Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pernik and Varna

For one person, living is cheaper in Pernik: $844 a month against $1,411 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Pernik
Learn more

Pernik Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Varna
Learn more

Varna Living Index

Jump to prices

Pernik

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$844

/mo nomad

Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,411

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pernik and in Varna

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $844 in Pernik versus $1,411 in Varna.

Pernik $844
Varna $1,411

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,065 in Pernik versus $2,223 in Varna.

Pernik $1,065
Varna $2,223

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,286 in Pernik versus $3,035 in Varna.

Pernik $1,286
Varna $3,035

Living in Pernik costs roughly 40% less than in Varna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pernik is 38% below, Varna is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 BGN 17.65

$12.74 BGN 22.18

-20.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.59 BGN 44.53

$59.4 BGN 103

-56.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 BGN 15.20

$10.24 BGN 17.81

-14.65%

Cappuccino

$1.55 BGN 2.69

$2.92 BGN 5.08

-46.92%

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

$0.99 BGN 1.72

$1.97 BGN 3.42

-49.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 BGN 0.91

$1.64 BGN 2.86

-68.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 BGN 3.82

$2.82 BGN 4.90

-21.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 BGN 3.40

$3.48 BGN 6.06

-43.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BGN 2.48

$1.95 BGN 3.39

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 BGN 1.13

$1.24 BGN 2.16

-47.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.50

$2.67 BGN 4.64

-46.07%

Eggs

$2.37 BGN 4.12

$3.42 BGN 5.96

-30.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 BGN 14.61

$11.35 BGN 19.74

-25.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 BGN 11.55

$9.31 BGN 16.21

-28.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.29 BGN 14.43

$14.35 BGN 24.98

-42.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$2.01 BGN 3.50

-42.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

$2.08 BGN 3.62

-21.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.51

$2.11 BGN 3.67

-31.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$2.92 BGN 5.08

-32.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$1.28 BGN 2.23

-35.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.25

$1.04 BGN 1.81

-30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 BGN 1.01

$1.02 BGN 1.78

-43.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 BGN 1.10

$0.77 BGN 1.34

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 BGN 5.86

$4.03 BGN 7.01

-16.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.21 BGN 9.06

$8.97 BGN 15.61

-41.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 BGN 1.28

$1.18 BGN 2.05

-37.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 BGN 2.95

$1.79 BGN 3.12

-5.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$0.88 BGN 1.52

-5.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.50 BGN 20.00

$28.86 BGN 50.2

-60.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 BGN 2.34

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-14.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BGN 1.07

$0.90 BGN 1.56

-32.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.27 BGN 19.61

$12.06 BGN 20.99

-6.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 BGN 2.73

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-9.77%

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

$30.7K BGN 53.3K

$30.4K BGN 52.9K

0.83%

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

$23.7K BGN 41.3K

$24.5K BGN 42.7K

-3.32%

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

$92.4 BGN 161

$177 BGN 307

-47.69%

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

$14.91 BGN 25.95

$21.08 BGN 36.67

-29.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.35 BGN 21.48

$15.97 BGN 27.80

-22.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 BGN 59.2

$51.2 BGN 89.0

-33.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 BGN 33.94

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 BGN 9.78

$9.52 BGN 16.56

-40.97%

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

$232 BGN 404

$511 BGN 890

-54.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,315 BGN 4,027

$6,289 BGN 10.9K

-63.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.71 BGN 53.4

$65.1 BGN 113

-52.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.41 BGN 33.78

$33.59 BGN 58.5

-42.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.9 BGN 113

$102 BGN 178

-36.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.4 BGN 89.4

$103 BGN 179

-50.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 BGN 509

$645 BGN 1,122

-54.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 BGN 445

$477 BGN 830

-46.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 BGN 2,376

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$914 BGN 1,590

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,152 BGN 2,004

$2,941 BGN 5,118

-60.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,049 BGN 1,825

$2,142 BGN 3,726

-51.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$1,271 BGN 2,211

23.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

2.82

6.03%

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

Last update for Pernik: October 18, 2026

Last update for Varna: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pernik

$256 30.3%

Varna

$477 33.8% 86.4% $221

Groceries & Markets

Pernik

$182 21.6%

Varna

$272 19.3% 49.6% $90

Eating Out

Pernik

$147 17.4%

Varna

$203 14.4% 38.4% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pernik

$120 14.2%

Varna

$214 15.1% 78.6% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Pernik

$75 8.9%

Varna

$137 9.7% 82.4% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Pernik

$45 5.4%

Varna

$70 5% 55.1% $25

Getting Around

Pernik

$19 2.3%

Varna

$38 2.7% 99.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $293 in Pernik and $645 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pernik pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Pernik vs $59.0 in Varna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $272 per month, with Pernik cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Pernik

🇧🇬 Varna

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

Same time as Pernik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,342

348,058

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pernik Varna 400 km

From you

Pernik
Varna

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

Pernik vs Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pernik wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Varna. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pernik the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Pernik, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $293 in Pernik versus $645 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pernik runs roughly 151% less than in Varna. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $232 in Pernik versus $511 in Varna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $844 in Pernik versus $1,411 in Varna, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pernik but tight or insufficient in Varna. The gap between the two cities makes Pernik the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pernik delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $844 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pernik hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Pernik and Varna are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Pernik gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Varna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.