Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Bulgaria Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Bulgaria

Name: Bulgaria
Address: BG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,643 in United States versus $914 in Bulgaria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $1,417 in Bulgaria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,071 in United States versus $1,920 in Bulgaria.

Living in United States is roughly 189% more expensive than in Bulgaria on average.

United States (98% above) and Bulgaria (32% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United States: monthly costs span $1,341 to $5,102, compared to $734–$1,365 in Bulgaria. City choice carries more weight in United States.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.02 $20.02

$11.87 BGN 19.76

68.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$46.94 BGN 78.1

59.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 $11.67

$9.05 BGN 15.06

28.95%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$2.33 BGN 3.88

127.47%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$1.51 BGN 2.52

64.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.07 BGN 1.79

97.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 $5.82

$2.34 BGN 3.89

148.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$2.99 BGN 4.98

131.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.87 BGN 3.10

-42.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.07 BGN 1.78

238.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.14 BGN 3.56

118.69%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$3.48 BGN 5.78

21.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$11.26 BGN 18.73

16.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$7.88 BGN 13.11

57.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.12 $16.12

$12.28 BGN 20.44

31.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$1.65 BGN 2.75

219.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.91 BGN 3.18

-13.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.89 BGN 3.15

138.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.59 BGN 4.31

93.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.13 BGN 1.89

162.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.10 BGN 1.84

187.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.05 BGN 1.75

107.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.71 BGN 1.19

221.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 $10.07

$3.65 BGN 6.07

175.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$6.81 BGN 11.32

124.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.04 BGN 1.73

86.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.76 BGN 2.93

101.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$0.92 BGN 1.53

166.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 $65.0

$29.10 BGN 48.42

123.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.39 BGN 2.31

176.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.70 BGN 1.17

144.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.30 $30.30

$12.29 BGN 20.44

146.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.51 BGN 2.50

-41.72%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$31.7K BGN 52.8K

-6.29%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$28.1K BGN 46.7K

-5.56%

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

$204 $204

$126 BGN 209

62.29%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$17.74 BGN 29.51

223.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$14.42 BGN 24.00

389.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.43 $45.43

$35.28 BGN 58.7

28.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.15 $22.15

$15.89 BGN 26.43

39.40%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$8.96 BGN 14.91

57.81%

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

$1,373 $1,373

$532 BGN 886

157.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$7,595 BGN 12.6K

202.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 $51.5

$57.8 BGN 96.1

-10.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.10 $43.10

$33.34 BGN 55.5

29.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$95.2 BGN 158

-5.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$102 BGN 169

13.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$500 BGN 831

240.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 $1,451

$384 BGN 639

277.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,834 $2,834

$888 BGN 1,477

219.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,365 $2,365

$627 BGN 1,043

277.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,338 $3,338

$2,300 BGN 3,826

45.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,570 $2,570

$1,653 BGN 2,749

55.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,326 $4,326

$1,127 BGN 1,875

283.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.92

66.07%

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

Last update for United States: July 19, 2026

Last update for Bulgaria: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,635 in United States, $309 in Bulgaria. Capital cities: $1,604 in Washington, MI vs $672 in Sofia.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $1,062 in Bulgaria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 429% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 103% more in United States.

Salaries are 324% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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

United States vs Bulgaria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,050 per month in Bulgaria and $3,222 in United States, there's a 207% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Bulgaria: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United States is consistently higher than in Bulgaria across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Bulgaria, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Bulgaria wins on affordability; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.