Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Bulgaria

Name: Bulgaria
Address: BG

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $789 a month against $1,168 in Bulgaria, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Bulgaria
Learn more

Bulgaria Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$789

/mo nomad

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,168

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Bulgaria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in China versus $1,168 in Bulgaria.

China $789
Bulgaria $1,168

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in China versus $1,779 in Bulgaria.

China $1,254
Bulgaria $1,779

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,720 in China versus $2,391 in Bulgaria.

China $1,720
Bulgaria $2,391

Internal cost variation is higher in Bulgaria: monthly costs span $559 to $1,585, compared to $468–$1,246 in China. City choice carries more weight in Bulgaria.

Living in China costs about 32% less than in Bulgaria on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Bulgaria 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ¥20.26

$11.51 BGN 20.15

-73.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.12 ¥147

$46.07 BGN 80.6

-51.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.77

$10.27 BGN 17.97

-47.71%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ¥19.55

$2.48 BGN 4.35

18.15%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$1.59 BGN 2.78

-69.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$1.23 BGN 2.16

-75.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.16

$2.27 BGN 3.98

-52.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.70

$3.28 BGN 5.73

-32.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$1.78 BGN 3.12

1.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.77

$1.10 BGN 1.93

47.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.59

$2.22 BGN 3.88

-55.41%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.80

$3.53 BGN 6.18

-54.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.5

$10.30 BGN 18.02

30.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ¥23.06

$7.98 BGN 13.96

-56.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ¥74.3

$13.28 BGN 23.25

-16.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$1.74 BGN 3.05

8.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.73

$1.98 BGN 3.47

-33.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥9.97

$1.82 BGN 3.19

-17.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.91

$2.72 BGN 4.76

-50.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.77

$1.07 BGN 1.87

-32.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$1.06 BGN 1.86

-12.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.35

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$0.70 BGN 1.22

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥25.44

$3.84 BGN 6.72

-0.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 ¥81.2

$6.88 BGN 12.04

77.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.05

$1.09 BGN 1.91

-16.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.97

$1.71 BGN 2.99

-3.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-67.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 ¥120

$28.14 BGN 49.25

-35.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$1.71 BGN 2.99

-10.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.47

$0.90 BGN 1.58

-58.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 ¥44.61

$13.17 BGN 23.05

-49.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.50

$1.63 BGN 2.86

-21.47%

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

$19.7K ¥131.5K

$30.6K BGN 53.6K

-35.53%

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

$17.5K ¥116.3K

$24.3K BGN 42.5K

-28.15%

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

$55.3 ¥369

$128 BGN 224

-56.83%

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

$8.32 ¥55.4

$18.77 BGN 32.85

-55.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.12 ¥74.1

$13.49 BGN 23.61

-17.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 ¥264

$35.81 BGN 62.7

10.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 ¥101

$18.28 BGN 31.99

-17.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ¥44.30

$8.45 BGN 14.79

-21.30%

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

$514 ¥3,428

$573 BGN 1,003

-10.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K ¥232.6K

$11.7K BGN 20.5K

197.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.85 ¥306

$58.7 BGN 103

-21.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.41 ¥236

$33.16 BGN 58.0

6.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥507

$89.3 BGN 156

-14.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 ¥533

$87.1 BGN 152

-8.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥2,529

$476 BGN 833

-20.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,544

$370 BGN 647

-37.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 ¥5,568

$819 BGN 1,433

2.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥3,077

$568 BGN 993

-18.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,743 ¥31.6K

$2,283 BGN 3,995

107.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 ¥15.9K

$1,641 BGN 2,872

45.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 ¥7,442

$1,120 BGN 1,959

-0.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.45

3.16

9.18%

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

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bulgaria: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.4%

Bulgaria

$370 31.7% 59.5% $138

Groceries & Markets

China

$212 26.8%

Bulgaria

$244 20.9% 15.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.5%

Bulgaria

$121 10.3% 13.1% $14

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

Bulgaria

$182 15.6% 106% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.5%

Bulgaria

$160 13.7% 115% $86

Sport & Entertainment

China

$53 6.7%

Bulgaria

$53 4.5% 0.5% $0.2

Getting Around

China

$23 2.9%

Bulgaria

$38 3.3% 67.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $338 in Bulgaria. Capital cities: $942 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $769 in Sofia.

National salary averages: $881 in China, $1,040 in Bulgaria. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 13% higher in Bulgaria.

Dining out costs 73% more in Bulgaria.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in Bulgaria.

Salaries are 18% higher in Bulgaria, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

06:58 6:58 AM

6 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

6,795,803

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.508 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.97 BGN (1 BGN = 0.508 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Bulgaria 7,350 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Bulgaria

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

China vs Bulgaria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,168 per month in Bulgaria and $789 in China, China comes out about 32% cheaper. 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 China: 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 $338 in Bulgaria and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.