Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Varna: $1,399 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Varna
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Varna Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,399

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Istanbul

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

A single person spends $1,399 per month in Varna vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Varna $1,399
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $2,196 per month in Varna vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Varna $2,196
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,994 per month in Varna vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Varna $2,994
Istanbul $3,212

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

Both Varna and Istanbul sit above the global median – Varna by 3%, Istanbul by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.82 BGN 20.56

$11.81 ₺592

0.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.3 BGN 101

$54.9 ₺2,754

6.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 BGN 17.98

$9.26 ₺465

11.66%

Cappuccino

$3.08 BGN 5.36

$4.30 ₺216

-28.37%

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

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.77 ₺89.0

9.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 BGN 2.83

$0.56 ₺28.32

191.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 BGN 5.06

$4.69 ₺235

-37.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 BGN 6.29

$7.12 ₺357

-49.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 BGN 3.23

$1.25 ₺62.7

48.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 BGN 2.10

$0.88 ₺44.17

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 BGN 4.40

$2.20 ₺111

15.00%

Eggs

$3.65 BGN 6.36

$2.43 ₺122

50.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 BGN 19.31

$10.48 ₺526

5.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 BGN 15.42

$5.31 ₺267

66.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 BGN 26.24

$21.10 ₺1,058

-28.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 BGN 3.53

$1.86 ₺93.1

9.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 BGN 3.58

$2.30 ₺115

-10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 BGN 3.68

$1.22 ₺61.0

73.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 BGN 5.03

$1.80 ₺90.2

60.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 BGN 2.14

$0.69 ₺34.83

78.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$0.64 ₺32.16

84.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

$1.36 ₺68.0

-18.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$0.58 ₺28.94

41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 BGN 6.85

$2.34 ₺117

68.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 BGN 14.21

$13.03 ₺653

-37.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$2.36 ₺118

-49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.24

$3.32 ₺166

-43.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 BGN 1.99

$0.88 ₺44.07

29.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.50 BGN 49.60

$66.1 ₺3,316

-56.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 BGN 3.16

$1.28 ₺64.4

42.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.58

$0.85 ₺42.80

7.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 BGN 23.71

$11.09 ₺556

22.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.95

$1.48 ₺74.0

14.19%

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

$29.5K BGN 51.3K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-39.33%

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

$24.2K BGN 42.1K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-42.32%

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

$172 BGN 300

$92.7 ₺4,650

85.68%

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

$20.87 BGN 36.32

$11.20 ₺562

86.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.26 BGN 26.56

$15.89 ₺797

-3.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 BGN 89.5

$74.7 ₺3,745

-31.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.70 BGN 34.28

$22.95 ₺1,151

-14.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.74 BGN 16.95

$8.05 ₺404

20.99%

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

$493 BGN 858

$948 ₺47.6K

-48.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,939 BGN 13.8K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-78.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 BGN 114

$53.9 ₺2,702

22.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.70 BGN 56.9

$41.49 ₺2,081

-21.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BGN 177

$101 ₺5,060

1.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 BGN 175

$91.3 ₺4,580

9.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 BGN 1,116

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-36.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 BGN 828

$625 ₺31.3K

-23.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 BGN 2,308

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-33.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$896 BGN 1,559

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-20.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,993 BGN 5,208

$2,988 ₺149.8K

0.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,086 BGN 3,630

$1,730 ₺86.8K

20.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,240 BGN 2,157

$1,136 ₺57.0K

9.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.83

40.42

-93.00%

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

Last update for Varna: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$476 34%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 31.2% $148

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$270 19.3%

Istanbul

$258 17% 4.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$208 14.9%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 42.5% $88

Eating Out

Varna

$199 14.2%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 11.2% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$135 9.7%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 4.4% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$71 5.1%

Istanbul

$91 6% 28% $20

Getting Around

Varna

$39 2.8%

Istanbul

$75 5% 90.7% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $641 in Varna versus $1,014 in Istanbul. 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 9% 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 $58 in Varna versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

14:56 2:56 PM

15:56 3:56 PM

1 h ahead of Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Varna Istanbul 260 km

From you

Varna
Istanbul

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 Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,098 per month in Varna and $2,278 in Istanbul. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $641 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Varna and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,399 in Varna and $1,519 in Istanbul, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Varna – 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.