Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Bulgaria

Name: Bulgaria
Address: BG

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $395 a month against $1,159 in Bulgaria, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Bulgaria
Learn more

Bulgaria Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇳 India

$395

/mo nomad

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,159

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in India 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 India and in Bulgaria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $395 in India versus $1,159 in Bulgaria.

India $395
Bulgaria $1,159

Estimated couple costs with rent: $628 in India versus $1,775 in Bulgaria.

India $628
Bulgaria $1,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $861 in India versus $2,390 in Bulgaria.

India $861
Bulgaria $2,390

Internal cost variation is higher in Bulgaria: monthly costs span $554 to $1,600, compared to $229–$828 in India. City choice carries more weight in Bulgaria.

Living in India costs about 66% less than in Bulgaria on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Bulgaria 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹203

$11.41 BGN 19.86

-81.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.57 ₹1,004

$45.05 BGN 78.4

-76.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.77 ₹358

$10.38 BGN 18.06

-63.68%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₹167

$2.58 BGN 4.49

-31.78%

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

$0.42 ₹39.67

$1.62 BGN 2.81

-74.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.45

$1.23 BGN 2.14

-88.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 ₹186

$2.25 BGN 3.91

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₹295

$3.34 BGN 5.81

-6.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 ₹59.6

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-65.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 ₹43.45

$1.18 BGN 2.05

-61.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.3

$2.26 BGN 3.93

-69.91%

Eggs

$0.93 ₹88.4

$3.44 BGN 5.98

-72.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.83 ₹458

$10.15 BGN 17.67

-52.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.91 ₹276

$7.99 BGN 13.91

-63.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 BGN 22.63

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$1.70 BGN 2.96

17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ₹59.6

$2.01 BGN 3.50

-68.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 ₹92.8

$1.83 BGN 3.19

-46.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 ₹48.04

$2.67 BGN 4.65

-80.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.28

$1.06 BGN 1.84

-66.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹36.72

$1.03 BGN 1.79

-62.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.31

$1.06 BGN 1.85

-59.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.53

$0.71 BGN 1.24

-59.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 ₹488

$3.80 BGN 6.62

35.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 ₹696

$6.68 BGN 11.63

9.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₹157

$1.07 BGN 1.86

54.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₹259

$1.76 BGN 3.06

55.11%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.08 ₹483

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₹23.70

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-71.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.49 ₹806

$27.69 BGN 48.18

-69.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹97.9

$1.52 BGN 2.64

-32.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.69

$0.73 BGN 1.27

-65.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$12.25 BGN 21.31

-86.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹101

$1.61 BGN 2.79

-33.54%

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

$11.3K ₹1.1M

$30.2K BGN 52.5K

-62.42%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$24.5K BGN 42.7K

-17.93%

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

$37.73 ₹3,583

$126 BGN 220

-70.10%

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

$3.58 ₹340

$18.70 BGN 32.54

-80.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.89 ₹655

$14.05 BGN 24.44

-50.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.63 ₹1,390

$33.65 BGN 58.6

-56.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 ₹688

$18.06 BGN 31.43

-59.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.17 ₹301

$8.53 BGN 14.85

-62.84%

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

$56.5 ₹5,369

$567 BGN 986

-90.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,646 ₹156.3K

$9,482 BGN 16.5K

-82.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.73 ₹2,158

$58.4 BGN 102

-61.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.04 ₹2,283

$33.29 BGN 57.9

-27.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.04 ₹3,898

$90.4 BGN 157

-54.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.60 ₹2,906

$89.7 BGN 156

-65.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$144 ₹13.6K

$478 BGN 832

-69.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.5 ₹8,691

$364 BGN 633

-74.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$324 ₹30.8K

$781 BGN 1,359

-58.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₹20.3K

$579 BGN 1,007

-63.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,200 ₹114.0K

$2,178 BGN 3,791

-44.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$619 ₹58.8K

$1,601 BGN 2,785

-61.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$440 ₹41.8K

$1,129 BGN 1,965

-61.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.92

3.16

182.28%

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

Last update for India: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bulgaria: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 25.8%

Bulgaria

$244 21% 139% $142

Accommodation & Living

India

$92 23.1%

Bulgaria

$364 31.4% 298% $272

Eating Out

India

$68 17.1%

Bulgaria

$183 15.8% 170% $115

Clothing & Footwear

India

$53 13.5%

Bulgaria

$122 10.6% 130% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12.2%

Bulgaria

$159 13.7% 230% $111

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.3%

Bulgaria

$51 4.4% 142% $30

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

Bulgaria

$36 3.1% 209% $25

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $119 in India, $328 in Bulgaria. Capital cities: $271 in Delhi vs $770 in Sofia.

National salary averages: $413 in India, $1,044 in Bulgaria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 176% higher in Bulgaria.

Dining out costs 290% more in Bulgaria.

Public transport is 214% more expensive in Bulgaria.

Salaries are 153% higher in Bulgaria, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

🕒 Local time

16:05 4:05 PM

13:35 1:35 PM

2 h 30 min behind India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

6,795,803

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

India Bulgaria 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

India
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

India vs Bulgaria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,159 per month in Bulgaria and $395 in India, there's a 193% 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 cheaper in India: 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 $328 in Bulgaria and $119 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 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: India wins on affordability; Bulgaria may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.