Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pleven and Plovdiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Pleven: $893 a month against $1,191 in Plovdiv, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Pleven
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Pleven Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Plovdiv
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Plovdiv Living Index

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Pleven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$893

/mo nomad

Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,191

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pleven and in Plovdiv

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

A single person spends $893 per month in Pleven vs $1,191 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Pleven $893
Plovdiv $1,191

A couple spends around $1,425 per month in Pleven vs $1,852 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Pleven $1,425
Plovdiv $1,852

A family of three spends $1,956 per month in Pleven vs $2,512 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Pleven $1,956
Plovdiv $2,512

Pleven is about 25% cheaper than Plovdiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Pleven and Plovdiv are more affordable than the global median – Pleven 34% lower, Plovdiv 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.42 BGN 14.64

$9.02 BGN 15.70

-6.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.36 BGN 51.1

$44.57 BGN 77.6

-34.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 BGN 10.90

$9.55 BGN 16.62

-34.45%

Cappuccino

$2.09 BGN 3.64

$2.86 BGN 4.98

-26.92%

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

$1.27 BGN 2.21

$1.78 BGN 3.09

-28.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 BGN 1.97

$1.51 BGN 2.62

-25.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 BGN 3.84

$2.55 BGN 4.43

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 BGN 4.00

$4.34 BGN 7.55

-47.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 BGN 2.83

$1.84 BGN 3.21

-11.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 BGN 1.98

$1.23 BGN 2.13

-7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$2.16 BGN 3.76

-22.69%

Eggs

$3.58 BGN 6.23

$3.67 BGN 6.39

-2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 BGN 15.93

$11.74 BGN 20.43

-22.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 BGN 14.33

$8.38 BGN 14.59

-1.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 BGN 24.70

$13.89 BGN 24.16

2.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.23

$1.64 BGN 2.85

-21.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.78 BGN 3.10

11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 BGN 3.89

$2.01 BGN 3.50

10.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 BGN 3.87

$2.53 BGN 4.41

-12.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 BGN 2.03

$1.04 BGN 1.81

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.87

$1.09 BGN 1.89

-0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 BGN 1.85

$1.16 BGN 2.02

-8.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.23

$0.72 BGN 1.26

-1.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.62 BGN 6.30

$3.98 BGN 6.92

-9.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 BGN 11.18

$6.18 BGN 10.76

3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.34

$1.18 BGN 2.05

-34.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 BGN 2.08

$2.01 BGN 3.49

-40.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.56 BGN 0.97

64.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 BGN 70.7

$28.23 BGN 49.11

43.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 BGN 2.79

$1.22 BGN 2.13

31.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.61 BGN 1.07

39.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.21 BGN 21.25

$10.15 BGN 17.65

20.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$1.69 BGN 2.94

-1.18%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.2K

$30.7K BGN 53.4K

-2.19%

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

$24.4K BGN 42.5K

$24.5K BGN 42.6K

-0.15%

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

$95.9 BGN 167

$112 BGN 194

-14.00%

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

$16.22 BGN 28.22

$18.47 BGN 32.13

-12.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.87 BGN 18.91

$15.76 BGN 27.43

-31.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.76 BGN 62.2

$40.66 BGN 70.8

-12.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.07 BGN 41.88

$20.35 BGN 35.41

18.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 BGN 15.33

$9.16 BGN 15.94

-3.82%

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

$519 BGN 903

$507 BGN 883

2.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,309 BGN 11.0K

$5,491 BGN 9,555

14.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.92 BGN 72.9

$68.8 BGN 120

-39.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 BGN 50.1

$42.55 BGN 74.0

-32.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 BGN 165

$94.9 BGN 165

-0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 BGN 179

$105 BGN 183

-2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 BGN 579

$537 BGN 935

-38.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 BGN 302

$388 BGN 675

-55.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 BGN 989

$866 BGN 1,506

-34.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 BGN 580

$670 BGN 1,166

-50.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,454 BGN 2,530

$2,227 BGN 3,875

-34.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 BGN 1,977

$1,542 BGN 2,683

-26.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 BGN 1,591

$1,147 BGN 1,996

-20.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.82

3.1

-9.03%

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

Last update for Pleven: October 20, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pleven

$236 26.4%

Plovdiv

$253 21.3% 7.4% $18

Accommodation & Living

Pleven

$174 19.4%

Plovdiv

$388 32.6% 124% $215

Eating Out

Pleven

$136 15.3%

Plovdiv

$170 14.3% 24.4% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pleven

$123 13.8%

Plovdiv

$146 12.2% 18.5% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Pleven

$121 13.5%

Plovdiv

$140 11.8% 16.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Pleven

$53 6%

Plovdiv

$59 5% 10.5% $5.6

Getting Around

Pleven

$50 5.6%

Plovdiv

$35 2.9% 30.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $333 in Pleven versus $537 in Plovdiv. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Plovdiv, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Pleven versus $45.00 in Plovdiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $253 – making Pleven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Pleven

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

Same time as Pleven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,567

368,983

💱 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

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Pleven Plovdiv 140 km

From you

Pleven
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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

Pleven vs Plovdiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $893 in Pleven, $1,191 in Plovdiv – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,340 per month in Pleven and $1,786 in Plovdiv. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pleven, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Plovdiv, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Pleven and $45.00 in Plovdiv. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pleven, where all-in costs run around $893, than in Plovdiv at $1,191. In Pleven it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plovdiv it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Plovdiv has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $893 in Pleven to $1,191 in Plovdiv. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Pleven. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Plovdiv makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.