Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stara Zagora and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $864 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
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Stara Zagora Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$864

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stara Zagora and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $864 per month in Stara Zagora vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Stara Zagora $864
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,394 per month in Stara Zagora vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,394
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,924 per month in Stara Zagora vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,924
Budapest $3,489

Stara Zagora is about 47% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Stara Zagora sits 36% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.36 BGN 18.13

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-25.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 BGN 88.8

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-15.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-11.75%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.08

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-31.07%

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

$1.51 BGN 2.65

$2.13 Ft 692

-29.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$1.87 Ft 608

-52.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-38.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.49

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-43.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.13

$1.13 Ft 368

58.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$1.84 Ft 599

-52.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.54

$2.39 Ft 777

-39.33%

Eggs

$2.37 BGN 4.14

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-38.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 BGN 16.22

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-18.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 BGN 11.58

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 BGN 15.04

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-41.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 BGN 2.31

$1.84 Ft 597

-28.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 BGN 3.00

$2.01 Ft 653

-14.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 BGN 3.08

$2.36 Ft 767

-25.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.46

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-47.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BGN 1.77

$0.96 Ft 313

5.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.33

$1.03 Ft 334

-26.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

$1.56 Ft 509

-65.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 BGN 1.11

$0.66 Ft 216

-3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 BGN 6.64

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-52.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 BGN 8.82

$6.01 Ft 1,954

-16.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 BGN 2.00

$1.30 Ft 421

-12.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 BGN 2.99

$2.08 Ft 676

-17.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$1.50 Ft 489

-40.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.61 BGN 32.56

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-32.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 BGN 2.29

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-60.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 BGN 1.12

$1.30 Ft 424

-50.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.52 BGN 20.16

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-41.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 BGN 2.81

$1.81 Ft 591

-11.60%

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

$30.6K BGN 53.6K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

4.40%

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

$22.3K BGN 39.1K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-34.48%

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

$93.2 BGN 163

$170 Ft 55.3K

-45.14%

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

$14.82 BGN 25.93

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-38.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.33 BGN 21.57

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-47.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.49 BGN 46.36

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-60.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.22 BGN 37.14

$19.18 Ft 6,239

10.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 BGN 15.16

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-9.03%

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

$234 BGN 410

$537 Ft 174.6K

-56.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,272 BGN 3,975

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-86.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.04 BGN 54.3

$101 Ft 33.0K

-69.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.21 BGN 33.62

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-55.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.9 BGN 112

$113 Ft 36.7K

-43.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.7 BGN 90.5

$119 Ft 38.6K

-56.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 BGN 522

$805 Ft 262.0K

-62.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 BGN 438

$629 Ft 204.7K

-60.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 BGN 865

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-68.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 BGN 692

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-66.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,449 BGN 2,536

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-74.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,064 BGN 1,861

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-73.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 BGN 1,852

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-34.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

6.43

-53.50%

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

Last update for Stara Zagora: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stara Zagora

$250 28.7%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 151% $379

Groceries & Markets

Stara Zagora

$196 22.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 31.4% $62

Eating Out

Stara Zagora

$162 18.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 38.2% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stara Zagora

$120 13.8%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 80.5% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Stara Zagora

$75 8.5%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 127% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Stara Zagora

$44 5%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 94.7% $41

Getting Around

Stara Zagora

$27 3.1%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 62.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $298 in Stara Zagora versus $805 in Budapest. 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 54% higher in Budapest, 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 $51.0 in Stara Zagora versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $258 – making Stara Zagora the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

05:24 5:24 AM

1 h behind Stara Zagora

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,266

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Stara Zagora Budapest 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Stara Zagora
Budapest

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

Stara Zagora vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,296 per month in Stara Zagora and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 48% less in Stara Zagora. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $234 per month in Stara Zagora and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Stara Zagora, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Stara Zagora it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Stara Zagora – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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