Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Samokov

For one person, living is cheaper in Samokov: $1,040 a month against $1,408 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Samokov
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Samokov Living Index

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Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,408

/mo nomad

Samokov

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Samokov

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

A single person spends $1,408 per month in Varna vs $1,040 in Samokov, rent included.

Varna $1,408
Samokov $1,040

A couple spends around $2,217 per month in Varna vs $1,626 in Samokov, rent included.

Varna $2,217
Samokov $1,626

A family of three spends $3,026 per month in Varna vs $2,211 in Samokov, rent included.

Varna $3,026
Samokov $2,211

Varna costs about 35% more than Samokov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Varna sits 3% above the global median, while Samokov is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.46 BGN 21.94

$9.39 BGN 16.53

32.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 BGN 106

$45.86 BGN 80.7

30.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 BGN 17.87

$9.56 BGN 16.82

6.28%

Cappuccino

$2.87 BGN 5.05

$2.89 BGN 5.09

-0.69%

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

$1.89 BGN 3.32

$1.76 BGN 3.10

7.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BGN 2.85

$1.52 BGN 2.68

6.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 BGN 4.94

$2.64 BGN 4.65

6.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 BGN 6.15

$4.26 BGN 7.50

-17.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.38

$1.80 BGN 3.16

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BGN 2.18

$1.20 BGN 2.11

3.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 BGN 4.55

$2.22 BGN 3.91

16.22%

Eggs

$3.53 BGN 6.21

$3.57 BGN 6.27

-1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 BGN 20.30

$11.67 BGN 20.54

-1.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 BGN 16.34

$8.22 BGN 14.46

12.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 BGN 24.60

$13.86 BGN 24.39

0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 BGN 3.34

$1.72 BGN 3.02

10.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 BGN 3.81

$1.87 BGN 3.29

15.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 BGN 3.74

$1.94 BGN 3.41

9.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 BGN 5.28

$2.65 BGN 4.66

13.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 BGN 2.29

$1.04 BGN 1.83

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.83

$1.09 BGN 1.92

-4.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 BGN 1.85

$1.22 BGN 2.14

-13.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BGN 1.37

$0.72 BGN 1.26

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 BGN 7.08

$4.13 BGN 7.27

-2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 BGN 15.66

$6.04 BGN 10.64

47.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.06

$1.13 BGN 2.00

3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.17

$2.07 BGN 3.64

-13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 BGN 1.99

$0.78 BGN 1.38

44.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 49.47

$29.05 BGN 51.1

-3.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 BGN 2.75

$1.27 BGN 2.24

22.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

$0.65 BGN 1.14

35.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.19 BGN 21.46

$10.14 BGN 17.85

20.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.07

$1.74 BGN 3.06

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

$29.6K BGN 52.0K

$30.3K BGN 53.3K

-2.41%

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

$24.7K BGN 43.5K

$24.6K BGN 43.3K

0.58%

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

$176 BGN 310

$114 BGN 201

53.85%

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

$20.41 BGN 35.91

$18.73 BGN 32.97

8.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.68 BGN 27.59

$15.22 BGN 26.78

3.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 BGN 90.5

$31.51 BGN 55.5

63.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.47 BGN 34.26

$18.93 BGN 33.32

2.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 BGN 15.95

$9.31 BGN 16.39

-2.69%

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

$498 BGN 877

$584 BGN 1,028

-14.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,292 BGN 11.1K

$5,533 BGN 9,738

13.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 BGN 115

$68.2 BGN 120

-4.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.01 BGN 58.1

$41.21 BGN 72.5

-19.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BGN 180

$96.7 BGN 170

5.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 BGN 175

$103 BGN 182

-3.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 BGN 1,126

$344 BGN 606

85.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 BGN 848

$240 BGN 423

100.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 BGN 2,397

$541 BGN 952

151.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$916 BGN 1,612

$370 BGN 652

147.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,998 BGN 5,276

$1,404 BGN 2,471

113.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 BGN 3,678

$1,108 BGN 1,950

88.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,286 BGN 2,263

$742 BGN 1,306

73.35%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Samokov: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$482 34.2%

Samokov

$240 23.1% 50.1% $241

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$272 19.3%

Samokov

$252 24.2% 7.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$212 15.1%

Samokov

$148 14.3% 30.1% $64

Eating Out

Varna

$200 14.2%

Samokov

$173 16.7% 13.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$135 9.6%

Samokov

$139 13.4% 3% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$70 4.9%

Samokov

$50 4.8% 27.9% $19

Getting Around

Varna

$39 2.7%

Samokov

$37 3.5% 4.9% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Varna versus $344 in Samokov. 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 73% higher in Varna. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Varna versus $46 in Samokov. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $252 – making Samokov the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇧🇬 Samokov

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

Same time as Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

25,138

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Varna Samokov 370 km

From you

Varna
Samokov

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 Samokov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varna costs about 35% more than Samokov, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,561 in Samokov. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samokov, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $344 there versus $640 in Varna.

Kindergarten costs $498 per month in Varna and $584 in Samokov. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Varna, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,408 in Varna and $1,040 in Samokov. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Varna has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,040 in Samokov 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 Samokov. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.