Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Izmir

For one person, living is cheaper in Izmir: $1,207 a month against $1,388 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Varna
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Varna Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Izmir
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Izmir Living Index

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Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,388

/mo nomad

Izmir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Izmir

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,388 in Varna versus $1,207 in Izmir.

Varna $1,388
Izmir $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,192 in Varna versus $1,906 in Izmir.

Varna $2,192
Izmir $1,906

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,997 in Varna versus $2,606 in Izmir.

Varna $2,997
Izmir $2,606

Living in Varna is roughly 15% more expensive than in Izmir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varna is 3% above, Izmir is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.74 BGN 22.16

$10.20 ₺505

24.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 BGN 104

$36.97 ₺1,831

61.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 BGN 17.77

$8.43 ₺417

21.12%

Cappuccino

$2.93 BGN 5.10

$3.54 ₺175

-17.23%

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

$1.88 BGN 3.27

$1.50 ₺74.3

25.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 BGN 2.78

$0.63 ₺31.18

153.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 BGN 5.10

$3.39 ₺168

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 BGN 6.13

$5.19 ₺257

-32.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$1.10 ₺54.4

72.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 BGN 2.05

$1.06 ₺52.5

11.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 BGN 4.47

$2.32 ₺115

10.78%

Eggs

$3.45 BGN 6.01

$2.55 ₺126

35.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 BGN 19.66

$9.29 ₺460

21.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 BGN 15.69

$5.14 ₺255

75.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 BGN 24.57

$21.02 ₺1,041

-32.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 BGN 3.32

$1.98 ₺97.9

-3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 BGN 3.67

$2.08 ₺103

1.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.70

$1.02 ₺50.6

108.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 BGN 5.14

$1.43 ₺71.0

106.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 BGN 2.18

$0.56 ₺27.60

123.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$0.41 ₺20.50

151.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 BGN 1.86

$1.10 ₺54.7

-2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 BGN 1.30

$0.76 ₺37.49

-1.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 BGN 6.92

$2.20 ₺109

80.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.68 BGN 15.10

$11.53 ₺571

-24.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$2.03 ₺100

-42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.13

$3.09 ₺153

-41.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.68 ₺33.71

30.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.87 BGN 50.2

$43.37 ₺2,147

-33.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 BGN 2.80

$3.61 ₺179

-55.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.58

$1.04 ₺51.3

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.08 BGN 21.02

$5.36 ₺266

125.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 BGN 3.04

$1.36 ₺67.1

28.68%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.8K

$40.6K ₺2.0M

-26.75%

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

$25.4K BGN 44.2K

$46.7K ₺2.3M

-45.72%

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

$173 BGN 302

$82.5 ₺4,086

110.13%

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

$20.88 BGN 36.32

$10.63 ₺526

96.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.07 BGN 27.96

$16.18 ₺801

-0.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 BGN 91.2

$64.0 ₺3,171

-18.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 BGN 34.94

$35.09 ₺1,737

-42.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.86 BGN 15.42

$7.99 ₺396

10.89%

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

$497 BGN 865

$685 ₺33.9K

-27.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,315 BGN 11.0K

$14.1K ₺700.2K

-55.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 BGN 114

$46.16 ₺2,286

41.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.69 BGN 58.6

$36.59 ₺1,812

-7.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 BGN 176

$91.4 ₺4,527

10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 BGN 177

$80.2 ₺3,971

26.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 BGN 1,089

$606 ₺30.0K

3.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 BGN 805

$416 ₺20.6K

11.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 BGN 2,307

$1,126 ₺55.7K

17.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 BGN 1,545

$800 ₺39.6K

11.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 BGN 5,205

$1,455 ₺72.0K

105.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,161 BGN 3,760

$1,006 ₺49.8K

114.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,283 BGN 2,232

$1,158 ₺57.3K

10.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.85

42.33

-93.27%

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

Last update for Varna: October 13, 2026

Last update for Izmir: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$462 33.3%

Izmir

$416 34.5% 10.1% $47

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$267 19.3%

Izmir

$247 20.5% 7.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$210 15.2%

Izmir

$109 9.1% 48% $101

Eating Out

Varna

$203 14.6%

Izmir

$185 15.4% 8.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$136 9.8%

Izmir

$114 9.5% 15.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$70 5.1%

Izmir

$80 6.6% 14.1% $9.9

Getting Around

Varna

$39 2.8%

Izmir

$55 4.6% 42.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Varna and $606 in Izmir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Varna vs $37.00 in Izmir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $247 per month, with Izmir cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇹🇷 Izmir

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

Same time as Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

4,493,242

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Varna Izmir 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Varna
Izmir

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 Izmir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Izmir wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Varna. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Izmir the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Varna, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Varna versus $606 in Izmir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,388 per month in Varna versus $1,207 in Izmir – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Izmir runs roughly 50% less than in Varna. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,207 in Izmir versus $1,388 in Varna, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Izmir but tight or insufficient in Varna. The gap between the two cities makes Izmir the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Izmir delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Izmir hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Varna and Izmir are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Izmir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Varna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.