Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stara Zagora and Varna

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $908 a month against $1,408 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
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Stara Zagora Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Varna
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Varna Living Index

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Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$908

/mo nomad

Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,408

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $908 per month in Stara Zagora vs $1,408 in Varna, rent included.

Stara Zagora $908
Varna $1,408

A couple spends around $1,415 per month in Stara Zagora vs $2,217 in Varna, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,415
Varna $2,217

A family of three spends $1,921 per month in Stara Zagora vs $3,026 in Varna, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,921
Varna $3,026

Stara Zagora is about 36% cheaper than Varna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Stara Zagora sits 33% below the global median, while Varna is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.38 BGN 18.16

$12.46 BGN 21.81

-16.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 BGN 90.5

$59.9 BGN 105

-13.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 BGN 16.02

$10.16 BGN 17.77

-9.94%

Cappuccino

$2.34 BGN 4.09

$2.87 BGN 5.02

-18.47%

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

$1.50 BGN 2.62

$1.89 BGN 3.31

-20.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.62 BGN 2.83

-46.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 BGN 3.87

$2.81 BGN 4.91

-21.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 BGN 3.56

$3.50 BGN 6.12

-42.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.02

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-9.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

$1.24 BGN 2.17

-30.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.54

$2.58 BGN 4.52

-43.80%

Eggs

$2.36 BGN 4.12

$3.53 BGN 6.17

-33.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 BGN 16.42

$11.53 BGN 20.18

-18.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 BGN 11.18

$9.28 BGN 16.25

-31.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 BGN 15.03

$13.97 BGN 24.46

-38.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 BGN 2.19

$1.90 BGN 3.33

-34.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$2.16 BGN 3.79

-21.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 BGN 3.08

$2.12 BGN 3.72

-16.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.38

$3.00 BGN 5.25

-35.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 BGN 1.74

$1.30 BGN 2.28

-23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.97

$1.05 BGN 1.84

-47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 BGN 1.10

$0.78 BGN 1.36

-19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 BGN 6.38

$4.03 BGN 7.04

-9.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 BGN 9.18

$8.90 BGN 15.57

-41.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.91

$1.17 BGN 2.05

-6.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 3.03

$1.80 BGN 3.15

-3.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$1.13 BGN 1.98

-24.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.45 BGN 35.79

$28.11 BGN 49.19

-27.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

$1.56 BGN 2.74

-17.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 BGN 1.13

$0.88 BGN 1.55

-27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.40 BGN 19.95

$12.19 BGN 21.34

-6.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 BGN 2.75

$1.74 BGN 3.05

-9.77%

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

$29.7K BGN 52.0K

$29.6K BGN 51.7K

0.60%

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

$23.5K BGN 41.1K

$24.7K BGN 43.3K

-5.12%

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

$91.4 BGN 160

$176 BGN 308

-48.11%

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

$14.59 BGN 25.53

$20.41 BGN 35.71

-28.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.26 BGN 21.46

$15.68 BGN 27.43

-21.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.21 BGN 58.1

$51.4 BGN 90.0

-35.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.06 BGN 36.86

$19.47 BGN 34.07

8.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 BGN 15.55

$9.06 BGN 15.86

-1.88%

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

$227 BGN 398

$498 BGN 872

-54.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,270 BGN 3,972

$6,292 BGN 11.0K

-63.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.35 BGN 53.1

$65.3 BGN 114

-53.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.39 BGN 33.93

$33.01 BGN 57.8

-41.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.0 BGN 112

$102 BGN 179

-37.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.9 BGN 90.8

$99.7 BGN 174

-47.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 BGN 577

$640 BGN 1,120

-48.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 BGN 489

$482 BGN 843

-42.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 BGN 871

$1,362 BGN 2,383

-63.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 BGN 699

$916 BGN 1,602

-56.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,506 BGN 2,635

$2,998 BGN 5,246

-49.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,109 BGN 1,941

$2,090 BGN 3,657

-46.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 BGN 1,867

$1,286 BGN 2,250

-17.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

2.82

6.03%

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

Last update for Stara Zagora: October 27, 2026

Last update for Varna: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stara Zagora

$279 30.8%

Varna

$482 34.2% 72.5% $202

Groceries & Markets

Stara Zagora

$194 21.3%

Varna

$272 19.3% 40.3% $78

Eating Out

Stara Zagora

$163 18%

Varna

$200 14.2% 22.4% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stara Zagora

$118 13%

Varna

$212 15.1% 79.5% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Stara Zagora

$75 8.2%

Varna

$135 9.6% 81.3% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Stara Zagora

$51 5.6%

Varna

$70 4.9% 36.4% $19

Getting Around

Stara Zagora

$28 3.1%

Varna

$39 2.7% 36.1% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $330 in Stara Zagora versus $640 in Varna. 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 21% higher in Varna, 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 $60 in Varna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $272 – making Stara Zagora the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Varna

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

Same time as Stara Zagora

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,266

348,058

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Stara Zagora Varna 210 km

From you

Stara Zagora
Varna

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 Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $908 in Stara Zagora, $1,408 in Varna – Stara Zagora comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,362 per month in Stara Zagora and $2,113 in Varna. 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 $330 there versus $640 in Varna.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Varna, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Stara Zagora and $60 in Varna. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Stara Zagora, where all-in costs run around $908, than in Varna at $1,408. In Stara Zagora it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varna 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, Varna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.