Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliko Tarnovo: $1,067 a month against $1,227 in Plovdiv, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Veliko Tarnovo
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Veliko Tarnovo Living Index

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Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,227

/mo nomad

Veliko Tarnovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Plovdiv and in Veliko Tarnovo

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

A single person spends $1,227 per month in Plovdiv vs $1,067 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Plovdiv $1,227
Veliko Tarnovo $1,067

A couple spends around $1,874 per month in Plovdiv vs $1,606 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Plovdiv $1,874
Veliko Tarnovo $1,606

A family of three spends $2,522 per month in Plovdiv vs $2,144 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Plovdiv $2,522
Veliko Tarnovo $2,144

Plovdiv costs about 15% more than Veliko Tarnovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo are more affordable than the global median – Plovdiv 10% lower, Veliko Tarnovo 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.16 BGN 16.03

$11.25 BGN 19.69

-18.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.67 BGN 79.9

$40.10 BGN 70.2

13.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 BGN 16.51

$9.77 BGN 17.10

-3.48%

Cappuccino

$2.86 BGN 5.01

$1.76 BGN 3.09

62.50%

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

$1.76 BGN 3.08

$1.28 BGN 2.24

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 BGN 2.77

$0.94 BGN 1.65

68.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 BGN 4.44

$2.05 BGN 3.59

23.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 BGN 7.61

$2.79 BGN 4.89

55.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 BGN 3.17

$1.90 BGN 3.32

-4.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 BGN 2.13

$1.01 BGN 1.77

20.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 BGN 3.91

$2.37 BGN 4.15

-5.91%

Eggs

$3.77 BGN 6.59

$3.52 BGN 6.16

7.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 BGN 20.33

$10.09 BGN 17.66

15.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 BGN 14.96

$8.04 BGN 14.07

6.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 BGN 25.06

$12.54 BGN 21.95

14.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.84

$1.53 BGN 2.68

5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.23

$2.04 BGN 3.56

-9.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.98 BGN 3.46

-2.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 BGN 4.61

$2.62 BGN 4.59

0.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 BGN 1.91

$1.14 BGN 2.00

-4.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$1.13 BGN 1.97

-7.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

$0.98 BGN 1.72

18.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.24

$0.72 BGN 1.26

-1.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 BGN 6.82

$3.93 BGN 6.88

-0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 BGN 10.55

$6.41 BGN 11.21

-5.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

$1.16 BGN 2.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.47

$1.60 BGN 2.80

23.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 BGN 1.05

$0.85 BGN 1.49

-29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.11 BGN 51.0

$25.31 BGN 44.29

15.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

$1.16 BGN 2.03

11.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BGN 1.07

$0.67 BGN 1.17

-8.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 BGN 18.30

$11.29 BGN 19.76

-7.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$1.57 BGN 2.74

8.28%

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

$30.3K BGN 53.1K

$29.7K BGN 51.9K

2.22%

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

$24.6K BGN 43.1K

$25.0K BGN 43.8K

-1.66%

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

$113 BGN 197

$96.8 BGN 169

16.56%

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

$18.40 BGN 32.20

$19.10 BGN 33.43

-3.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.41 BGN 26.96

$15.84 BGN 27.72

-2.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.91 BGN 73.4

$33.44 BGN 58.5

25.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.61 BGN 36.07

$19.84 BGN 34.73

3.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 BGN 16.29

$7.01 BGN 12.27

32.81%

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

$599 BGN 1,047

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,404 BGN 9,456

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 BGN 118

$47.03 BGN 82.3

43.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.80 BGN 73.1

$29.99 BGN 52.5

39.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 BGN 170

$120 BGN 209

-18.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 BGN 178

$95.9 BGN 168

6.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 BGN 968

$383 BGN 670

44.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 BGN 734

$316 BGN 553

32.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 BGN 1,539

$568 BGN 994

54.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 BGN 1,160

$412 BGN 721

60.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,228 BGN 3,899

$1,995 BGN 3,491

11.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,512 BGN 2,646

$1,407 BGN 2,463

7.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,162 BGN 2,033

$945 BGN 1,654

22.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

2.74

13.14%

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

Last update for Plovdiv: October 25, 2026

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plovdiv

$420 34.2%

Veliko Tarnovo

$316 29.6% 24.7% $104

Groceries & Markets

Plovdiv

$255 20.8%

Veliko Tarnovo

$242 22.7% 5.3% $13

Eating Out

Plovdiv

$171 13.9%

Veliko Tarnovo

$165 15.5% 3.2% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plovdiv

$147 12%

Veliko Tarnovo

$132 12.3% 10.2% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Plovdiv

$139 11.3%

Veliko Tarnovo

$132 12.3% 5% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Plovdiv

$61 4.9%

Veliko Tarnovo

$47 4.5% 21.6% $13

Getting Around

Plovdiv

$36 2.9%

Veliko Tarnovo

$33 3.1% 7.4% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Plovdiv versus $383 in Veliko Tarnovo. 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 23% higher in Plovdiv. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Plovdiv versus $40 in Veliko Tarnovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $242 – making Veliko Tarnovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Veliko Tarnovo

🕒 Local time

19:06 7:06 PM

Same time as Plovdiv

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

368,983

71,150

💱 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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Between locations

Plovdiv Veliko Tarnovo 130 km

From you

Plovdiv
Veliko Tarnovo

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 Veliko Tarnovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,227 in Plovdiv, $1,067 in Veliko Tarnovo – Veliko Tarnovo comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,840 per month in Plovdiv and $1,600 in Veliko Tarnovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Veliko Tarnovo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $383 there versus $553 in Plovdiv.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Veliko Tarnovo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Plovdiv, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,227 in Plovdiv and $1,067 in Veliko Tarnovo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Veliko Tarnovo costs $1,067 versus $1,227 in Plovdiv. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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

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