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: $1,719 in Italy versus $913 in Bulgaria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,625 in Italy versus $1,417 in Bulgaria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,531 in Italy versus $1,921 in Bulgaria.

Living in Italy is roughly 88% more expensive than Bulgaria on average.

Italy (28% above) and Bulgaria (32% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,156 to $2,452, compared to $718–$1,381 in Bulgaria. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €14.70

$11.69 BGN 19.45

45.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 €71.2

$47.13 BGN 78.4

74.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 €10.04

$8.66 BGN 14.41

34.18%

Cappuccino

$1.91 €1.65

$2.26 BGN 3.76

-15.49%

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

$3.02 €2.61

$1.51 BGN 2.52

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.07 BGN 1.78

22.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 €5.02

$2.40 BGN 4.00

142.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.42

$2.97 BGN 4.93

72.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.81 BGN 3.01

-9.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.09

$1.02 BGN 1.70

137.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 €2.52

$2.10 BGN 3.50

39.05%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.56

$3.40 BGN 5.66

21.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.70 €14.43

$11.04 BGN 18.37

51.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 €10.89

$8.21 BGN 13.65

53.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.61 €17.81

$12.12 BGN 20.16

70.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 €2.15

$1.64 BGN 2.72

51.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.86

$1.99 BGN 3.31

8.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.35

$1.80 BGN 3.00

51.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 €2.81

$2.51 BGN 4.18

29.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.12 BGN 1.86

73.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.07 BGN 1.78

69.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.05 BGN 1.75

40.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.69 BGN 1.15

-21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.89

$3.67 BGN 6.11

85.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 €6.34

$7.25 BGN 12.06

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.56

$1.07 BGN 1.78

68.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.20

$1.71 BGN 2.84

48.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.92 BGN 1.54

118.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.70 €36.03

$29.93 BGN 49.79

39.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 €5.10

$1.38 BGN 2.30

327.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.72 BGN 1.20

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.23 €29.58

$12.18 BGN 20.26

181.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.84

$1.57 BGN 2.60

35.67%

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

$32.8K €28.4K

$32.3K BGN 53.7K

1.59%

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

$33.5K €28.9K

$27.8K BGN 46.3K

20.36%

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

$226 €195

$123 BGN 205

82.96%

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

$13.32 €11.51

$17.99 BGN 29.93

-25.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.26 €27.02

$14.67 BGN 24.41

113.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 €49.16

$36.02 BGN 59.9

57.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.71 €22.22

$16.19 BGN 26.93

58.80%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 €8.95

$8.94 BGN 14.87

15.77%

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

$579 €500

$538 BGN 896

7.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,102

$7,738 BGN 12.9K

36.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 €77.9

$57.0 BGN 94.8

58.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.79 €35.25

$34.20 BGN 56.9

19.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 €85.3

$96.7 BGN 161

2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €115

$101 BGN 167

32.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 €737

$496 BGN 826

71.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €576

$378 BGN 628

76.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 €1,311

$874 BGN 1,455

73.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 €935

$634 BGN 1,054

70.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,767 €3,255

$2,390 BGN 3,976

57.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 €2,077

$1,709 BGN 2,843

40.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,986 €1,716

$1,167 BGN 1,942

70.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

3.92

12.50%

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

Last update for Italy: June 9, 2026

Last update for Bulgaria: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $310 in Bulgaria. Capital cities: $1,368 in Rome vs $680 in Sofia.

National salary averages: $1,931 in Italy, $1,073 in Bulgaria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 139% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 111% more in Italy.

Public transport is 76% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 80% 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 $1,050 per month in Bulgaria and $1,804 in Italy, there's a 72% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Bulgaria is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.