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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,413 per month in Cartagena vs $1,135 in Burgas, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Cartagena vs $1,743 in Burgas, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,619 per month in Cartagena vs $2,351 in Burgas, rent included.

Cartagena costs about 24% more than Burgas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cartagena sits 5% above the global median, while Burgas is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.78 €11.87

$11.83 BGN 19.68

16.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 €48.93

$41.49 BGN 69.0

36.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 €6.93

$8.62 BGN 14.34

-6.73%

Cappuccino

$2.65 €2.28

$2.54 BGN 4.22

4.33%

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

$2.43 €2.09

$1.32 BGN 2.19

84.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.70 BGN 1.16

188.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.05 BGN 3.41

70.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.03

$2.94 BGN 4.88

19.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.70 BGN 2.83

-32.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.90 BGN 1.49

12.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.97 BGN 3.27

-11.68%

Eggs

$2.79 €2.41

$3.36 BGN 5.58

-16.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 €9.57

$9.39 BGN 15.62

18.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 €7.43

$7.93 BGN 13.20

8.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 €11.92

$11.35 BGN 18.88

21.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.95 BGN 3.24

21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.14 BGN 3.55

-12.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.98 BGN 3.30

-29.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.56 BGN 4.26

-31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.50 BGN 2.50

-12.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.31 BGN 2.19

-16.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 €0.96

$1.05 BGN 1.75

5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.44

$0.82 BGN 1.37

-37.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.75 €4.95

$3.50 BGN 5.82

64.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 €5.32

$6.53 BGN 10.86

-5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.96 BGN 1.60

15.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.73 BGN 2.87

-25.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.17

$0.89 BGN 1.49

51.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 €10.01

$34.84 BGN 58.0

-66.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 €3.05

$1.26 BGN 2.09

180.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.03

$0.66 BGN 1.10

81.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.19 €21.70

$13.12 BGN 21.83

92.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.55 BGN 2.59

16.77%

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

$30.1K €26.0K

$31.6K BGN 52.6K

-4.68%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$25.5K BGN 42.4K

24.37%

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

$145 €125

$96.2 BGN 160

50.92%

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

$13.32 €11.47

$16.83 BGN 28.00

-20.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 €25.66

$13.78 BGN 22.93

116.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 €34.11

$31.37 BGN 52.2

26.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 €13.04

$15.15 BGN 25.20

-0.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.98 €6.87

$8.89 BGN 14.79

-10.24%

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

$419 €361

$235 BGN 391

78.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,788 €2,402

$4,167 BGN 6,932

-33.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.51 €38.35

$60.2 BGN 100

-26.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 €26.98

$42.41 BGN 70.6

-26.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.66 €38.48

$81.9 BGN 136

-45.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 €67.3

$71.4 BGN 119

9.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 €658

$509 BGN 846

50.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 €534

$394 BGN 655

57.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 €789

$887 BGN 1,475

3.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 €658

$614 BGN 1,022

24.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,787 €1,540

$2,445 BGN 4,067

-26.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,465 €1,263

$1,852 BGN 3,081

-20.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,996 €1,720

$1,012 BGN 1,684

97.19%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Burgas: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Cartagena versus $509 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 97% 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 $41.00 in Burgas. Groceries tell a different story – $232 in Cartagena vs $235 in Burgas – so Cartagena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $1,413 in Cartagena, $1,135 in Burgas – roughly 24% apart. Cartagena costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,119 per month in Cartagena and $1,703 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 200% less in Burgas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $419 per month in Cartagena and $235 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 $1,135, than in Cartagena at $1,413. 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 $1,135 in Burgas to $1,413 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.