Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Varna: $1,411 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Varna
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Varna Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,411

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Belgrade

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

A single person spends $1,411 per month in Varna vs $1,538 in Belgrade, rent included.

Varna $1,411
Belgrade $1,538

A couple spends around $2,231 per month in Varna vs $2,321 in Belgrade, rent included.

Varna $2,231
Belgrade $2,321

A family of three spends $3,050 per month in Varna vs $3,105 in Belgrade, rent included.

Varna $3,050
Belgrade $3,105

Varna is about 8% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Varna and Belgrade sit above the global median – Varna by 5%, Belgrade by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.63 BGN 22.11

$13.33 RSD 1,392

-5.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 BGN 106

$58.4 RSD 6,099

3.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 BGN 18.36

$13.58 RSD 1,417

-22.75%

Cappuccino

$2.93 BGN 5.12

$3.13 RSD 327

-6.39%

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

$1.95 BGN 3.42

$2.77 RSD 289

-29.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 BGN 2.79

$2.27 RSD 237

-29.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 BGN 5.07

$3.75 RSD 391

-22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 BGN 6.21

$4.38 RSD 457

-18.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 BGN 3.46

$1.40 RSD 146

41.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BGN 2.18

$1.17 RSD 122

5.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 BGN 4.68

$2.71 RSD 283

-1.48%

Eggs

$3.46 BGN 6.06

$2.78 RSD 290

24.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 20.08

$11.36 RSD 1,186

0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 BGN 16.40

$7.01 RSD 732

33.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.95 BGN 24.41

$15.72 RSD 1,641

-11.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.39

$1.66 RSD 173

16.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 BGN 3.66

$1.81 RSD 189

15.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 BGN 3.75

$1.83 RSD 191

16.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 BGN 5.03

$3.13 RSD 327

-8.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 BGN 2.21

$0.88 RSD 91.5

43.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.81

$0.67 RSD 70.5

55.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 BGN 1.85

$0.81 RSD 84.6

29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BGN 1.36

$0.68 RSD 71.1

14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 BGN 6.86

$4.78 RSD 500

-17.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 BGN 15.01

$8.54 RSD 891

0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 BGN 2.12

$0.94 RSD 97.9

28.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.32

$1.44 RSD 151

31.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.12 BGN 51.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 BGN 2.70

$3.09 RSD 323

-50.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$1.02 RSD 107

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.18 BGN 21.32

$17.18 RSD 1,793

-29.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 BGN 3.06

$1.87 RSD 196

-6.42%

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

$29.6K BGN 51.8K

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

-3.68%

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

$25.9K BGN 45.2K

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

6.53%

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

$173 BGN 302

$218 RSD 22.7K

-20.60%

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

$21.09 BGN 36.91

$25.24 RSD 2,635

-16.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 BGN 28.17

$35.35 RSD 3,691

-54.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 BGN 89.9

$41.77 RSD 4,361

23.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.87 BGN 34.78

$22.80 RSD 2,380

-12.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.75 BGN 15.31

$8.47 RSD 884

3.31%

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

$508 BGN 890

$426 RSD 44.5K

19.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,188 BGN 10.8K

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

-45.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 BGN 114

$111 RSD 11.6K

-41.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.76 BGN 59.1

$45.99 RSD 4,802

-26.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 BGN 172

$119 RSD 12.4K

-17.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 BGN 177

$154 RSD 16.1K

-34.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 BGN 1,112

$821 RSD 85.8K

-22.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 BGN 825

$561 RSD 58.5K

-15.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 BGN 2,358

$1,511 RSD 157.8K

-10.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 BGN 1,606

$942 RSD 98.3K

-2.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,051 BGN 5,339

$5,312 RSD 554.6K

-42.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,166 BGN 3,791

$3,165 RSD 330.4K

-31.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,263 BGN 2,211

$1,228 RSD 128.2K

2.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.85

4.61

-38.18%

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

Last update for Varna: October 4, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$471 33.7%

Belgrade

$561 35.5% 18.9% $89

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$271 19.4%

Belgrade

$246 15.6% 9.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$210 15%

Belgrade

$278 17.6% 32.5% $68

Eating Out

Varna

$203 14.6%

Belgrade

$233 14.7% 14.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$134 9.6%

Belgrade

$194 12.3% 44.2% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$69 4.9%

Belgrade

$59 3.7% 14.8% $10

Getting Around

Varna

$39 2.8%

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5% 78.8% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $636 in Varna versus $821 in Belgrade. 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 3% higher in Varna, 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 $60.0 in Varna versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $246 – making Belgrade the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

04:49 4:49 AM

1 h behind Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, 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).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Varna Belgrade 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Varna
Belgrade

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

Varna vs Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,411 in Varna, $1,538 in Belgrade – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,117 per month in Varna and $2,307 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Varna and $58.0 in Belgrade. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Belgrade – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Varna, where all-in costs run around $1,411, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Varna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Varna has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,411 in Varna to $1,538 in Belgrade. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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