Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shumen and Plovdiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Shumen: $913 a month against $1,227 in Plovdiv, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Shumen
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Shumen Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Plovdiv
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Plovdiv Living Index

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Shumen

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$913

/mo nomad

Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shumen 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 Shumen and in Plovdiv actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $913 per month in Shumen vs $1,227 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Shumen $913
Plovdiv $1,227

A couple spends around $1,422 per month in Shumen vs $1,874 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Shumen $1,422
Plovdiv $1,874

A family of three spends $1,931 per month in Shumen vs $2,522 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Shumen $1,931
Plovdiv $2,522

Shumen is about 26% cheaper than Plovdiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shumen and Plovdiv are more affordable than the global median – Shumen 33% lower, Plovdiv 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 BGN 15.99

$9.16 BGN 16.03

-0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.66 BGN 60.7

$45.67 BGN 79.9

-24.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 BGN 15.99

$9.43 BGN 16.51

-3.08%

Cappuccino

$1.69 BGN 2.96

$2.86 BGN 5.01

-40.91%

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

$1.43 BGN 2.50

$1.76 BGN 3.08

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 BGN 1.87

$1.58 BGN 2.77

-32.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 BGN 5.15

$2.54 BGN 4.44

16.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 BGN 5.06

$4.35 BGN 7.61

-33.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 BGN 3.23

$1.81 BGN 3.17

1.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 BGN 1.89

$1.22 BGN 2.13

-11.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 BGN 4.49

$2.23 BGN 3.91

15.25%

Eggs

$2.85 BGN 4.98

$3.77 BGN 6.59

-24.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 BGN 15.94

$11.62 BGN 20.33

-21.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 BGN 8.95

$8.55 BGN 14.96

-40.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.86 BGN 15.51

$14.32 BGN 25.06

-38.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 BGN 2.66

$1.62 BGN 2.84

-6.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.84 BGN 3.23

10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.80

$1.93 BGN 3.37

12.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$2.63 BGN 4.61

-12.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.59

$1.09 BGN 1.91

88.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 BGN 2.20

$1.04 BGN 1.82

20.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 BGN 1.53

$1.16 BGN 2.03

-24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.34

$0.71 BGN 1.24

8.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 BGN 6.41

$3.90 BGN 6.82

-5.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 BGN 12.25

$6.03 BGN 10.55

16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 BGN 1.69

$1.16 BGN 2.03

-16.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 BGN 2.57

$1.98 BGN 3.47

-25.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$0.60 BGN 1.05

46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.12 BGN 45.72

$29.11 BGN 51.0

-10.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$1.29 BGN 2.26

36.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 BGN 0.93

$0.61 BGN 1.07

-13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 BGN 18.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 BGN 2.78

$1.70 BGN 2.98

-6.47%

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

$30.9K BGN 54.1K

$30.3K BGN 53.1K

1.89%

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

$22.3K BGN 39.1K

$24.6K BGN 43.1K

-9.27%

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

$133 BGN 232

$113 BGN 197

17.66%

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

$17.68 BGN 30.94

$18.40 BGN 32.20

-3.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.94 BGN 29.64

$15.41 BGN 26.96

9.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.15 BGN 66.8

$41.91 BGN 73.4

-8.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.41 BGN 19.97

$20.61 BGN 36.07

-44.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 BGN 12.32

$9.31 BGN 16.29

-24.38%

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

$561 BGN 982

$599 BGN 1,047

-6.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K BGN 18.4K

$5,404 BGN 9,456

94.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.91 BGN 83.8

$67.3 BGN 118

-28.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 BGN 90.4

$41.80 BGN 73.1

23.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 BGN 165

$96.9 BGN 170

-2.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 BGN 106

$102 BGN 178

-40.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 BGN 460

$553 BGN 968

-52.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 BGN 315

$420 BGN 734

-57.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 BGN 748

$880 BGN 1,539

-51.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 BGN 584

$663 BGN 1,160

-49.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,231 BGN 2,154

$2,228 BGN 3,899

-44.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$997 BGN 1,744

$1,512 BGN 2,646

-34.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,024 BGN 1,792

$1,162 BGN 2,033

-11.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

3.1

4.84%

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

Last update for Shumen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shumen

$214 23.4%

Plovdiv

$255 20.8% 19.5% $42

Accommodation & Living

Shumen

$180 19.7%

Plovdiv

$420 34.2% 133% $240

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shumen

$167 18.3%

Plovdiv

$147 12% 12.4% $21

Eating Out

Shumen

$151 16.6%

Plovdiv

$171 13.9% 12.8% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Shumen

$114 12.5%

Plovdiv

$139 11.3% 21.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Shumen

$52 5.7%

Plovdiv

$61 4.9% 15.9% $8.3

Getting Around

Shumen

$34 3.7%

Plovdiv

$36 2.9% 5.3% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $263 in Shumen 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 13% 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 $35 in Shumen versus $46 in Plovdiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $255 – making Shumen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Shumen

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

Same time as Shumen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,504

368,983

💱 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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Shumen Plovdiv 220 km

From you

Shumen
Plovdiv

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

Shumen vs Plovdiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $913 in Shumen, $1,227 in Plovdiv – Shumen comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Shumen 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 Shumen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $263 there versus $553 in Plovdiv.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Shumen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $561 per month in Shumen and $599 in Plovdiv. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Shumen, where all-in costs run around $913, than in Plovdiv at $1,227. In Shumen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plovdiv it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shumen – 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 Shumen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Plovdiv makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.