Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Smolyan

For one person, living is cheaper in Smolyan: $724 a month against $1,411 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Smolyan
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Smolyan Living Index

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Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,411

/mo nomad

Smolyan

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Smolyan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,411 in Varna versus $724 in Smolyan.

Varna $1,411
Smolyan $724

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,223 in Varna versus $1,158 in Smolyan.

Varna $2,223
Smolyan $1,158

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,035 in Varna versus $1,591 in Smolyan.

Varna $3,035
Smolyan $1,591

Living in Varna is roughly 95% more expensive than in Smolyan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varna is 4% above, Smolyan is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.74 BGN 22.18

$6.43 BGN 11.19

98.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 BGN 103

$37.31 BGN 64.9

59.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 BGN 17.81

$5.72 BGN 9.95

79.02%

Cappuccino

$2.92 BGN 5.08

$1.29 BGN 2.25

126.36%

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

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$0.98 BGN 1.71

101.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 BGN 2.86

$0.69 BGN 1.20

137.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 BGN 4.90

$1.74 BGN 3.04

62.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 BGN 6.06

$2.11 BGN 3.67

64.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 BGN 3.39

$1.69 BGN 2.93

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BGN 2.16

$0.95 BGN 1.66

30.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 BGN 4.64

$1.70 BGN 2.96

57.06%

Eggs

$3.42 BGN 5.96

$3.26 BGN 5.67

4.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 BGN 19.74

$10.12 BGN 17.60

12.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 BGN 16.21

$5.73 BGN 9.96

62.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 BGN 24.98

$8.47 BGN 14.73

69.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 BGN 3.50

$1.16 BGN 2.02

73.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 BGN 3.62

$1.68 BGN 2.93

23.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 BGN 3.67

$1.17 BGN 2.04

80.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 BGN 5.08

$2.33 BGN 4.05

25.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.23

$1.15 BGN 2.01

11.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.81

$1.42 BGN 2.47

-26.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 BGN 1.78

$0.92 BGN 1.60

10.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.34

$0.54 BGN 0.94

42.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 BGN 7.01

$3.44 BGN 5.98

17.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 BGN 15.61

$5.56 BGN 9.68

61.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.05

$0.55 BGN 0.96

114.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 BGN 3.12

$1.70 BGN 2.95

5.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.52

$0.95 BGN 1.65

-7.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 BGN 50.2

$32.88 BGN 57.2

-12.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$1.29 BGN 2.25

21.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 BGN 1.56

$0.59 BGN 1.02

52.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.06 BGN 20.99

$12.04 BGN 20.95

0.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$1.55 BGN 2.69

12.26%

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

$30.4K BGN 52.9K

$23.0K BGN 40.1K

32.05%

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

$24.5K BGN 42.7K

$22.7K BGN 39.5K

8.15%

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

$177 BGN 307

$103 BGN 179

71.30%

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

$21.08 BGN 36.67

$14.48 BGN 25.20

45.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.97 BGN 27.80

$9.12 BGN 15.86

75.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 BGN 89.0

$21.89 BGN 38.10

133.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 BGN 33.94

$16.77 BGN 29.18

16.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 BGN 16.56

$7.54 BGN 13.12

26.26%

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

$511 BGN 890

$232 BGN 403

120.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,289 BGN 10.9K

$5,911 BGN 10.3K

6.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 BGN 113

$28.35 BGN 49.33

129.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.59 BGN 58.5

$21.15 BGN 36.79

58.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BGN 178

$59.2 BGN 103

72.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 BGN 179

$63.1 BGN 110

62.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 BGN 1,122

$201 BGN 349

221.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 BGN 830

$141 BGN 246

237.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 BGN 2,376

$290 BGN 504

370.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$914 BGN 1,590

$244 BGN 424

275.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,941 BGN 5,118

$1,342 BGN 2,335

119.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,142 BGN 3,726

$1,059 BGN 1,843

102.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,271 BGN 2,211

$670 BGN 1,165

89.78%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Smolyan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$477 33.8%

Smolyan

$141 19.5% 70.4% $336

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$272 19.3%

Smolyan

$197 27.2% 27.7% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$214 15.1%

Smolyan

$127 17.5% 40.7% $87

Eating Out

Varna

$203 14.4%

Smolyan

$104 14.3% 49% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$137 9.7%

Smolyan

$77 10.7% 43.4% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$70 5%

Smolyan

$37 5.1% 47.3% $33

Getting Around

Varna

$38 2.7%

Smolyan

$41 5.7% 6.5% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $645 in Varna and $201 in Smolyan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 90% 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 $37.00 in Smolyan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $197 per month, with Smolyan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇧🇬 Smolyan

🕒 Local time

14:09 2:09 PM

Same time as Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

30,507

💱 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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Varna Smolyan 320 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 Smolyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Smolyan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 90% 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 $201 in Smolyan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $511 in Varna versus $232 in Smolyan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Varna. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $724 in Smolyan versus $1,411 in Varna, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Smolyan but tight or insufficient in Varna. The gap between the two cities makes Smolyan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Smolyan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Varna, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Varna and Smolyan 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 Smolyan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Varna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.