Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliven and Plovdiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Sliven: $779 a month against $1,191 in Plovdiv, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Sliven
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Sliven Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Plovdiv
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Plovdiv Living Index

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Sliven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$779

/mo nomad

Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,191

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $779 per month in Sliven vs $1,191 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Sliven $779
Plovdiv $1,191

A couple spends around $1,232 per month in Sliven vs $1,852 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Sliven $1,232
Plovdiv $1,852

A family of three spends $1,684 per month in Sliven vs $2,512 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Sliven $1,684
Plovdiv $2,512

Sliven is about 35% cheaper than Plovdiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sliven and Plovdiv are more affordable than the global median – Sliven 42% lower, Plovdiv 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 BGN 19.78

$9.02 BGN 15.70

26.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.06 BGN 61.0

$44.57 BGN 77.6

-21.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 BGN 17.74

$9.55 BGN 16.62

6.70%

Cappuccino

$1.79 BGN 3.11

$2.86 BGN 4.98

-37.41%

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

$1.25 BGN 2.17

$1.78 BGN 3.09

-29.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 BGN 1.53

$1.51 BGN 2.62

-41.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 BGN 2.97

$2.55 BGN 4.43

-32.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$4.34 BGN 7.55

-45.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$1.84 BGN 3.21

-15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 BGN 1.37

$1.23 BGN 2.13

-35.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 BGN 4.49

$2.16 BGN 3.76

19.44%

Eggs

$2.09 BGN 3.63

$3.67 BGN 6.39

-43.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 BGN 14.12

$11.74 BGN 20.43

-30.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 BGN 9.57

$8.38 BGN 14.59

-34.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 BGN 11.61

$13.89 BGN 24.16

-51.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 BGN 2.56

$1.64 BGN 2.85

-10.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.88

$1.78 BGN 3.10

-7.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.52

$2.01 BGN 3.50

-27.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 BGN 3.77

$2.53 BGN 4.41

-14.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 BGN 0.88

$1.04 BGN 1.81

-50.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.53

$1.09 BGN 1.89

-19.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 BGN 1.77

$1.16 BGN 2.02

-12.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 BGN 0.83

$0.72 BGN 1.26

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 BGN 6.08

$3.98 BGN 6.92

-12.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 BGN 10.68

$6.18 BGN 10.76

-0.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 BGN 1.77

$1.18 BGN 2.05

-14.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 BGN 2.21

$2.01 BGN 3.49

-36.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 BGN 1.22

$0.56 BGN 0.97

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.80 BGN 60.6

$28.23 BGN 49.11

23.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 BGN 1.96

$1.22 BGN 2.13

-8.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$0.61 BGN 1.07

-3.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 BGN 15.16

$10.15 BGN 17.65

-14.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 BGN 2.66

$1.69 BGN 2.94

-9.47%

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

$30.3K BGN 52.7K

$30.7K BGN 53.4K

-1.27%

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

$22.2K BGN 38.6K

$24.5K BGN 42.6K

-9.31%

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

$86.7 BGN 151

$112 BGN 194

-22.28%

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

$20.37 BGN 35.44

$18.47 BGN 32.13

10.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.44 BGN 16.43

$15.76 BGN 27.43

-40.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.32 BGN 40.58

$40.66 BGN 70.8

-42.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.35 BGN 35.41

Cinema Ticket

$5.80 BGN 10.09

$9.16 BGN 15.94

-36.68%

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

$508 BGN 885

$507 BGN 883

0.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,395 BGN 11.1K

$5,491 BGN 9,555

16.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 BGN 101

$68.8 BGN 120

-15.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.56 BGN 39.25

$42.55 BGN 74.0

-46.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 BGN 120

$94.9 BGN 165

-27.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 BGN 107

$105 BGN 183

-41.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 BGN 402

$537 BGN 935

-57.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 BGN 253

$388 BGN 675

-62.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 BGN 572

$866 BGN 1,506

-62.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 BGN 441

$670 BGN 1,166

-62.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,147 BGN 1,996

$2,227 BGN 3,875

-48.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$915 BGN 1,593

$1,542 BGN 2,683

-40.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 BGN 2,306

$1,147 BGN 1,996

15.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.82

3.1

-9.03%

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

Last update for Sliven: October 17, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sliven

$181 23.2%

Plovdiv

$253 21.3% 40.1% $72

Eating Out

Sliven

$165 21.1%

Plovdiv

$170 14.3% 3.1% $5

Accommodation & Living

Sliven

$146 18.7%

Plovdiv

$388 32.6% 167% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliven

$117 15%

Plovdiv

$146 12.2% 25.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Sliven

$95 12.2%

Plovdiv

$140 11.8% 47.3% $45

Getting Around

Sliven

$42 5.4%

Plovdiv

$35 2.9% 16.6% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Sliven

$35 4.5%

Plovdiv

$59 5% 68.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $231 in Sliven versus $537 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 15% higher in Sliven, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Sliven versus $45.00 in Plovdiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $253 – making Sliven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sliven

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

Same time as Sliven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,806

368,983

💱 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

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Between locations

Sliven Plovdiv 140 km

From you

Sliven
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

Sliven vs Plovdiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $779 in Sliven, $1,191 in Plovdiv – roughly 53% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,169 per month in Sliven and $1,786 in Plovdiv. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 23% less in Sliven. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $508 per month in Sliven and $507 in Plovdiv. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sliven, where all-in costs run around $779, than in Plovdiv at $1,191. In Sliven it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plovdiv it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Plovdiv has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $779 in Sliven to $1,191 in Plovdiv. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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