Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stara Zagora and Qingdao, Shandong

For one person, living is cheaper in Qingdao, Shandong: $777 a month against $869 in Stara Zagora, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Qingdao, Shandong
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Qingdao, Shandong Living Index

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Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$869

/mo nomad

Qingdao, Shandong

🇨🇳 China

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stara Zagora and in Qingdao, Shandong

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 Qingdao, Shandong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $869 per month in Stara Zagora vs $777 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent included.

Stara Zagora $869
Qingdao, Shandong $777

A couple spends around $1,382 per month in Stara Zagora vs $1,234 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,382
Qingdao, Shandong $1,234

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Stara Zagora vs $1,691 in Qingdao, Shandong, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,896
Qingdao, Shandong $1,691

Stara Zagora costs about 12% more than Qingdao, Shandong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Stara Zagora and Qingdao, Shandong are more affordable than the global median – Stara Zagora 36% lower, Qingdao, Shandong 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.29 BGN 17.91

$2.96 ¥19.79

247.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.8 BGN 90.1

$17.99 ¥120

187.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 BGN 15.61

$4.54 ¥30.38

97.58%

Cappuccino

$2.30 BGN 4.01

$2.68 ¥17.90

-14.18%

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

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$0.51 ¥3.40

205.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.50

$0.32 ¥2.16

168.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 BGN 3.82

$1.10 ¥7.36

99.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 BGN 3.36

$2.68 ¥17.91

-27.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 BGN 2.97

$1.98 ¥13.26

-13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$1.42 ¥9.47

-42.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 BGN 2.63

$0.99 ¥6.65

52.53%

Eggs

$2.25 BGN 3.92

$1.30 ¥8.71

73.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 BGN 15.72

$16.10 ¥108

-43.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 BGN 11.05

$4.29 ¥28.69

48.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.15 BGN 14.19

$9.67 ¥64.6

-15.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 BGN 2.21

$1.44 ¥9.66

-11.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

$1.15 ¥7.71

42.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.96

$1.71 ¥11.42

-0.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 BGN 3.25

$1.32 ¥8.80

41.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.61

$0.68 ¥4.57

36.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$0.96 ¥6.43

-20.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.95

$1.01 ¥6.73

-45.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 BGN 1.08

$0.66 ¥4.39

-6.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 BGN 6.53

$3.76 ¥25.15

-0.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 BGN 9.00

$14.36 ¥96.0

-64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 BGN 1.91

$1.03 ¥6.88

6.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$1.55 ¥10.37

12.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 BGN 1.47

$0.31 ¥2.07

174.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.24 BGN 31.73

$17.80 ¥119

2.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 BGN 2.23

$1.47 ¥9.81

-12.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.13

$0.45 ¥3.00

44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.19 BGN 19.48

$9.12 ¥61.0

22.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 BGN 2.87

$1.26 ¥8.45

30.95%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$19.4K ¥129.8K

54.20%

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

$22.0K BGN 38.2K

$16.7K ¥111.6K

31.74%

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

$93.8 BGN 163

$69.0 ¥461

35.90%

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

$14.89 BGN 25.91

$6.80 ¥45.47

118.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.17 BGN 21.18

$7.94 ¥53.1

53.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.16 BGN 47.26

$21.31 ¥143

27.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.15 BGN 36.80

$18.06 ¥121

17.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.94 BGN 15.55

$6.41 ¥42.84

39.47%

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

$228 BGN 396

$360 ¥2,406

-36.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,259 BGN 3,930

$17.7K ¥118.5K

-87.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.12 BGN 52.4

$51.4 ¥344

-41.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.54 BGN 34.01

$49.43 ¥331

-60.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 BGN 114

$94.6 ¥632

-30.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 BGN 88.2

$90.5 ¥605

-43.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 BGN 501

$349 ¥2,333

-17.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 BGN 438

$201 ¥1,347

25.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 BGN 860

$754 ¥5,044

-34.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 BGN 699

$424 ¥2,836

-5.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,431 BGN 2,491

$3,580 ¥23.9K

-60.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,038 BGN 1,805

$2,120 ¥14.2K

-51.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,080 BGN 1,880

$1,231 ¥8,232

-12.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

3.37

-11.28%

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

Last update for Stara Zagora: October 12, 2026

Last update for Qingdao, Shandong: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stara Zagora

$252 29%

Qingdao, Shandong

$201 25.9% 20% $50

Groceries & Markets

Stara Zagora

$189 21.8%

Qingdao, Shandong

$222 28.6% 17.5% $33

Eating Out

Stara Zagora

$161 18.6%

Qingdao, Shandong

$84 10.8% 48.2% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stara Zagora

$121 13.9%

Qingdao, Shandong

$84 10.8% 30.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Stara Zagora

$75 8.6%

Qingdao, Shandong

$129 16.6% 72.6% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Stara Zagora

$45 5.2%

Qingdao, Shandong

$34 4.4% 24.2% $11

Getting Around

Stara Zagora

$26 3%

Qingdao, Shandong

$23 2.9% 13% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $288 in Stara Zagora versus $349 in Qingdao, Shandong. 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 14% higher in Qingdao, Shandong, 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 $52.0 in Stara Zagora versus $18.00 in Qingdao, Shandong. Groceries tell a different story – $189 in Stara Zagora vs $222 in Qingdao, Shandong – so Stara Zagora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🇨🇳 Qingdao, Shandong

🕒 Local time

06:35 6:35 AM

11:35 11:35 AM

5 h ahead of Stara Zagora

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,266

10,071,722

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Stara Zagora Qingdao, Shandong 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Stara Zagora
Qingdao, Shandong

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 Qingdao, Shandong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stara Zagora is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,304 per month in Stara Zagora and $1,165 in Qingdao, Shandong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Stara Zagora – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Stara Zagora and $18.00 in Qingdao, Shandong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $869 in Stara Zagora and $777 in Qingdao, Shandong, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Qingdao, Shandong – 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 Qingdao, Shandong. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stara Zagora makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.