Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plovdiv and Vratsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Vratsa: $826 a month against $1,227 in Plovdiv, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Plovdiv
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Plovdiv Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Vratsa
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Vratsa Living Index

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Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,227

/mo nomad

Vratsa

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$826

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Plovdiv and in Vratsa

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

A single person spends $1,227 per month in Plovdiv vs $826 in Vratsa, rent included.

Plovdiv $1,227
Vratsa $826

A couple spends around $1,874 per month in Plovdiv vs $1,255 in Vratsa, rent included.

Plovdiv $1,874
Vratsa $1,255

A family of three spends $2,522 per month in Plovdiv vs $1,684 in Vratsa, rent included.

Plovdiv $2,522
Vratsa $1,684

Plovdiv costs about 48% more than Vratsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Plovdiv and Vratsa are more affordable than the global median – Plovdiv 10% lower, Vratsa 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.16 BGN 16.03

$8.49 BGN 14.85

7.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.67 BGN 79.9

$28.23 BGN 49.41

61.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 BGN 16.51

$5.65 BGN 9.88

66.90%

Cappuccino

$2.86 BGN 5.01

$2.22 BGN 3.88

28.83%

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

$1.76 BGN 3.08

$1.56 BGN 2.73

12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 BGN 2.77

$0.82 BGN 1.44

92.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 BGN 4.44

$1.68 BGN 2.94

51.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 BGN 7.61

$2.03 BGN 3.55

114.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 BGN 3.17

$1.33 BGN 2.32

36.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 BGN 2.13

$0.84 BGN 1.47

45.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 BGN 3.91

$1.35 BGN 2.36

65.19%

Eggs

$3.77 BGN 6.59

$2.28 BGN 3.99

65.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 BGN 20.33

$9.35 BGN 16.36

24.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 BGN 14.96

$5.62 BGN 9.83

52.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 BGN 25.06

$8.41 BGN 14.71

70.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.84

$1.25 BGN 2.19

29.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.23

$1.64 BGN 2.87

12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.11 BGN 1.94

73.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 BGN 4.61

$1.73 BGN 3.02

52.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 BGN 1.91

$0.98 BGN 1.72

11.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.71 BGN 1.25

46.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

$0.56 BGN 0.98

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.24

$0.54 BGN 0.95

31.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 BGN 6.82

$3.49 BGN 6.10

11.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 BGN 10.55

$5.22 BGN 9.13

15.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

$1.08 BGN 1.90

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.47

$1.74 BGN 3.04

13.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 BGN 1.05

$0.82 BGN 1.44

-26.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.11 BGN 51.0

$25.24 BGN 44.17

15.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

$0.88 BGN 1.54

46.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BGN 1.07

$0.62 BGN 1.08

-1.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 BGN 18.30

$6.45 BGN 11.28

62.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$1.56 BGN 2.73

8.97%

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

$30.3K BGN 53.1K

$30.4K BGN 53.3K

-0.31%

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

$24.6K BGN 43.1K

$23.4K BGN 41.0K

5.15%

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

$113 BGN 197

$94.3 BGN 165

19.55%

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

$18.40 BGN 32.20

$12.63 BGN 22.09

45.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.41 BGN 26.96

$12.23 BGN 21.40

26.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.91 BGN 73.4

$22.92 BGN 40.11

82.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.61 BGN 36.07

$19.29 BGN 33.77

6.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 BGN 16.29

$5.80 BGN 10.15

60.52%

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

$599 BGN 1,047

$223 BGN 390

168.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,404 BGN 9,456

$2,257 BGN 3,949

139.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 BGN 118

$30.65 BGN 53.6

119.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.80 BGN 73.1

$19.41 BGN 33.97

115.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 BGN 170

$64.4 BGN 113

50.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 BGN 178

$50.4 BGN 88.2

102.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 BGN 968

$337 BGN 590

63.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 BGN 734

$253 BGN 444

65.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 BGN 1,539

$550 BGN 962

59.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 BGN 1,160

$401 BGN 703

65.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,228 BGN 3,899

$1,309 BGN 2,291

70.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,512 BGN 2,646

$1,114 BGN 1,950

35.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,162 BGN 2,033

$1,080 BGN 1,890

7.54%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Vratsa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plovdiv

$420 34.2%

Vratsa

$253 30.7% 39.6% $166

Groceries & Markets

Plovdiv

$255 20.8%

Vratsa

$179 21.7% 29.8% $76

Eating Out

Plovdiv

$171 13.9%

Vratsa

$133 16.2% 21.8% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plovdiv

$147 12%

Vratsa

$119 14.4% 18.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Plovdiv

$139 11.3%

Vratsa

$74 9% 46.4% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Plovdiv

$61 4.9%

Vratsa

$35 4.2% 43% $26

Getting Around

Plovdiv

$36 2.9%

Vratsa

$33 3.9% 9.4% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Plovdiv versus $337 in Vratsa. 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 8% 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 $46 in Plovdiv versus $28 in Vratsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $179 – making Vratsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Vratsa

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

Same time as Plovdiv

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

368,983

60,877

💱 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

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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 Vratsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,227 in Plovdiv, $826 in Vratsa – Vratsa comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,840 per month in Plovdiv and $1,240 in Vratsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vratsa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $553 in Plovdiv.

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

Kindergarten costs $599 per month in Plovdiv and $223 in Vratsa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vratsa, where all-in costs run around $826, than in Plovdiv at $1,227. In Vratsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plovdiv it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vratsa – 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.

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