Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Sandanski

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandanski: $1,031 a month against $1,411 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Sandanski
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Sandanski Living Index

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Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,411

/mo nomad

Sandanski

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,031

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Sandanski

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

A single person spends $1,411 per month in Varna vs $1,031 in Sandanski, rent included.

Varna $1,411
Sandanski $1,031

A couple spends around $2,223 per month in Varna vs $1,611 in Sandanski, rent included.

Varna $2,223
Sandanski $1,611

A family of three spends $3,035 per month in Varna vs $2,191 in Sandanski, rent included.

Varna $3,035
Sandanski $2,191

Varna costs about 37% more than Sandanski, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Varna sits 4% above the global median, while Sandanski is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.74 BGN 22.18

$9.01 BGN 15.68

41.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 BGN 103

$45.27 BGN 78.8

31.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 BGN 17.81

$9.48 BGN 16.50

8.02%

Cappuccino

$2.92 BGN 5.08

$2.90 BGN 5.05

0.69%

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

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$1.82 BGN 3.17

8.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 BGN 2.86

$1.58 BGN 2.74

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 BGN 4.90

$2.62 BGN 4.55

7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 BGN 6.06

$4.29 BGN 7.47

-18.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 BGN 3.39

$1.68 BGN 2.92

16.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BGN 2.16

$1.12 BGN 1.95

10.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 BGN 4.64

$2.26 BGN 3.93

18.14%

Eggs

$3.42 BGN 5.96

$3.08 BGN 5.36

11.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 BGN 19.74

$11.57 BGN 20.12

-1.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 BGN 16.21

$8.50 BGN 14.78

9.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 BGN 24.98

$13.93 BGN 24.24

3.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 BGN 3.50

$1.65 BGN 2.88

21.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 BGN 3.62

$1.83 BGN 3.19

13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 BGN 3.67

$2.00 BGN 3.48

5.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 BGN 5.08

$1.68 BGN 2.93

73.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.23

$1.07 BGN 1.87

19.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.81

$1.03 BGN 1.79

0.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 BGN 1.78

$1.20 BGN 2.09

-15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.34

$0.72 BGN 1.26

6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 BGN 7.01

$4.05 BGN 7.04

-0.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 BGN 15.61

$6.18 BGN 10.75

45.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.05

$0.94 BGN 1.64

25.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 BGN 3.12

$1.41 BGN 2.45

26.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.52

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-1.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 BGN 50.2

$23.94 BGN 41.65

20.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$1.23 BGN 2.14

27.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 BGN 1.56

$0.62 BGN 1.07

45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.06 BGN 20.99

$10.32 BGN 17.96

16.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$1.46 BGN 2.54

19.18%

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

$30.4K BGN 52.9K

$29.6K BGN 51.5K

2.66%

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

$24.5K BGN 42.7K

$24.7K BGN 43.0K

-0.65%

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

$177 BGN 307

$113 BGN 197

55.80%

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

$21.08 BGN 36.67

$18.45 BGN 32.10

14.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.97 BGN 27.80

$15.60 BGN 27.14

2.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 BGN 89.0

$30.29 BGN 52.7

68.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 BGN 33.94

$16.92 BGN 29.44

15.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 BGN 16.56

$9.27 BGN 16.14

2.70%

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

$511 BGN 890

$507 BGN 882

0.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,289 BGN 10.9K

$5,479 BGN 9,533

14.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 BGN 113

$68.6 BGN 119

-5.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.59 BGN 58.5

$42.61 BGN 74.1

-21.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BGN 178

$96.3 BGN 168

6.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 BGN 179

$105 BGN 182

-1.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 BGN 1,122

$326 BGN 567

98.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 BGN 830

$249 BGN 434

91.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 BGN 2,376

$549 BGN 956

148.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$914 BGN 1,590

$395 BGN 688

131.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,941 BGN 5,118

$1,309 BGN 2,279

124.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,142 BGN 3,726

$1,088 BGN 1,893

96.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,271 BGN 2,211

$562 BGN 978

126.07%

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 Sandanski: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$477 33.8%

Sandanski

$249 24.2% 47.8% $228

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$272 19.3%

Sandanski

$243 23.5% 10.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$214 15.1%

Sandanski

$147 14.3% 31% $66

Eating Out

Varna

$203 14.4%

Sandanski

$171 16.6% 16% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$137 9.7%

Sandanski

$140 13.6% 2.8% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$70 5%

Sandanski

$49 4.7% 30.5% $21

Getting Around

Varna

$38 2.7%

Sandanski

$32 3.1% 17.2% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $645 in Varna versus $326 in Sandanski. 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 126% 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 $59.0 in Varna versus $45.00 in Sandanski. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $243 – making Sandanski the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇧🇬 Sandanski

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

Same time as Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

28,058

💱 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

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Between locations

Varna Sandanski 420 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 Sandanski: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,411 in Varna, $1,031 in Sandanski – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,117 per month in Varna and $1,547 in Sandanski. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sandanski, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,411 in Varna and $1,031 in Sandanski. That's a gap of about 37%.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Sandanski. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sandanski, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Varna at $1,411. In Sandanski 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 $1,031 in Sandanski to $1,411 in Varna. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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