Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Ruse

For one person, living is cheaper in Ruse: $990 a month against $1,411 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Ruse
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Ruse Living Index

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Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,411

/mo nomad

Ruse

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$990

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Ruse

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,411 in Varna versus $990 in Ruse.

Varna $1,411
Ruse $990

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,223 in Varna versus $1,470 in Ruse.

Varna $2,223
Ruse $1,470

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,035 in Varna versus $1,949 in Ruse.

Varna $3,035
Ruse $1,949

Living in Varna is roughly 43% more expensive than in Ruse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varna is 4% above, Ruse is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.74 BGN 22.18

$9.07 BGN 15.77

40.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 BGN 103

$34.26 BGN 59.6

73.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 BGN 17.81

$9.55 BGN 16.62

7.23%

Cappuccino

$2.92 BGN 5.08

$1.68 BGN 2.93

73.81%

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

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$1.48 BGN 2.58

33.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 BGN 2.86

$0.83 BGN 1.45

97.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 BGN 4.90

$1.76 BGN 3.07

60.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 BGN 6.06

$2.80 BGN 4.88

24.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 BGN 3.39

$1.75 BGN 3.04

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BGN 2.16

$1.01 BGN 1.76

22.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 BGN 4.64

$2.28 BGN 3.96

17.11%

Eggs

$3.42 BGN 5.96

$2.55 BGN 4.43

34.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 BGN 19.74

$8.93 BGN 15.54

27.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 BGN 16.21

$7.77 BGN 13.52

19.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 BGN 24.98

$14.42 BGN 25.10

-0.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 BGN 3.50

$1.40 BGN 2.44

43.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 BGN 3.62

$1.85 BGN 3.21

12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 BGN 3.67

$2.01 BGN 3.50

4.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 BGN 5.08

$2.02 BGN 3.52

44.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.23

$1.08 BGN 1.87

18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.81

$1.06 BGN 1.84

-1.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 BGN 1.78

$1.21 BGN 2.11

-15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.34

$0.66 BGN 1.15

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 BGN 7.01

$3.40 BGN 5.91

18.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 BGN 15.61

$6.12 BGN 10.66

46.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.05

$1.13 BGN 1.97

4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 BGN 3.12

$1.17 BGN 2.04

52.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.52

$0.84 BGN 1.46

4.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 BGN 50.2

$15.93 BGN 27.71

81.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$1.25 BGN 2.17

25.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 BGN 1.56

$0.61 BGN 1.06

47.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.06 BGN 20.99

$10.22 BGN 17.79

18.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$1.51 BGN 2.63

15.23%

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

$30.4K BGN 52.9K

$30.2K BGN 52.5K

0.81%

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

$24.5K BGN 42.7K

$22.6K BGN 39.3K

8.65%

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

$177 BGN 307

$104 BGN 182

69.30%

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

$21.08 BGN 36.67

$17.91 BGN 31.17

17.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.97 BGN 27.80

$12.89 BGN 22.44

23.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 BGN 89.0

$31.68 BGN 55.1

61.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 BGN 33.94

$8.80 BGN 15.32

121.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 BGN 16.56

$5.60 BGN 9.74

70.00%

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

$511 BGN 890

$518 BGN 902

-1.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,289 BGN 10.9K

$5,381 BGN 9,363

16.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 BGN 113

$50.9 BGN 88.6

27.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.59 BGN 58.5

$28.15 BGN 48.99

19.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BGN 178

$72.0 BGN 125

41.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 BGN 179

$87.2 BGN 152

17.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 BGN 1,122

$348 BGN 606

85.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 BGN 830

$305 BGN 531

56.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 BGN 2,376

$526 BGN 914

159.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$914 BGN 1,590

$409 BGN 712

123.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,941 BGN 5,118

$1,660 BGN 2,889

77.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,142 BGN 3,726

$1,210 BGN 2,105

77.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,271 BGN 2,211

$966 BGN 1,681

31.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.82

3.1

-9.03%

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

Last update for Varna: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ruse: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$477 33.8%

Ruse

$305 30.9% 36% $172

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$272 19.3%

Ruse

$230 23.3% 15.3% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$214 15.1%

Ruse

$135 13.7% 36.8% $79

Eating Out

Varna

$203 14.4%

Ruse

$145 14.7% 28.6% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$137 9.7%

Ruse

$107 10.8% 21.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$70 5%

Ruse

$43 4.3% 38.9% $27

Getting Around

Varna

$38 2.7%

Ruse

$24 2.4% 38.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $645 in Varna and $348 in Ruse. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 32% 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: $59.0 in Varna vs $34.00 in Ruse for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $230 per month, with Ruse cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇧🇬 Ruse

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

Same time as Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

159,798

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Varna Ruse 170 km

From you

Varna
Ruse

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 Ruse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ruse wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Varna. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ruse the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $645 in Varna versus $348 in Ruse. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ruse runs roughly 81% less than in Varna. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $511 in Varna versus $518 in Ruse. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $990 in Ruse versus $1,411 in Varna, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ruse but tight or insufficient in Varna. The gap between the two cities makes Ruse the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ruse delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $990 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ruse hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Varna and Ruse 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 Ruse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Varna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.