Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pleven and Szolnok

For one person, living is cheaper in Pleven: $893 a month against $1,122 in Szolnok, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Szolnok
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Szolnok Living Index

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Pleven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$893

/mo nomad

Szolnok

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,122

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pleven and in Szolnok

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 Szolnok actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $893 per month in Pleven vs $1,122 in Szolnok, rent included.

Pleven $893
Szolnok $1,122

A couple spends around $1,425 per month in Pleven vs $1,721 in Szolnok, rent included.

Pleven $1,425
Szolnok $1,721

A family of three spends $1,956 per month in Pleven vs $2,319 in Szolnok, rent included.

Pleven $1,956
Szolnok $2,319

Pleven is about 20% cheaper than Szolnok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pleven and Szolnok are more affordable than the global median – Pleven 34% lower, Szolnok 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.42 BGN 14.64

$10.17 Ft 3,286

-17.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.36 BGN 51.1

$45.84 Ft 14.8K

-35.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 BGN 10.90

$7.89 Ft 2,548

-20.66%

Cappuccino

$2.09 BGN 3.64

$2.39 Ft 773

-12.55%

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

$1.27 BGN 2.21

$1.96 Ft 633

-35.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 BGN 1.97

$1.21 Ft 389

-6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 BGN 3.84

$2.69 Ft 868

-17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 BGN 4.00

$2.71 Ft 876

-15.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 BGN 2.83

$0.98 Ft 318

66.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 BGN 1.98

$1.24 Ft 401

-8.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$1.59 Ft 515

5.03%

Eggs

$3.58 BGN 6.23

$3.22 Ft 1,042

11.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 BGN 15.93

$7.62 Ft 2,461

20.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 BGN 14.33

$6.47 Ft 2,091

27.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 BGN 24.70

$13.64 Ft 4,406

4.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.23

$1.47 Ft 476

-12.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.81 Ft 586

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 BGN 3.89

$1.47 Ft 475

51.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 BGN 3.87

$2.42 Ft 783

-8.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 BGN 2.03

$0.64 Ft 208

82.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.87

$0.77 Ft 248

40.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 BGN 1.85

$1.01 Ft 325

4.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.23

$0.35 Ft 112

102.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.62 BGN 6.30

$6.73 Ft 2,175

-46.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 BGN 11.18

$3.64 Ft 1,177

76.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.34

$0.91 Ft 293

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 BGN 2.08

$1.29 Ft 418

-7.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$1.08 Ft 348

-14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 BGN 70.7

$25.89 Ft 8,366

56.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 BGN 2.79

$2.90 Ft 937

-44.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$2.21 Ft 715

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.21 BGN 21.25

$14.58 Ft 4,712

-16.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$1.87 Ft 603

-10.70%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.2K

$27.4K Ft 8.8M

9.55%

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

$24.4K BGN 42.5K

$37.8K Ft 12.2M

-35.37%

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

$95.9 BGN 167

$131 Ft 42.3K

-26.67%

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

$16.22 BGN 28.22

$29.86 Ft 9,648

-45.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.87 BGN 18.91

$22.54 Ft 7,281

-51.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.76 BGN 62.2

$40.97 Ft 13.2K

-12.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.07 BGN 41.88

$18.64 Ft 6,021

29.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 BGN 15.33

$3.23 Ft 1,042

172.76%

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

$519 BGN 903

$152 Ft 49.3K

240.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,309 BGN 11.0K

$4,950 Ft 1.6M

27.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.92 BGN 72.9

$84.6 Ft 27.3K

-50.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 BGN 50.1

$51.0 Ft 16.5K

-43.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 BGN 165

$89.5 Ft 28.9K

5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 BGN 179

$116 Ft 37.5K

-11.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 BGN 579

$413 Ft 133.3K

-19.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 BGN 302

$328 Ft 106.1K

-47.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 BGN 989

$637 Ft 205.9K

-10.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 BGN 580

$521 Ft 168.2K

-36.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,454 BGN 2,530

$2,036 Ft 657.7K

-28.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 BGN 1,977

$1,667 Ft 538.7K

-31.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 BGN 1,591

$1,068 Ft 345.2K

-14.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.82

7.69

-63.33%

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

Last update for Pleven: October 20, 2026

Last update for Szolnok: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pleven

$236 26.4%

Szolnok

$200 17.8% 15.2% $36

Accommodation & Living

Pleven

$174 19.4%

Szolnok

$328 29.3% 89.1% $155

Eating Out

Pleven

$136 15.3%

Szolnok

$165 14.7% 21.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pleven

$123 13.8%

Szolnok

$183 16.3% 49% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Pleven

$121 13.5%

Szolnok

$154 13.7% 27.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Pleven

$53 6%

Szolnok

$47 4.2% 11.2% $6

Getting Around

Pleven

$50 5.6%

Szolnok

$44 3.9% 11.9% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $333 in Pleven versus $413 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 17% 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 $29.00 in Pleven versus $46.00 in Szolnok. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Pleven vs $200 in Szolnok – so Szolnok wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Pleven

🇭🇺 Szolnok

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

13:36 1:36 PM

1 h behind Pleven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,567

66,426

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pleven Szolnok 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pleven
Szolnok

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 Szolnok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $893 in Pleven, $1,122 in Szolnok – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,340 per month in Pleven and $1,683 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 $29.00 in Pleven and $46.00 in Szolnok. 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 Szolnok at $1,122. In Pleven it covers expenses comfortably, while in Szolnok it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.