Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stara Zagora and Plovdiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $909 a month against $1,234 in Plovdiv, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
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Stara Zagora Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Plovdiv
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Plovdiv Living Index

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Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$909

/mo nomad

Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,234

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $909 per month in Stara Zagora vs $1,234 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Stara Zagora $909
Plovdiv $1,234

A couple spends around $1,416 per month in Stara Zagora vs $1,888 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,416
Plovdiv $1,888

A family of three spends $1,923 per month in Stara Zagora vs $2,542 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,923
Plovdiv $2,542

Stara Zagora is about 26% cheaper than Plovdiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Stara Zagora and Plovdiv are more affordable than the global median – Stara Zagora 33% lower, Plovdiv 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 BGN 17.73

$9.92 BGN 17.26

2.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 BGN 91.0

$46.76 BGN 81.4

11.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 BGN 15.71

$9.53 BGN 16.58

-5.25%

Cappuccino

$2.28 BGN 3.97

$2.88 BGN 5.02

-20.83%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$1.91 BGN 3.32

-17.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-47.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 BGN 3.85

$2.64 BGN 4.59

-16.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$4.58 BGN 7.98

-57.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$1.84 BGN 3.20

-5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.39

$1.17 BGN 2.04

-31.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 BGN 2.61

$2.26 BGN 3.93

-33.63%

Eggs

$2.29 BGN 3.98

$3.57 BGN 6.21

-35.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 BGN 16.47

$11.62 BGN 20.22

-18.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 BGN 10.97

$8.73 BGN 15.18

-27.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 BGN 14.34

$14.34 BGN 24.95

-42.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 BGN 2.21

$1.65 BGN 2.88

-23.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.88

$1.81 BGN 3.14

-8.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$1.92 BGN 3.34

-9.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.37

$2.70 BGN 4.69

-28.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 BGN 1.72

$1.09 BGN 1.89

-9.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$1.02 BGN 1.77

-29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.96

$1.24 BGN 2.17

-55.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 BGN 1.16

$0.78 BGN 1.36

-14.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 BGN 6.41

$4.08 BGN 7.10

-9.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 BGN 8.89

$6.17 BGN 10.74

-17.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 BGN 1.99

$1.12 BGN 1.95

1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$1.94 BGN 3.37

-10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.55 BGN 0.95

54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.79 BGN 36.18

$29.00 BGN 50.5

-28.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 BGN 2.76

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.82 BGN 1.43

14.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.87 BGN 29.36

$10.87 BGN 18.91

55.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 BGN 2.87

$1.75 BGN 3.05

-5.71%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.2K

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

-1.76%

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

$23.8K BGN 41.4K

$24.8K BGN 43.2K

-4.02%

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

$93.2 BGN 162

$111 BGN 194

-16.26%

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

$14.55 BGN 25.32

$18.88 BGN 32.85

-22.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.29 BGN 21.39

$15.50 BGN 26.96

-20.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.99 BGN 57.4

$42.89 BGN 74.6

-23.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.44 BGN 37.31

$20.20 BGN 35.15

6.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 BGN 15.73

$8.91 BGN 15.50

1.46%

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

$226 BGN 392

$590 BGN 1,026

-61.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,291 BGN 3,987

$11.0K BGN 19.2K

-79.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.91 BGN 53.8

$67.4 BGN 117

-54.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.40 BGN 33.76

$41.32 BGN 71.9

-53.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.8 BGN 113

$97.2 BGN 169

-33.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.5 BGN 87.9

$105 BGN 184

-52.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 BGN 553

$550 BGN 957

-42.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 BGN 487

$415 BGN 722

-32.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 BGN 865

$862 BGN 1,501

-42.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 BGN 700

$653 BGN 1,137

-38.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,524 BGN 2,651

$2,270 BGN 3,950

-32.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,109 BGN 1,929

$1,562 BGN 2,718

-29.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 BGN 1,845

$1,119 BGN 1,947

-5.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

3.1

-3.55%

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

Last update for Stara Zagora: November 1, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stara Zagora

$280 30.8%

Plovdiv

$415 33.6% 48.2% $135

Groceries & Markets

Stara Zagora

$192 21.1%

Plovdiv

$257 20.8% 33.6% $65

Eating Out

Stara Zagora

$160 17.7%

Plovdiv

$179 14.5% 11.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stara Zagora

$120 13.2%

Plovdiv

$146 11.8% 21.4% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Stara Zagora

$75 8.2%

Plovdiv

$140 11.4% 88% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Stara Zagora

$51 5.6%

Plovdiv

$61 4.9% 18.9% $9.6

Getting Around

Stara Zagora

$30 3.4%

Plovdiv

$37 3% 21.1% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Stara Zagora versus $550 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 6% 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 $52 in Stara Zagora versus $47 in Plovdiv. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Stara Zagora vs $257 in Plovdiv – so Stara Zagora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🕒 Local time

10:12 10:12 AM

Same time as Stara Zagora

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,266

368,983

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Stara Zagora Plovdiv 79 km

From you

Stara Zagora
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $909 in Stara Zagora, $1,234 in Plovdiv – Stara Zagora comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,363 per month in Stara Zagora and $1,851 in Plovdiv. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $318 there versus $550 in Plovdiv.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Stara Zagora. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Stara Zagora and $590 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 Stara Zagora, where all-in costs run around $909, than in Plovdiv at $1,234. In Stara Zagora it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plovdiv 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 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 Stara Zagora. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Plovdiv makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.