Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Shumen

For one person, living is cheaper in Shumen: $913 a month against $1,408 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Shumen
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Shumen Living Index

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Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,408

/mo nomad

Shumen

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Shumen

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

A single person spends $1,408 per month in Varna vs $913 in Shumen, rent included.

Varna $1,408
Shumen $913

A couple spends around $2,217 per month in Varna vs $1,422 in Shumen, rent included.

Varna $2,217
Shumen $1,422

A family of three spends $3,026 per month in Varna vs $1,931 in Shumen, rent included.

Varna $3,026
Shumen $1,931

Varna costs about 54% more than Shumen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Varna sits 3% above the global median, while Shumen is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.46 BGN 21.81

$9.14 BGN 15.99

36.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 BGN 105

$34.66 BGN 60.7

72.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 BGN 17.77

$9.14 BGN 15.99

11.16%

Cappuccino

$2.87 BGN 5.02

$1.69 BGN 2.96

69.82%

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

$1.89 BGN 3.31

$1.43 BGN 2.50

32.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BGN 2.83

$1.07 BGN 1.87

51.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 BGN 4.91

$2.95 BGN 5.15

-4.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 BGN 6.12

$2.89 BGN 5.06

21.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.84 BGN 3.23

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BGN 2.17

$1.08 BGN 1.89

14.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 BGN 4.52

$2.57 BGN 4.49

0.39%

Eggs

$3.53 BGN 6.17

$2.85 BGN 4.98

23.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 BGN 20.18

$9.11 BGN 15.94

26.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 BGN 16.25

$5.11 BGN 8.95

81.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 BGN 24.46

$8.86 BGN 15.51

57.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 BGN 3.33

$1.52 BGN 2.66

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 BGN 3.79

$2.04 BGN 3.57

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 BGN 3.72

$2.17 BGN 3.80

-2.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 BGN 5.25

$2.30 BGN 4.02

30.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 BGN 2.28

$2.05 BGN 3.59

-36.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$1.25 BGN 2.20

-16.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 BGN 1.84

$0.88 BGN 1.53

19.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BGN 1.36

$0.77 BGN 1.34

1.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 BGN 7.04

$3.67 BGN 6.41

9.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 BGN 15.57

$7.00 BGN 12.25

27.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.05

$0.97 BGN 1.69

20.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.15

$1.47 BGN 2.57

22.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 BGN 1.98

$0.88 BGN 1.54

28.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 49.19

$26.12 BGN 45.72

7.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 BGN 2.74

$1.76 BGN 3.07

-11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

$0.53 BGN 0.93

66.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.19 BGN 21.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.05

$1.59 BGN 2.78

9.43%

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

$29.6K BGN 51.7K

$30.9K BGN 54.1K

-4.41%

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

$24.7K BGN 43.3K

$22.3K BGN 39.1K

10.79%

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

$176 BGN 308

$133 BGN 232

32.69%

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

$20.41 BGN 35.71

$17.68 BGN 30.94

15.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.68 BGN 27.43

$16.94 BGN 29.64

-7.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 BGN 90.0

$38.15 BGN 66.8

34.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.47 BGN 34.07

$11.41 BGN 19.97

70.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 BGN 15.86

$7.04 BGN 12.32

28.69%

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

$498 BGN 872

$561 BGN 982

-11.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,292 BGN 11.0K

$10.5K BGN 18.4K

-40.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 BGN 114

$47.91 BGN 83.8

36.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.01 BGN 57.8

$51.6 BGN 90.4

-36.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BGN 179

$94.2 BGN 165

8.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 BGN 174

$60.6 BGN 106

64.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 BGN 1,120

$263 BGN 460

143.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 BGN 843

$180 BGN 315

167.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 BGN 2,383

$427 BGN 748

218.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$916 BGN 1,602

$334 BGN 584

174.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,998 BGN 5,246

$1,231 BGN 2,154

143.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 BGN 3,657

$997 BGN 1,744

109.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,286 BGN 2,250

$1,024 BGN 1,792

25.56%

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 Shumen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$482 34.2%

Shumen

$180 19.7% 62.7% $302

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$272 19.3%

Shumen

$214 23.4% 21.4% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$212 15.1%

Shumen

$167 18.3% 21.1% $45

Eating Out

Varna

$200 14.2%

Shumen

$151 16.6% 24.2% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$135 9.6%

Shumen

$114 12.5% 15.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$70 4.9%

Shumen

$52 5.7% 24.9% $17

Getting Around

Varna

$39 2.7%

Shumen

$34 3.7% 11.8% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Varna versus $263 in Shumen. 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 26% 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 $35 in Shumen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $214 – making Shumen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇧🇬 Shumen

🕒 Local time

22:18 10:18 PM

Same time as Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

85,504

💱 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

On the map

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Varna Shumen 81 km

From you

Varna
Shumen

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 Shumen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,408 in Varna, $913 in Shumen – Shumen comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,113 per month in Varna and $1,369 in Shumen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shumen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $263 there versus $640 in Varna.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,408 in Varna and $913 in Shumen. That makes Shumen about 35% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Shumen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Shumen, where all-in costs run around $913, than in Varna at $1,408. In Shumen 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 $913 in Shumen 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 Shumen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.