Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Ana and Kardzhali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kardzhali: $653 a month against $2,018 in Santa Ana, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana
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Santa Ana Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Kardzhali
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Kardzhali Living Index

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Santa Ana

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,018

/mo nomad

Kardzhali

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Ana and in Kardzhali

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Santa Ana vs $653 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Santa Ana $2,018
Kardzhali $653

A couple spends around $3,233 per month in Santa Ana vs $1,071 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Santa Ana $3,233
Kardzhali $1,071

A family of three spends $4,447 per month in Santa Ana vs $1,489 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Santa Ana $4,447
Kardzhali $1,489

Santa Ana costs about 209% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santa Ana sits 49% above the global median, while Kardzhali is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.04 ₡5,401

$11.22 BGN 19.52

7.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 ₡28.1K

$22.74 BGN 39.57

175.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 ₡5,285

$9.05 BGN 15.75

30.17%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,975

$1.11 BGN 1.92

296.40%

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

$2.14 ₡959

$1.04 BGN 1.80

105.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₡613

$0.70 BGN 1.21

95.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,508

$1.62 BGN 2.82

107.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 ₡1,917

$1.33 BGN 2.31

221.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 ₡993

$1.64 BGN 2.85

34.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,400

$0.74 BGN 1.29

321.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.43 BGN 2.49

75.52%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,554

$2.81 BGN 4.89

23.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 ₡4,876

$10.16 BGN 17.68

6.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₡4,664

$5.60 BGN 9.75

85.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 ₡6,364

$6.74 BGN 11.73

110.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 ₡2,289

$0.90 BGN 1.56

466.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡742

$2.04 BGN 3.55

-19.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 ₡2,086

$1.93 BGN 3.35

140.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 ₡1,785

$2.13 BGN 3.71

86.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 ₡1,761

$0.65 BGN 1.13

504.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,615

$1.27 BGN 2.22

183.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡500

$0.72 BGN 1.26

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₡808

$0.80 BGN 1.39

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 ₡2,738

$3.59 BGN 6.25

70.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.77 ₡7,970

$4.56 BGN 7.94

289.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₡1,293

$1.05 BGN 1.83

174.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₡1,207

$1.42 BGN 2.46

89.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.13 BGN 19.36

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,116

$1.69 BGN 2.94

47.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.70 BGN 1.23

122.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 ₡3,852

$5.65 BGN 9.83

52.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡694

$1.70 BGN 2.97

-8.82%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.7K BGN 51.7K

-27.33%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$22.4K BGN 39.0K

54.44%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$60.9 BGN 106

53.68%

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

$32.78 ₡14.7K

$5.73 BGN 9.97

472.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 ₡22.4K

$7.65 BGN 13.30

553.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$157 ₡70.4K

$23.14 BGN 40.26

578.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 ₡9,980

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ₡3,490

$8.43 BGN 14.67

-7.71%

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

$983 ₡440.6K

$230 BGN 401

326.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.8M

$14.5K BGN 25.2K

19.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ₡29.3K

$22.87 BGN 39.79

185.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 ₡25.1K

$12.49 BGN 21.73

348.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.2K

$45.07 BGN 78.4

182.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 ₡59.0K

$75.0 BGN 130

75.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₡473.0K

$114 BGN 198

827.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₡396.9K

$114 BGN 198

675.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,955 ₡1.3M

$228 BGN 396

1197.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 ₡827.1K

$275 BGN 479

570.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,727 ₡1.2M

$1,145 BGN 1,993

138.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,657 ₡743.2K

$858 BGN 1,493

93.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,402 ₡628.9K

$1,281 BGN 2,229

9.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.25

165.23%

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

Last update for Santa Ana: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kardzhali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Ana

$885 43.9%

Kardzhali

$114 17.5% 87.1% $771

Groceries & Markets

Santa Ana

$379 18.8%

Kardzhali

$189 28.9% 50.2% $190

Eating Out

Santa Ana

$224 11.1%

Kardzhali

$148 22.6% 34% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Ana

$176 8.7%

Kardzhali

$74 11.4% 57.9% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Ana

$173 8.6%

Kardzhali

$40 6.1% 76.8% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Ana

$171 8.5%

Kardzhali

$70 10.7% 59.1% $101

Getting Around

Santa Ana

$10 * 0.5%

Kardzhali

$19 2.8% 80.3% $8.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Santa Ana versus $114 in Kardzhali. 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 9% higher in Santa Ana, 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 $63.0 in Santa Ana versus $23.00 in Kardzhali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $189 – making Kardzhali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Ana

🇧🇬 Kardzhali

🕒 Local time

01:23 1:23 AM

10:23 10:23 AM

9 h ahead of Santa Ana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

49,421

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Ana Kardzhali 10,850 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Ana
Kardzhali

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

Santa Ana vs Kardzhali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Ana costs about 209% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,027 per month in Santa Ana and $980 in Kardzhali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kardzhali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,018 in Santa Ana and $653 in Kardzhali. That's a gap of about 209%.

Kindergarten costs $983 per month in Santa Ana and $230 in Kardzhali. 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 Kardzhali, where all-in costs run around $653, than in Santa Ana at $2,018. In Kardzhali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Ana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kardzhali costs $653 versus $2,018 in Santa Ana. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

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