Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Kardzhali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kardzhali: $651 a month against $1,408 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Kardzhali
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Kardzhali Living Index

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Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,408

/mo nomad

Kardzhali

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Kardzhali

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

A single person spends $1,408 per month in Varna vs $651 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Varna $1,408
Kardzhali $651

A couple spends around $2,217 per month in Varna vs $1,068 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Varna $2,217
Kardzhali $1,068

A family of three spends $3,026 per month in Varna vs $1,484 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Varna $3,026
Kardzhali $1,484

Varna costs about 116% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Varna sits 3% above the global median, while Kardzhali is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.46 BGN 21.81

$11.02 BGN 19.28

13.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 BGN 105

$23.11 BGN 40.45

159.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 BGN 17.77

$8.87 BGN 15.52

14.54%

Cappuccino

$2.87 BGN 5.02

$1.12 BGN 1.96

156.25%

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

$1.89 BGN 3.31

$1.06 BGN 1.85

78.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BGN 2.83

$0.74 BGN 1.29

118.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 BGN 4.91

$1.59 BGN 2.78

76.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 BGN 6.12

$1.33 BGN 2.33

163.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.69 BGN 2.96

13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BGN 2.17

$0.72 BGN 1.25

72.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 BGN 4.52

$1.51 BGN 2.64

70.86%

Eggs

$3.53 BGN 6.17

$2.83 BGN 4.95

24.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 BGN 20.18

$10.21 BGN 17.87

12.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 BGN 16.25

$5.53 BGN 9.68

67.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 BGN 24.46

$6.58 BGN 11.52

112.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 BGN 3.33

$0.84 BGN 1.47

126.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 BGN 3.79

$1.97 BGN 3.44

9.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 BGN 3.72

$1.87 BGN 3.28

13.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 BGN 5.25

$2.20 BGN 3.85

36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 BGN 2.28

$0.69 BGN 1.21

88.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$1.31 BGN 2.29

-20.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 BGN 1.84

$0.67 BGN 1.18

56.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BGN 1.36

$0.75 BGN 1.31

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 BGN 7.04

$3.56 BGN 6.23

13.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 BGN 15.57

$4.38 BGN 7.66

103.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.05

$1.00 BGN 1.75

17.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.15

$1.41 BGN 2.47

27.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 BGN 1.98

$0.55 BGN 0.96

105.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 49.19

$11.11 BGN 19.44

153.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 BGN 2.74

$1.71 BGN 2.99

-8.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

$0.71 BGN 1.23

23.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.19 BGN 21.34

$5.44 BGN 9.52

124.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.05

$1.62 BGN 2.84

7.41%

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

$29.6K BGN 51.7K

$30.2K BGN 52.9K

-2.30%

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

$24.7K BGN 43.3K

$24.0K BGN 42.1K

2.89%

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

$176 BGN 308

$61.4 BGN 107

186.73%

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

$20.41 BGN 35.71

$5.56 BGN 9.73

267.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.68 BGN 27.43

$7.88 BGN 13.80

98.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 BGN 90.0

$22.90 BGN 40.08

124.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.47 BGN 34.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 BGN 15.86

$8.76 BGN 15.33

3.42%

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

$498 BGN 872

$230 BGN 402

117.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,292 BGN 11.0K

$14.6K BGN 25.6K

-57.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 BGN 114

$22.89 BGN 40.05

185.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.01 BGN 57.8

$12.69 BGN 22.21

160.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BGN 179

$46.21 BGN 80.9

121.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 BGN 174

$74.9 BGN 131

33.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 BGN 1,120

$115 BGN 201

456.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 BGN 843

$114 BGN 199

323.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 BGN 2,383

$232 BGN 406

487.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$916 BGN 1,602

$274 BGN 479

234.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,998 BGN 5,246

$1,141 BGN 1,997

162.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 BGN 3,657

$855 BGN 1,497

144.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,286 BGN 2,250

$1,287 BGN 2,251

-0.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.82

3.25

-13.23%

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

Last update for Varna: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kardzhali: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$482 34.2%

Kardzhali

$114 17.5% 76.4% $368

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$272 19.3%

Kardzhali

$187 28.7% 31.2% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$212 15.1%

Kardzhali

$75 11.5% 64.7% $137

Eating Out

Varna

$200 14.2%

Kardzhali

$146 22.4% 26.9% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$135 9.6%

Kardzhali

$71 10.8% 47.8% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$70 4.9%

Kardzhali

$40 6.2% 41.9% $29

Getting Around

Varna

$39 2.7%

Kardzhali

$19 2.9% 52% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Varna versus $115 in Kardzhali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Varna versus $23 in Kardzhali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $187 – making Kardzhali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇧🇬 Kardzhali

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

Same time as Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

49,421

💱 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

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Varna Kardzhali 270 km

From you

Varna
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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 Kardzhali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varna costs about 116% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,113 per month in Varna and $976 in Kardzhali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kardzhali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $115 there versus $640 in Varna.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,408 in Varna and $651 in Kardzhali. That makes Kardzhali about 54% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Kardzhali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kardzhali, where all-in costs run around $651, than in Varna at $1,408. In Kardzhali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kardzhali – 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.

For expats, Kardzhali is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 54% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.