Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruse and Varna

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruse: $990 a month against $1,411 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Ruse
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Ruse Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Varna
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Varna Living Index

Jump to prices

Ruse

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$990

/mo nomad

Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,411

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ruse and in Varna

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $990 in Ruse versus $1,411 in Varna.

Ruse $990
Varna $1,411

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,470 in Ruse versus $2,223 in Varna.

Ruse $1,470
Varna $2,223

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,949 in Ruse versus $3,035 in Varna.

Ruse $1,949
Varna $3,035

Living in Ruse costs roughly 30% less than in Varna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ruse is 27% below, Varna is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.07 BGN 15.77

$12.74 BGN 22.18

-28.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.26 BGN 59.6

$59.4 BGN 103

-42.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 BGN 16.62

$10.24 BGN 17.81

-6.74%

Cappuccino

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.92 BGN 5.08

-42.47%

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

$1.48 BGN 2.58

$1.97 BGN 3.42

-24.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$1.64 BGN 2.86

-49.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$2.82 BGN 4.90

-37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 BGN 4.88

$3.48 BGN 6.06

-19.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 BGN 3.04

$1.95 BGN 3.39

-10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 BGN 1.76

$1.24 BGN 2.16

-18.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 BGN 3.96

$2.67 BGN 4.64

-14.61%

Eggs

$2.55 BGN 4.43

$3.42 BGN 5.96

-25.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 BGN 15.54

$11.35 BGN 19.74

-21.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 BGN 13.52

$9.31 BGN 16.21

-16.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 BGN 25.10

$14.35 BGN 24.98

0.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 BGN 2.44

$2.01 BGN 3.50

-30.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 BGN 3.21

$2.08 BGN 3.62

-11.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 BGN 3.50

$2.11 BGN 3.67

-4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 BGN 3.52

$2.92 BGN 5.08

-30.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.87

$1.28 BGN 2.23

-15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 BGN 1.84

$1.04 BGN 1.81

1.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 BGN 2.11

$1.02 BGN 1.78

18.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 BGN 1.15

$0.77 BGN 1.34

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 BGN 5.91

$4.03 BGN 7.01

-15.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.12 BGN 10.66

$8.97 BGN 15.61

-31.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 BGN 1.97

$1.18 BGN 2.05

-4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.04

$1.79 BGN 3.12

-34.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BGN 1.46

$0.88 BGN 1.52

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.93 BGN 27.71

$28.86 BGN 50.2

-44.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 BGN 2.17

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-20.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BGN 1.06

$0.90 BGN 1.56

-32.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.22 BGN 17.79

$12.06 BGN 20.99

-15.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 BGN 2.63

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-13.22%

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

$30.2K BGN 52.5K

$30.4K BGN 52.9K

-0.80%

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

$22.6K BGN 39.3K

$24.5K BGN 42.7K

-7.96%

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

$104 BGN 182

$177 BGN 307

-40.93%

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

$17.91 BGN 31.17

$21.08 BGN 36.67

-15.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.89 BGN 22.44

$15.97 BGN 27.80

-19.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.68 BGN 55.1

$51.2 BGN 89.0

-38.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.80 BGN 15.32

$19.51 BGN 33.94

-54.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 BGN 9.74

$9.52 BGN 16.56

-41.18%

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

$518 BGN 902

$511 BGN 890

1.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 BGN 9,363

$6,289 BGN 10.9K

-14.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 BGN 88.6

$65.1 BGN 113

-21.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.15 BGN 48.99

$33.59 BGN 58.5

-16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 BGN 125

$102 BGN 178

-29.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 BGN 152

$103 BGN 179

-15.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 BGN 606

$645 BGN 1,122

-46.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 BGN 531

$477 BGN 830

-36.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 BGN 914

$1,365 BGN 2,376

-61.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 BGN 712

$914 BGN 1,590

-55.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,660 BGN 2,889

$2,941 BGN 5,118

-43.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,210 BGN 2,105

$2,142 BGN 3,726

-43.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$966 BGN 1,681

$1,271 BGN 2,211

-23.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

2.82

9.93%

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

Last update for Ruse: October 18, 2026

Last update for Varna: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ruse

$305 30.9%

Varna

$477 33.8% 56.2% $172

Groceries & Markets

Ruse

$230 23.3%

Varna

$272 19.3% 18.1% $42

Eating Out

Ruse

$145 14.7%

Varna

$203 14.4% 40% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ruse

$135 13.7%

Varna

$214 15.1% 58.1% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Ruse

$107 10.8%

Varna

$137 9.7% 27.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Ruse

$43 4.3%

Varna

$70 5% 63.8% $27

Getting Around

Ruse

$24 2.4%

Varna

$38 2.7% 62.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $348 in Ruse and $645 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 32% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34.00 in Ruse vs $59.0 in Varna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $272 per month, with Ruse cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Ruse

🇧🇬 Varna

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

Same time as Ruse

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,798

348,058

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ruse Varna 170 km

From you

Ruse
Varna

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

Ruse vs Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ruse wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Varna. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ruse the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Varna. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $348 in Ruse versus $645 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ruse runs roughly 81% less than in Varna. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $518 in Ruse versus $511 in Varna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $990 in Ruse versus $1,411 in Varna, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ruse but tight or insufficient in Varna. The gap between the two cities makes Ruse the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ruse delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $990 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ruse hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ruse and Varna are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ruse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Varna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.