Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Pleven

For one person, living is cheaper in Pleven: $887 a month against $1,408 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Pleven
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Pleven Living Index

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Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,408

/mo nomad

Pleven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Pleven

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

A single person spends $1,408 per month in Varna vs $887 in Pleven, rent included.

Varna $1,408
Pleven $887

A couple spends around $2,217 per month in Varna vs $1,418 in Pleven, rent included.

Varna $2,217
Pleven $1,418

A family of three spends $3,026 per month in Varna vs $1,948 in Pleven, rent included.

Varna $3,026
Pleven $1,948

Varna costs about 59% more than Pleven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Varna sits 3% above the global median, while Pleven is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.46 BGN 21.81

$8.72 BGN 15.26

42.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 BGN 105

$29.16 BGN 51.0

105.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 BGN 17.77

$6.35 BGN 11.12

60.00%

Cappuccino

$2.87 BGN 5.02

$2.10 BGN 3.67

36.67%

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

$1.89 BGN 3.31

$1.27 BGN 2.22

48.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BGN 2.83

$1.15 BGN 2.02

40.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 BGN 4.91

$2.18 BGN 3.81

28.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 BGN 6.12

$2.24 BGN 3.93

56.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.64 BGN 2.88

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BGN 2.17

$1.16 BGN 2.02

6.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 BGN 4.52

$1.71 BGN 2.99

50.88%

Eggs

$3.53 BGN 6.17

$3.57 BGN 6.25

-1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 BGN 20.18

$8.93 BGN 15.63

29.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 BGN 16.25

$7.88 BGN 13.79

17.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 BGN 24.46

$14.28 BGN 24.99

-2.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 BGN 3.33

$1.25 BGN 2.18

52.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 BGN 3.79

$1.99 BGN 3.48

8.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 BGN 3.72

$2.13 BGN 3.74

-0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 BGN 5.25

$2.26 BGN 3.96

32.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 BGN 2.28

$1.17 BGN 2.05

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$1.07 BGN 1.88

-2.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 BGN 1.84

$1.06 BGN 1.85

-0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BGN 1.36

$0.74 BGN 1.30

5.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 BGN 7.04

$3.63 BGN 6.36

11.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 BGN 15.57

$6.37 BGN 11.14

39.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.05

$0.78 BGN 1.36

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.15

$1.13 BGN 1.97

59.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 BGN 1.98

$0.84 BGN 1.47

34.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 49.19

$40.38 BGN 70.7

-30.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 BGN 2.74

$1.62 BGN 2.83

-3.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

$0.90 BGN 1.57

-2.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.19 BGN 21.34

$12.02 BGN 21.04

1.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.05

$1.64 BGN 2.86

6.10%

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

$29.6K BGN 51.7K

$29.4K BGN 51.5K

0.37%

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

$24.7K BGN 43.3K

$24.9K BGN 43.7K

-0.81%

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

$176 BGN 308

$95.6 BGN 167

84.08%

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

$20.41 BGN 35.71

$15.87 BGN 27.78

28.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.68 BGN 27.43

$10.80 BGN 18.89

45.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 BGN 90.0

$35.45 BGN 62.0

45.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.47 BGN 34.07

$24.29 BGN 42.52

-19.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 BGN 15.86

$8.66 BGN 15.16

4.62%

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

$498 BGN 872

$505 BGN 884

-1.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,292 BGN 11.0K

$6,321 BGN 11.1K

-0.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 BGN 114

$40.48 BGN 70.9

61.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.01 BGN 57.8

$28.02 BGN 49.04

17.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BGN 179

$94.0 BGN 165

8.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 BGN 174

$100 BGN 176

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 BGN 1,120

$331 BGN 578

93.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 BGN 843

$171 BGN 300

181.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 BGN 2,383

$568 BGN 993

139.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$916 BGN 1,602

$333 BGN 582

175.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,998 BGN 5,246

$1,450 BGN 2,537

106.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 BGN 3,657

$1,133 BGN 1,982

84.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,286 BGN 2,250

$939 BGN 1,643

36.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.82

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

Last update for Varna: October 27, 2026

Last update for Pleven: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$482 34.2%

Pleven

$171 19.3% 64.5% $310

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$272 19.3%

Pleven

$234 26.4% 13.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$212 15.1%

Pleven

$122 13.8% 42.3% $90

Eating Out

Varna

$200 14.2%

Pleven

$139 15.7% 30.3% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$135 9.6%

Pleven

$118 13.3% 12.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$70 4.9%

Pleven

$53 6% 24.1% $17

Getting Around

Varna

$39 2.7%

Pleven

$50 5.6% 29.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Varna versus $331 in Pleven. 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 37% higher in Varna, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Varna versus $29 in Pleven. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $234 – making Pleven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇧🇬 Pleven

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

Same time as Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

111,567

💱 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
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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 Pleven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,408 in Varna, $887 in Pleven – Pleven comes out roughly 37% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,113 per month in Varna and $1,331 in Pleven. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pleven, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $331 there versus $640 in Varna.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Varna, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Varna and $29 in Pleven. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Pleven, where all-in costs run around $887, than in Varna at $1,408. In Pleven it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varna 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 $887 in Pleven to $1,408 in Varna. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Pleven. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.