Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliven and Varna

For one person, living is cheaper in Sliven: $779 a month against $1,411 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Varna
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Varna Living Index

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Sliven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$779

/mo nomad

Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,411

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $779 in Sliven versus $1,411 in Varna.

Sliven $779
Varna $1,411

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,232 in Sliven versus $2,223 in Varna.

Sliven $1,232
Varna $2,223

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,684 in Sliven versus $3,035 in Varna.

Sliven $1,684
Varna $3,035

Living in Sliven costs roughly 45% less than in Varna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sliven is 42% below, Varna is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 BGN 19.78

$12.74 BGN 22.18

-10.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.06 BGN 61.0

$59.4 BGN 103

-40.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 BGN 17.74

$10.24 BGN 17.81

-0.49%

Cappuccino

$1.79 BGN 3.11

$2.92 BGN 5.08

-38.70%

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

$1.25 BGN 2.17

$1.97 BGN 3.42

-36.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 BGN 1.53

$1.64 BGN 2.86

-46.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 BGN 2.97

$2.82 BGN 4.90

-39.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$3.48 BGN 6.06

-32.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$1.95 BGN 3.39

-20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 BGN 1.37

$1.24 BGN 2.16

-36.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 BGN 4.49

$2.67 BGN 4.64

-3.37%

Eggs

$2.09 BGN 3.63

$3.42 BGN 5.96

-38.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 BGN 14.12

$11.35 BGN 19.74

-28.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 BGN 9.57

$9.31 BGN 16.21

-40.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 BGN 11.61

$14.35 BGN 24.98

-53.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 BGN 2.56

$2.01 BGN 3.50

-26.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.88

$2.08 BGN 3.62

-20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.52

$2.11 BGN 3.67

-31.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 BGN 3.77

$2.92 BGN 5.08

-26.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 BGN 0.88

$1.28 BGN 2.23

-60.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.53

$1.04 BGN 1.81

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 BGN 1.77

$1.02 BGN 1.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 BGN 0.83

$0.77 BGN 1.34

-37.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 BGN 6.08

$4.03 BGN 7.01

-13.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 BGN 10.68

$8.97 BGN 15.61

-31.55%

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

$1.79 BGN 3.12

-29.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 BGN 1.22

$0.88 BGN 1.52

-20.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.80 BGN 60.6

$28.86 BGN 50.2

20.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 BGN 1.96

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-28.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$0.90 BGN 1.56

-34.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 BGN 15.16

$12.06 BGN 20.99

-27.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 BGN 2.66

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-12.07%

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

$30.3K BGN 52.7K

$30.4K BGN 52.9K

-0.39%

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

$22.2K BGN 38.6K

$24.5K BGN 42.7K

-9.48%

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

$86.7 BGN 151

$177 BGN 307

-50.91%

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

$20.37 BGN 35.44

$21.08 BGN 36.67

-3.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.44 BGN 16.43

$15.97 BGN 27.80

-40.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.32 BGN 40.58

$51.2 BGN 89.0

-54.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 BGN 33.94

Cinema Ticket

$5.80 BGN 10.09

$9.52 BGN 16.56

-39.08%

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

$508 BGN 885

$511 BGN 890

-0.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,395 BGN 11.1K

$6,289 BGN 10.9K

1.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 BGN 101

$65.1 BGN 113

-10.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.56 BGN 39.25

$33.59 BGN 58.5

-32.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 BGN 120

$102 BGN 178

-32.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 BGN 107

$103 BGN 179

-40.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 BGN 402

$645 BGN 1,122

-64.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 BGN 253

$477 BGN 830

-69.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 BGN 572

$1,365 BGN 2,376

-75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 BGN 441

$914 BGN 1,590

-72.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,147 BGN 1,996

$2,941 BGN 5,118

-61.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$915 BGN 1,593

$2,142 BGN 3,726

-57.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 BGN 2,306

$1,271 BGN 2,211

4.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.82

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

Last update for Sliven: October 17, 2026

Last update for Varna: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sliven

$181 23.2%

Varna

$272 19.3% 50.5% $91

Eating Out

Sliven

$165 21.1%

Varna

$203 14.4% 23.4% $38

Accommodation & Living

Sliven

$146 18.7%

Varna

$477 33.8% 228% $332

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliven

$117 15%

Varna

$214 15.1% 83.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Sliven

$95 12.2%

Varna

$137 9.7% 43.7% $42

Getting Around

Sliven

$42 5.4%

Varna

$38 2.7% 7.8% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sliven

$35 4.5%

Varna

$70 5% 101% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $231 in Sliven and $645 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliven pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Sliven vs $59.0 in Varna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $272 per month, with Sliven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sliven

🇧🇬 Varna

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

Same time as Sliven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,806

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

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Between locations

Sliven Varna 140 km

From you

Sliven
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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

Sliven vs Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliven is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Sliven, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $231 in Sliven versus $645 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $508 in Sliven versus $511 in Varna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Varna. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $779 in Sliven versus $1,411 in Varna, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sliven but tight or insufficient in Varna. The gap between the two cities makes Sliven the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sliven is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Varna, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sliven 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 Sliven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Varna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.