Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Bulgaria Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Bulgaria

Name: Bulgaria
Address: BG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Italy versus $951 in Bulgaria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,707 in Italy versus $1,472 in Bulgaria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,639 in Italy versus $1,993 in Bulgaria.

Living in Italy is roughly 87% more expensive than in Bulgaria on average.

Italy (30% above) and Bulgaria (31% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,134 to $2,623, compared to $571–$1,597 in Bulgaria. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 €16.80

$12.06 BGN 20.07

62.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 €69.2

$46.92 BGN 78.1

72.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.81

$10.69 BGN 17.79

7.20%

Cappuccino

$1.98 €1.70

$2.65 BGN 4.42

-25.28%

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

$3.04 €2.60

$1.62 BGN 2.69

87.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.25 BGN 2.07

16.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €4.92

$2.41 BGN 4.02

139.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.86

$3.40 BGN 5.65

67.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.89 BGN 3.14

-12.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 €2.01

$1.16 BGN 1.92

102.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.57

$2.27 BGN 3.77

32.16%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.75

$3.48 BGN 5.79

25.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 €14.86

$10.67 BGN 17.76

62.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.74 €10.90

$8.15 BGN 13.56

56.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.56

$13.80 BGN 22.96

48.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.19

$1.82 BGN 3.02

40.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.84

$2.08 BGN 3.45

3.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 €2.31

$1.88 BGN 3.13

44.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 €2.79

$2.92 BGN 4.86

11.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.16 BGN 1.94

71.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.06 BGN 1.76

78.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.11 BGN 1.84

43.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.45

$0.73 BGN 1.21

-27.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.83

$4.14 BGN 6.89

64.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €5.78

$7.01 BGN 11.66

-3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.09 BGN 1.81

65.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.02

$1.84 BGN 3.06

28.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.64

$0.88 BGN 1.47

118.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.16 €38.63

$29.18 BGN 48.55

54.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 €4.84

$1.51 BGN 2.51

274.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.50

$0.76 BGN 1.26

131.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.45 €29.47

$12.29 BGN 20.45

180.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.60 BGN 2.67

26.25%

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

$37.5K €32.1K

$30.5K BGN 50.8K

22.85%

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

$35.8K €30.6K

$25.1K BGN 41.8K

42.61%

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

$231 €198

$133 BGN 222

73.75%

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

$12.12 €10.37

$18.58 BGN 30.91

-34.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.14 €26.64

$14.17 BGN 23.58

119.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 €48.40

$35.14 BGN 58.5

61.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.48 €21.79

$18.80 BGN 31.27

35.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €8.93

$9.05 BGN 15.06

15.36%

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

$566 €484

$565 BGN 939

0.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.4K

$9,602 BGN 16.0K

26.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €78.9

$62.7 BGN 104

47.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.84 €34.08

$35.05 BGN 58.3

13.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.9

$92.9 BGN 155

11.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €118

$92.1 BGN 153

50.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 €712

$483 BGN 804

72.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 €568

$372 BGN 619

78.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 €1,249

$817 BGN 1,359

78.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 €945

$597 BGN 993

85.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,262

$2,308 BGN 3,840

65.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,364 €2,022

$1,641 BGN 2,729

44.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,946 €1,665

$1,205 BGN 2,004

61.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.17

12.93%

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

Last update for Italy: August 17, 2026

Last update for Bulgaria: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $748 in Italy, $333 in Bulgaria. Capital cities: $1,237 in Rome vs $786 in Sofia.

National salary averages: $1,953 in Italy, $1,076 in Bulgaria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 125% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 95% more in Italy.

Public transport is 83% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 82% higher in Italy.

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

Italy vs Bulgaria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,084 per month in Bulgaria and $1,879 in Italy, there's a 73% 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 Bulgaria: 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 Italy is consistently higher than in Bulgaria across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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