Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samokov and Plovdiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Samokov: $1,040 a month against $1,227 in Plovdiv, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Samokov
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Samokov Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Plovdiv
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Plovdiv Living Index

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Samokov

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,040

/mo nomad

Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samokov and in Plovdiv

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

A single person spends $1,040 per month in Samokov vs $1,227 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Samokov $1,040
Plovdiv $1,227

A couple spends around $1,626 per month in Samokov vs $1,874 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Samokov $1,626
Plovdiv $1,874

A family of three spends $2,211 per month in Samokov vs $2,522 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Samokov $2,211
Plovdiv $2,522

Samokov is about 15% cheaper than Plovdiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Samokov and Plovdiv are more affordable than the global median – Samokov 24% lower, Plovdiv 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.39 BGN 16.53

$9.16 BGN 16.12

2.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.86 BGN 80.7

$45.67 BGN 80.4

0.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 BGN 16.82

$9.43 BGN 16.60

1.38%

Cappuccino

$2.89 BGN 5.09

$2.86 BGN 5.04

1.05%

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

$1.76 BGN 3.10

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 BGN 2.68

$1.58 BGN 2.79

-3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 BGN 4.65

$2.54 BGN 4.47

3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 BGN 7.50

$4.35 BGN 7.65

-2.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 BGN 3.16

$1.81 BGN 3.19

-0.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.22 BGN 2.14

-1.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 BGN 3.91

$2.23 BGN 3.93

-0.45%

Eggs

$3.57 BGN 6.27

$3.77 BGN 6.63

-5.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 BGN 20.54

$11.62 BGN 20.45

0.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 BGN 14.46

$8.55 BGN 15.05

-3.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 BGN 24.39

$14.32 BGN 25.20

-3.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 BGN 3.02

$1.62 BGN 2.86

6.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 BGN 3.29

$1.84 BGN 3.24

1.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.41

$1.93 BGN 3.39

0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 BGN 4.66

$2.63 BGN 4.63

0.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.83

$1.09 BGN 1.92

-4.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 BGN 1.92

$1.04 BGN 1.83

4.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 BGN 2.14

$1.16 BGN 2.04

5.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$0.71 BGN 1.24

1.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 BGN 7.27

$3.90 BGN 6.86

5.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 BGN 10.64

$6.03 BGN 10.61

0.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 BGN 2.00

$1.16 BGN 2.04

-2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 BGN 3.64

$1.98 BGN 3.49

4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 BGN 1.38

$0.60 BGN 1.05

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.05 BGN 51.1

$29.11 BGN 51.2

-0.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 BGN 2.24

$1.29 BGN 2.27

-1.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$0.61 BGN 1.08

6.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.14 BGN 17.85

$10.46 BGN 18.40

-3.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.06

$1.70 BGN 2.99

2.35%

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

$30.3K BGN 53.3K

$30.3K BGN 53.4K

-0.19%

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

$24.6K BGN 43.3K

-0.07%

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

$114 BGN 201

$113 BGN 198

1.47%

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

$18.73 BGN 32.97

$18.40 BGN 32.39

1.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.22 BGN 26.78

$15.41 BGN 27.11

-1.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.51 BGN 55.5

$41.91 BGN 73.8

-24.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 BGN 33.32

$20.61 BGN 36.28

-8.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 BGN 16.39

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

$584 BGN 1,028

$599 BGN 1,053

-2.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,533 BGN 9,738

$5,404 BGN 9,510

2.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 BGN 120

$67.3 BGN 118

1.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.21 BGN 72.5

$41.80 BGN 73.6

-1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 BGN 170

$96.9 BGN 171

-0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 BGN 182

$102 BGN 179

1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 BGN 606

$553 BGN 974

-37.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 BGN 423

$420 BGN 738

-42.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 BGN 952

$880 BGN 1,548

-38.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 BGN 652

$663 BGN 1,167

-44.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,404 BGN 2,471

$2,228 BGN 3,921

-36.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,108 BGN 1,950

$1,512 BGN 2,661

-26.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$742 BGN 1,306

$1,162 BGN 2,044

-36.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

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

Last update for Samokov: October 25, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Samokov

$252 24.2%

Plovdiv

$255 20.8% 1.2% $2.9

Accommodation & Living

Samokov

$240 23.1%

Plovdiv

$420 34.2% 74.5% $179

Eating Out

Samokov

$173 16.7%

Plovdiv

$171 13.9% 1.5% $2.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samokov

$148 14.3%

Plovdiv

$147 12% 1.2% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Samokov

$139 13.4%

Plovdiv

$139 11.3% 0.5% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Samokov

$50 4.8%

Plovdiv

$61 4.9% 20.7% $10

Getting Around

Samokov

$37 3.5%

Plovdiv

$36 2.9% 2.3% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $344 in Samokov versus $553 in Plovdiv. 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 57% higher in Plovdiv. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Samokov versus $46 in Plovdiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $255 – making Samokov the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Samokov

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🕒 Local time

04:53 4:53 AM

Same time as Samokov

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,138

368,983

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Samokov Plovdiv 100 km

From you

Samokov
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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

Samokov vs Plovdiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,040 in Samokov, $1,227 in Plovdiv – Samokov comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,561 per month in Samokov and $1,840 in Plovdiv. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samokov, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $344 there versus $553 in Plovdiv.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,040 in Samokov and $1,227 in Plovdiv. That makes Samokov about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $584 per month in Samokov and $599 in Plovdiv. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,040 in Samokov and $1,227 in Plovdiv. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Plovdiv has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,040 in Samokov to $1,227 in Plovdiv. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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