Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Silistra

For one person, living is cheaper in Silistra: $858 a month against $1,411 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Varna
Learn more

Varna Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Silistra
Learn more

Silistra Living Index

Jump to prices

Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,411

/mo nomad

Silistra

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Silistra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,411 in Varna versus $858 in Silistra.

Varna $1,411
Silistra $858

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

Varna $2,223
Silistra $1,223

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,035 in Varna versus $1,589 in Silistra.

Varna $3,035
Silistra $1,589

Living in Varna is roughly 65% more expensive than in Silistra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varna is 4% above, Silistra is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.74 BGN 22.18

$10.13 BGN 17.62

25.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 BGN 103

$24.96 BGN 43.43

137.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 BGN 17.81

$8.75 BGN 15.22

17.03%

Cappuccino

$2.92 BGN 5.08

$1.66 BGN 2.89

75.90%

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

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$1.11 BGN 1.93

77.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 BGN 2.86

$0.79 BGN 1.38

107.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 BGN 4.90

$1.83 BGN 3.19

54.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 BGN 6.06

$2.00 BGN 3.48

74.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 BGN 3.39

$1.71 BGN 2.98

14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BGN 2.16

$0.81 BGN 1.42

53.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 BGN 4.64

$1.49 BGN 2.59

79.19%

Eggs

$3.42 BGN 5.96

$2.35 BGN 4.10

45.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 BGN 19.74

$9.41 BGN 16.37

20.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 BGN 16.21

$6.36 BGN 11.07

46.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 BGN 24.98

$8.31 BGN 14.46

72.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 BGN 3.50

$1.25 BGN 2.17

60.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 BGN 3.62

$1.71 BGN 2.97

21.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 BGN 3.67

$1.68 BGN 2.92

25.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 BGN 5.08

$1.97 BGN 3.42

48.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.23

$0.96 BGN 1.66

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.81

$0.71 BGN 1.23

46.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 BGN 1.78

$0.56 BGN 0.97

82.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.34

$0.67 BGN 1.17

14.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 BGN 7.01

$3.64 BGN 6.33

10.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 BGN 15.61

$5.16 BGN 8.98

73.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.05

$1.08 BGN 1.87

9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 BGN 3.12

$1.69 BGN 2.94

5.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.52

$0.83 BGN 1.44

6.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 BGN 50.2

$23.87 BGN 41.54

20.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$1.16 BGN 2.03

35.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 BGN 1.56

$0.65 BGN 1.13

38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.06 BGN 20.99

$5.61 BGN 9.76

114.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$1.42 BGN 2.47

22.54%

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

$30.4K BGN 52.9K

$30.3K BGN 52.6K

0.47%

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

$24.5K BGN 42.7K

$21.8K BGN 37.9K

12.58%

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

$177 BGN 307

$92.5 BGN 161

90.87%

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

$21.08 BGN 36.67

$14.56 BGN 25.33

44.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.97 BGN 27.80

$12.13 BGN 21.10

31.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 BGN 89.0

$31.10 BGN 54.1

64.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 BGN 33.94

$17.20 BGN 29.93

13.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 BGN 16.56

$6.66 BGN 11.58

42.94%

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

$511 BGN 890

$232 BGN 404

120.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,289 BGN 10.9K

$2,274 BGN 3,958

176.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 BGN 113

$30.97 BGN 53.9

110.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.59 BGN 58.5

$19.44 BGN 33.83

72.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BGN 178

$63.3 BGN 110

61.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 BGN 179

$52.0 BGN 90.5

97.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 BGN 1,122

$332 BGN 578

94.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 BGN 830

$248 BGN 431

92.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 BGN 2,376

$333 BGN 580

309.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$914 BGN 1,590

$243 BGN 423

276.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,941 BGN 5,118

$1,304 BGN 2,268

125.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,142 BGN 3,726

$1,082 BGN 1,883

97.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,271 BGN 2,211

$720 BGN 1,252

76.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.82

2.99

-5.69%

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

Last update for Varna: October 18, 2026

Last update for Silistra: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$477 33.8%

Silistra

$248 28.9% 48.1% $230

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$272 19.3%

Silistra

$192 22.4% 29.3% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$214 15.1%

Silistra

$119 13.9% 44.2% $94

Eating Out

Varna

$203 14.4%

Silistra

$148 17.3% 27.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$137 9.7%

Silistra

$75 8.7% 45.4% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$70 5%

Silistra

$44 5.2% 36.7% $26

Getting Around

Varna

$38 2.7%

Silistra

$32 3.7% 17.7% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $645 in Varna and $332 in Silistra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 77% 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 $25.00 in Silistra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $192 per month, with Silistra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇧🇬 Silistra

🕒 Local time

15:31 3:31 PM

Same time as Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

37,923

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Varna Silistra 110 km

From you

Varna
Silistra

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 Silistra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varna and Silistra differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,411 vs $858 including rent). Silistra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% 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 $332 in Silistra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Varna. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Silistra – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $59.0 in Varna. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $858 in Silistra versus $1,411 in Varna, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Silistra but tight or insufficient in Varna. The gap between the two cities makes Silistra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Varna and Silistra 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 Silistra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Varna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.