Cost of Living Comparison Between Pleven and Szolnok Cost of Living Comparison Between Pleven and Szolnok

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $820 per month in Pleven vs $919 in Szolnok, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,287 per month in Pleven vs $1,395 in Szolnok, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,755 per month in Pleven vs $1,870 in Szolnok, rent included.

Pleven is about 11% cheaper than Szolnok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Pleven and Szolnok are more affordable than the global median – Pleven 39% lower, Szolnok 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.99 BGN 14.96

$7.73 Ft 2,354

16.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.12 BGN 51.8

$40.26 Ft 12.3K

-22.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 BGN 10.65

$7.61 Ft 2,318

-15.90%

Cappuccino

$1.87 BGN 3.11

$1.93 Ft 586

-3.11%

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

$1.29 BGN 2.14

$1.40 Ft 428

-7.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 BGN 1.14

$1.12 Ft 342

-39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 BGN 2.00

$1.90 Ft 579

-36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 BGN 3.49

$2.34 Ft 711

-10.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 BGN 2.60

$0.76 Ft 232

105.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.33

$1.09 Ft 332

-26.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 BGN 2.50

$1.61 Ft 489

-6.83%

Eggs

$2.25 BGN 3.74

$2.17 Ft 662

3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 BGN 15.06

$6.34 Ft 1,930

42.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 BGN 12.38

$5.31 Ft 1,617

40.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 BGN 14.64

$10.91 Ft 3,323

-19.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.13

$1.14 Ft 348

12.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.75

$1.51 Ft 459

9.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 BGN 3.00

$1.34 Ft 409

35.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.67

$2.10 Ft 639

4.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BGN 1.68

$0.88 Ft 269

14.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 BGN 1.33

$0.97 Ft 295

-17.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 BGN 1.00

$1.00 Ft 304

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 BGN 1.25

$0.32 Ft 96.6

134.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 BGN 6.00

$6.44 Ft 1,961

-43.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 BGN 10.79

$3.83 Ft 1,165

69.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 BGN 1.41

$0.81 Ft 245

4.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 BGN 2.04

$1.12 Ft 342

9.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 BGN 1.52

$1.00 Ft 306

-9.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.31 BGN 68.7

$24.03 Ft 7,316

71.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 BGN 2.20

$2.55 Ft 776

-48.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 BGN 1.18

$1.15 Ft 349

-38.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.59 BGN 19.27

$13.88 Ft 4,227

-16.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 BGN 2.45

$1.73 Ft 526

-15.03%

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

$25.3K BGN 42.1K

$17.8K Ft 5.4M

42.49%

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

$17.6K BGN 29.2K

$34.0K Ft 10.3M

-48.29%

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

$100.0 BGN 166

$104 Ft 31.6K

-3.80%

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

$14.82 BGN 24.65

$23.96 Ft 7,295

-38.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.43 BGN 19.02

$17.18 Ft 5,230

-33.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.86 BGN 44.68

$51.6 Ft 15.7K

-47.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.95 BGN 24.88

$8.61 Ft 2,622

73.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 BGN 13.30

$7.40 Ft 2,252

8.11%

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

$234 BGN 390

$146 Ft 44.4K

60.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,355 BGN 3,918

$3,479 Ft 1.1M

-32.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.73 BGN 64.4

$56.2 Ft 17.1K

-31.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.18 BGN 31.92

$27.23 Ft 8,291

-29.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 BGN 129

$62.7 Ft 19.1K

23.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.8 BGN 126

$67.8 Ft 20.6K

11.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 BGN 579

$325 Ft 98.8K

7.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 BGN 290

$273 Ft 83.2K

-36.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 BGN 967

$491 Ft 149.5K

18.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 BGN 561

$389 Ft 118.3K

-13.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,489 BGN 2,478

$2,076 Ft 632.1K

-28.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,170 BGN 1,947

$1,612 Ft 490.9K

-27.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$957 BGN 1,591

$1,105 Ft 336.3K

-13.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

10.26

-66.86%

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

Last update for Pleven: June 1, 2026

Last update for Szolnok: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $348 in Pleven versus $325 in Szolnok. 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 15% higher in Szolnok, 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 $31.00 in Pleven versus $40.00 in Szolnok. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Pleven vs $169 in Szolnok – so Szolnok wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Szolnok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $820 in Pleven, $919 in Szolnok – roughly 12% apart. Szolnok costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,230 per month in Pleven and $1,379 in Szolnok. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Szolnok – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Pleven and $40.00 in Szolnok. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $820 in Pleven and $919 in Szolnok, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pleven – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Szolnok makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.