Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plovdiv and Silistra

For one person, living is cheaper in Silistra: $858 a month against $1,191 in Plovdiv, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Plovdiv
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,191
/mo nomad
Silistra
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$858
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Plovdiv and in Silistra

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

A single person spends $1,191 per month in Plovdiv vs $858 in Silistra, rent included.

  • Plovdiv $1,191
  • Silistra $858

A couple spends around $1,852 per month in Plovdiv vs $1,223 in Silistra, rent included.

  • Plovdiv $1,852
  • Silistra $1,223

A family of three spends $2,512 per month in Plovdiv vs $1,589 in Silistra, rent included.

  • Plovdiv $2,512
  • Silistra $1,589

Plovdiv costs about 39% more than Silistra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Plovdiv and Silistra are more affordable than the global median – Plovdiv 12% lower, Silistra 37% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Plovdiv
Silistra
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.02 BGN 15.70
$10.13 BGN 17.62
-10.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.57 BGN 77.6
$24.96 BGN 43.43
78.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.55 BGN 16.62
$8.75 BGN 15.22
9.14%
Cappuccino
$2.86 BGN 4.98
$1.66 BGN 2.89
72.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 BGN 3.09
$1.11 BGN 1.93
60.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 BGN 2.62
$0.79 BGN 1.38
91.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 BGN 4.43
$1.83 BGN 3.19
39.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 BGN 7.55
$2.00 BGN 3.48
117.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Plovdiv
Silistra
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 BGN 3.21
$1.71 BGN 2.98
7.60%
White Bread (500g)
$1.23 BGN 2.13
$0.81 BGN 1.42
51.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.16 BGN 3.76
$1.49 BGN 2.59
44.97%
Eggs
$3.67 BGN 6.39
$2.35 BGN 4.10
56.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.74 BGN 20.43
$9.41 BGN 16.37
24.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.38 BGN 14.59
$6.36 BGN 11.07
31.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.89 BGN 24.16
$8.31 BGN 14.46
67.15%
Apples (1kg)
$1.64 BGN 2.85
$1.25 BGN 2.17
31.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 BGN 3.10
$1.71 BGN 2.97
4.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.01 BGN 3.50
$1.68 BGN 2.92
19.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.53 BGN 4.41
$1.97 BGN 3.42
28.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 BGN 1.81
$0.96 BGN 1.66
8.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 BGN 1.89
$0.71 BGN 1.23
53.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 BGN 2.02
$0.56 BGN 0.97
107.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 BGN 1.26
$0.67 BGN 1.17
7.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.98 BGN 6.92
$3.64 BGN 6.33
9.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.18 BGN 10.76
$5.16 BGN 8.98
19.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 BGN 2.05
$1.08 BGN 1.87
9.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 BGN 3.49
$1.69 BGN 2.94
18.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Plovdiv
Silistra
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.56 BGN 0.97
$0.83 BGN 1.44
-32.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.23 BGN 49.11
$23.87 BGN 41.54
18.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.22 BGN 2.13
$1.16 BGN 2.03
5.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.61 BGN 1.07
$0.65 BGN 1.13
-6.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.15 BGN 17.65
$5.61 BGN 9.76
80.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.69 BGN 2.94
$1.42 BGN 2.47
19.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K BGN 53.4K
$30.3K BGN 52.6K
1.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K BGN 42.6K
$21.8K BGN 37.9K
12.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Plovdiv
Silistra
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$112 BGN 194
$92.5 BGN 161
20.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.47 BGN 32.13
$14.56 BGN 25.33
26.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.76 BGN 27.43
$12.13 BGN 21.10
29.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Plovdiv
Silistra
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.66 BGN 70.8
$31.10 BGN 54.1
30.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.35 BGN 35.41
$17.20 BGN 29.93
18.31%
Cinema Ticket
$9.16 BGN 15.94
$6.66 BGN 11.58
37.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Plovdiv
Silistra
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 BGN 883
$232 BGN 404
118.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,491 BGN 9,555
$2,274 BGN 3,958
141.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Plovdiv
Silistra
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.8 BGN 120
$30.97 BGN 53.9
122.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.55 BGN 74.0
$19.44 BGN 33.83
118.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.9 BGN 165
$63.3 BGN 110
49.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 BGN 183
$52.0 BGN 90.5
101.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Plovdiv
Silistra
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$537 BGN 935
$332 BGN 578
61.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$388 BGN 675
$248 BGN 431
56.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$866 BGN 1,506
$333 BGN 580
159.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$670 BGN 1,166
$243 BGN 423
175.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,227 BGN 3,875
$1,304 BGN 2,268
70.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,542 BGN 2,683
$1,082 BGN 1,883
42.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Plovdiv
Silistra
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,147 BGN 1,996
$720 BGN 1,252
59.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.1
2.99
3.68%

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

Last update for Plovdiv: October 17, 2026

Last update for Silistra: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Plovdiv
$388
Silistra
$248 36.2% $141
Groceries & Markets
Plovdiv
$253
Silistra
$192 24.1% $61
Eating Out
Plovdiv
$170
Silistra
$148 12.8% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Plovdiv
$146
Silistra
$119 18.2% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Plovdiv
$140
Silistra
$75 46.7% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Plovdiv
$59
Silistra
$44 24.7% $15
Getting Around
Plovdiv
$35
Silistra
$32 9% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $537 in Plovdiv versus $332 in Silistra. 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 59% 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 $45.00 in Plovdiv versus $25.00 in Silistra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $192 – making Silistra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Plovdiv
🇧🇬 Silistra
🕒 Local time
19:57 7:57 PM
19:57 7:57 PM
Same time as Plovdiv
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
368,983
37,923
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Plovdiv Silistra 300 km
From you
  • Plovdiv
  • Silistra

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 Silistra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Plovdiv and in Silistra compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,191 in Plovdiv, $858 in Silistra – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Plovdiv compared to Silistra?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,786 per month in Plovdiv and $1,287 in Silistra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Plovdiv and Silistra?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Silistra, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Plovdiv and in Silistra?
Public transport costs about 18% less in Silistra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Plovdiv and Silistra?
Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Plovdiv and $232 in Silistra. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Silistra, where all-in costs run around $858, than in Plovdiv at $1,191. In Silistra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plovdiv it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Plovdiv and Silistra?
It depends on your priorities. Plovdiv has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $858 in Silistra to $1,191 in Plovdiv. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Plovdiv or Silistra safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Plovdiv and Silistra?
If budget matters most, go with Silistra. 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.

Plovdiv vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?