Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plovdiv and Kardzhali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kardzhali: $651 a month against $1,227 in Plovdiv, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Plovdiv
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Plovdiv Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Kardzhali
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Kardzhali Living Index

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Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,227

/mo nomad

Kardzhali

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Plovdiv and in Kardzhali

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

A single person spends $1,227 per month in Plovdiv vs $651 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Plovdiv $1,227
Kardzhali $651

A couple spends around $1,874 per month in Plovdiv vs $1,068 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Plovdiv $1,874
Kardzhali $1,068

A family of three spends $2,522 per month in Plovdiv vs $1,484 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Plovdiv $2,522
Kardzhali $1,484

Plovdiv costs about 89% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Plovdiv and Kardzhali are more affordable than the global median – Plovdiv 10% lower, Kardzhali 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.16 BGN 16.03

$11.02 BGN 19.28

-16.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.67 BGN 79.9

$23.11 BGN 40.45

97.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 BGN 16.51

$8.87 BGN 15.52

6.31%

Cappuccino

$2.86 BGN 5.01

$1.12 BGN 1.96

155.36%

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

$1.76 BGN 3.08

$1.06 BGN 1.85

66.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 BGN 2.77

$0.74 BGN 1.29

113.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 BGN 4.44

$1.59 BGN 2.78

59.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 BGN 7.61

$1.33 BGN 2.33

227.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 BGN 3.17

$1.69 BGN 2.96

7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 BGN 2.13

$0.72 BGN 1.25

69.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 BGN 3.91

$1.51 BGN 2.64

47.68%

Eggs

$3.77 BGN 6.59

$2.83 BGN 4.95

33.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 BGN 20.33

$10.21 BGN 17.87

13.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 BGN 14.96

$5.53 BGN 9.68

54.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 BGN 25.06

$6.58 BGN 11.52

117.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.84

$0.84 BGN 1.47

92.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.23

$1.97 BGN 3.44

-6.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.87 BGN 3.28

3.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 BGN 4.61

$2.20 BGN 3.85

19.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 BGN 1.91

$0.69 BGN 1.21

57.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$1.31 BGN 2.29

-20.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

$0.67 BGN 1.18

73.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.24

$0.75 BGN 1.31

-5.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 BGN 6.82

$3.56 BGN 6.23

9.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 BGN 10.55

$4.38 BGN 7.66

37.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

$1.00 BGN 1.75

16.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.47

$1.41 BGN 2.47

40.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 BGN 1.05

$0.55 BGN 0.96

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.11 BGN 51.0

$11.11 BGN 19.44

162.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

$1.71 BGN 2.99

-24.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BGN 1.07

$0.71 BGN 1.23

-14.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 BGN 18.30

$5.44 BGN 9.52

92.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$1.62 BGN 2.84

4.94%

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

$30.3K BGN 53.1K

$30.2K BGN 52.9K

0.31%

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

$24.6K BGN 43.1K

$24.0K BGN 42.1K

2.37%

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

$113 BGN 197

$61.4 BGN 107

83.66%

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

$18.40 BGN 32.20

$5.56 BGN 9.73

230.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.41 BGN 26.96

$7.88 BGN 13.80

95.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.91 BGN 73.4

$22.90 BGN 40.08

83.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.61 BGN 36.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 BGN 16.29

$8.76 BGN 15.33

6.28%

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

$599 BGN 1,047

$230 BGN 402

160.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,404 BGN 9,456

$14.6K BGN 25.6K

-63.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 BGN 118

$22.89 BGN 40.05

194.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.80 BGN 73.1

$12.69 BGN 22.21

229.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 BGN 170

$46.21 BGN 80.9

109.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 BGN 178

$74.9 BGN 131

35.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 BGN 968

$115 BGN 201

381.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 BGN 734

$114 BGN 199

269.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 BGN 1,539

$232 BGN 406

279.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 BGN 1,160

$274 BGN 479

142.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,228 BGN 3,899

$1,141 BGN 1,997

95.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,512 BGN 2,646

$855 BGN 1,497

76.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,162 BGN 2,033

$1,287 BGN 2,251

-9.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

3.25

-4.62%

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

Last update for Plovdiv: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kardzhali: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plovdiv

$420 34.2%

Kardzhali

$114 17.5% 72.9% $306

Groceries & Markets

Plovdiv

$255 20.8%

Kardzhali

$187 28.7% 26.7% $68

Eating Out

Plovdiv

$171 13.9%

Kardzhali

$146 22.4% 14.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plovdiv

$147 12%

Kardzhali

$75 11.5% 48.9% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Plovdiv

$139 11.3%

Kardzhali

$71 10.8% 49.1% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Plovdiv

$61 4.9%

Kardzhali

$40 6.2% 33.2% $20

Getting Around

Plovdiv

$36 2.9%

Kardzhali

$19 2.9% 48.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Plovdiv versus $115 in Kardzhali. 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 11% higher in Kardzhali, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Plovdiv versus $23 in Kardzhali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $187 – making Kardzhali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Kardzhali

🕒 Local time

09:31 9:31 AM

Same time as Plovdiv

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

368,983

49,421

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Plovdiv Kardzhali 76 km

From you

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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

Plovdiv vs Kardzhali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plovdiv costs about 89% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,840 per month in Plovdiv and $976 in Kardzhali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kardzhali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $115 there versus $553 in Plovdiv.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,227 in Plovdiv and $651 in Kardzhali. That makes Kardzhali about 47% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Kardzhali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kardzhali, where all-in costs run around $651, than in Plovdiv at $1,227. In Kardzhali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plovdiv it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Kardzhali is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.