Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dumaguete and Vratsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Dumaguete: $790 a month against $826 in Vratsa, rent and utilities included – about $430 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vratsa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

38

Cost of Living Index in Dumaguete
Learn more

Dumaguete Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Vratsa
Learn more

Vratsa Living Index

Jump to prices

Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Philippines

$790

/mo nomad

Vratsa

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$826

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dumaguete and in Vratsa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $790 in Dumaguete versus $826 in Vratsa.

Dumaguete $790
Vratsa $826

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,195 in Dumaguete versus $1,255 in Vratsa.

Dumaguete $1,195
Vratsa $1,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,600 in Dumaguete versus $1,684 in Vratsa.

Dumaguete $1,600
Vratsa $1,684

Living in Dumaguete costs roughly 4% less than in Vratsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dumaguete 42% lower, Vratsa 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ₱242

$8.49 BGN 14.85

-55.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.47 ₱982

$28.23 BGN 49.41

-45.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.23 ₱268

$5.65 BGN 9.88

-25.13%

Cappuccino

$2.22 ₱141

$2.22 BGN 3.88

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

$0.72 ₱45.42

$1.56 BGN 2.73

-53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₱27.00

$0.82 BGN 1.44

-47.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₱86.9

$1.68 BGN 2.94

-18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₱116

$2.03 BGN 3.55

-9.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₱105

$1.33 BGN 2.32

24.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ₱83.3

$0.84 BGN 1.47

55.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.6

$1.35 BGN 2.36

-31.85%

Eggs

$1.79 ₱113

$2.28 BGN 3.99

-21.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 ₱544

$9.35 BGN 16.36

-8.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.40 ₱279

$5.62 BGN 9.83

-21.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.86 ₱436

$8.41 BGN 14.71

-18.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.6

$1.25 BGN 2.19

23.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.64 BGN 2.87

-22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 ₱218

$1.11 BGN 1.94

209.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ₱81.0

$1.73 BGN 3.02

-26.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 ₱160

$0.98 BGN 1.72

157.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 ₱100

$0.71 BGN 1.25

122.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 ₱51.7

$0.56 BGN 0.98

44.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.14

$0.54 BGN 0.95

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₱148

$3.49 BGN 6.10

-33.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.45 ₱537

$5.22 BGN 9.13

61.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₱72.3

$1.08 BGN 1.90

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.7

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-27.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₱18.99

$0.82 BGN 1.44

-63.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ₱720

$25.24 BGN 44.17

-55.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱43.72

$0.88 BGN 1.54

-21.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.15 ₱9.38

$0.62 BGN 1.08

-75.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 ₱135

$6.45 BGN 11.28

-66.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₱69.3

$1.56 BGN 2.73

-30.13%

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

$20.2K ₱1.3M

$30.4K BGN 53.3K

-33.53%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$23.4K BGN 41.0K

-18.70%

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

$66.5 ₱4,220

$94.3 BGN 165

-29.56%

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

$9.65 ₱613

$12.63 BGN 22.09

-23.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.12 ₱1,659

$12.23 BGN 21.40

113.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.13 ₱1,977

$22.92 BGN 40.11

35.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.83 ₱243

$19.29 BGN 33.77

-80.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 ₱457

$5.80 BGN 10.15

23.97%

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

$56.4 ₱3,585

$223 BGN 390

-74.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,650 ₱104.8K

$2,257 BGN 3,949

-26.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 ₱5,908

$30.65 BGN 53.6

203.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.24 ₱1,984

$19.41 BGN 33.97

60.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₱6,372

$64.4 BGN 113

55.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₱7,020

$50.4 BGN 88.2

119.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 ₱14.8K

$337 BGN 590

-30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$202 ₱12.9K

$253 BGN 444

-20.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 ₱26.4K

$550 BGN 962

-24.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ₱21.9K

$401 BGN 703

-14.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,045 ₱193.4K

$1,309 BGN 2,291

132.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$674 ₱42.8K

$1,114 BGN 1,950

-39.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 ₱17.6K

$1,080 BGN 1,890

-74.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

134.11%

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

Last update for Dumaguete: October 24, 2026

Last update for Vratsa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dumaguete

$202 25.6%

Vratsa

$253 30.7% 25.2% $51

Groceries & Markets

Dumaguete

$190 24.1%

Vratsa

$179 21.7% 5.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Dumaguete

$151 19.1%

Vratsa

$74 9% 50.8% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dumaguete

$102 12.9%

Vratsa

$119 14.4% 16.6% $17

Eating Out

Dumaguete

$85 10.8%

Vratsa

$133 16.2% 57.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Dumaguete

$46 5.8%

Vratsa

$35 4.2% 24.2% $11

Getting Around

Dumaguete

$14 1.8%

Vratsa

$33 3.9% 133% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $233 in Dumaguete and $337 in Vratsa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vratsa pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $15 in Dumaguete vs $28 in Vratsa. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $179, with Vratsa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dumaguete

🇧🇬 Vratsa

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

17:12 5:12 PM

6 h behind Dumaguete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,103

60,877

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.51 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 70.87 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dumaguete Vratsa 10,080 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Dumaguete
Vratsa

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

Dumaguete vs Vratsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $790 in Dumaguete and $826 in Vratsa, so Dumaguete is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Dumaguete. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $233 in Dumaguete versus $337 in Vratsa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $790 per month in Dumaguete versus $826 in Vratsa – Dumaguete is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Dumaguete runs roughly 55% less than in Vratsa. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Dumaguete gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dumaguete and Vratsa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Dumaguete wins on affordability, Vratsa on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.