79.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.92 €21.33

$12.89 BGN 21.53

93.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.53 BGN 2.56

15.03%

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

$30.9K €26.5K

$31.7K BGN 53.0K

-2.48%

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

$31.9K €27.3K

$25.3K BGN 42.2K

26.01%

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

$143 €123

$94.0 BGN 157

52.57%

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

$13.23 €11.32

$16.42 BGN 27.42

-19.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.14 €25.80

$13.55 BGN 22.62

122.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 €33.06

$30.98 BGN 51.7

24.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.09 €12.92

$15.15 BGN 25.30

-0.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.13 €6.96

$9.01 BGN 15.05

-9.77%

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

$433 €370

$240 BGN 401

80.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,792 €2,390

$4,069 BGN 6,795

-31.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.05 €37.71

$59.2 BGN 98.8

-25.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.92 €27.32

$41.55 BGN 69.4

-23.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.25 €37.88

$82.5 BGN 138

-46.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.1 €66.0

$73.2 BGN 122

5.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 €666

$512 BGN 855

51.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 €527

$380 BGN 635

62.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 €789

$859 BGN 1,434

7.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 €660

$606 BGN 1,012

27.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,839 €1,574

$2,405 BGN 4,017

-23.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 €1,256

$1,690 BGN 2,822

-13.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,842 €1,576

$1,064 BGN 1,777

73.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

4.57

-24.73%

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

Last update for Cartagena: April 25, 2026

Last update for Burgas: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $778 in Cartagena versus $512 in Burgas. 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 73% higher in Cartagena, 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 $57.0 in Cartagena versus $42.00 in Burgas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $232 – making Burgas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cartagena vs Burgas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,397 in Cartagena, $1,136 in Burgas – roughly 23% apart. Cartagena costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,095 per month in Cartagena and $1,704 in Burgas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Burgas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 202% less in Burgas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $433 per month in Cartagena and $240 in Burgas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Burgas, where all-in costs run around $1,136, than in Cartagena at $1,397. In Burgas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cartagena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Burgas has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,136 in Burgas to $1,397 in Cartagena. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Burgas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cartagena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.