Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Bulgaria Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Bulgaria

Name: Bulgaria
Address: BG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in China versus $957 in Bulgaria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $1,484 in Bulgaria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $2,011 in Bulgaria.

Living in China costs about 25% less than in Bulgaria on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Bulgaria 31% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Bulgaria: monthly costs span $572 to $1,659, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Bulgaria.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$11.94 BGN 19.87

-75.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$47.10 BGN 78.4

-51.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$10.56 BGN 17.57

-51.99%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$2.54 BGN 4.22

15.75%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$1.70 BGN 2.83

-71.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$1.26 BGN 2.10

-76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$2.41 BGN 4.01

-56.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$3.57 BGN 5.93

-36.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$1.92 BGN 3.19

-6.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$1.21 BGN 2.00

40.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$2.35 BGN 3.91

-59.15%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$3.49 BGN 5.80

-53.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$10.74 BGN 17.88

26.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$8.18 BGN 13.61

-58.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$13.70 BGN 22.80

-19.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.81 BGN 3.02

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$2.00 BGN 3.33

-35.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$1.88 BGN 3.13

-21.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$2.87 BGN 4.78

-54.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$1.12 BGN 1.86

-35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$1.04 BGN 1.74

-9.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$1.08 BGN 1.79

-43.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.72 BGN 1.20

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$4.06 BGN 6.75

-9.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$7.10 BGN 11.81

67.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$1.09 BGN 1.82

-23.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$1.79 BGN 2.98

-7.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.95 BGN 1.58

-69.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$29.07 BGN 48.37

-22.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$1.57 BGN 2.62

-7.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$0.75 BGN 1.25

-54.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$12.64 BGN 21.03

-42.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$1.65 BGN 2.75

-25.45%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$31.2K BGN 51.9K

-37.39%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$24.9K BGN 41.4K

-30.78%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$134 BGN 223

-58.58%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$18.93 BGN 31.49

-55.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$14.43 BGN 24.00

-25.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$36.00 BGN 59.9

11.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$19.40 BGN 32.28

-23.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$8.19 BGN 13.63

-17.83%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$586 BGN 975

-22.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$9,853 BGN 16.4K

98.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$60.5 BGN 101

-25.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$35.57 BGN 59.2

0.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$93.4 BGN 155

-17.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$91.9 BGN 153

-15.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$494 BGN 821

-21.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$368 BGN 612

-34.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$840 BGN 1,397

-0.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$582 BGN 968

-18.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$2,395 BGN 3,984

92.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$1,643 BGN 2,733

40.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$1,174 BGN 1,953

-9.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

3.14

10.51%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Bulgaria: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $338 in Bulgaria. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $809 in Sofia.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $1,093 in Bulgaria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in Bulgaria.

Dining out costs 86% more in Bulgaria.

Public transport is 35% more expensive in Bulgaria.

Salaries are 26% 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

China vs Bulgaria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,116 per month in Bulgaria and $852 in China, there's a 31% 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.