Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Smolyan Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Smolyan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,468 in Varna versus $749 in Smolyan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,264 in Varna versus $1,211 in Smolyan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,059 in Varna versus $1,673 in Smolyan.

Living in Varna is roughly 96% more expensive than in Smolyan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varna is 7% above, Smolyan is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.11 BGN 23.47

$6.40 BGN 10.65

120.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 BGN 103

$38.88 BGN 64.7

58.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 BGN 17.81

$6.00 BGN 9.97

78.50%

Cappuccino

$2.95 BGN 4.90

$1.32 BGN 2.20

123.48%

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

$1.93 BGN 3.21

$1.06 BGN 1.76

82.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 2.87

$0.77 BGN 1.28

124.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 BGN 4.86

$1.82 BGN 3.02

60.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 BGN 6.32

$2.29 BGN 3.81

65.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 BGN 3.29

$1.73 BGN 2.87

14.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 BGN 2.19

$0.91 BGN 1.52

45.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 BGN 4.42

$1.81 BGN 3.01

46.96%

Eggs

$3.59 BGN 5.97

$3.51 BGN 5.84

2.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 BGN 19.94

$9.15 BGN 15.22

31.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 BGN 16.11

$5.92 BGN 9.84

63.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 BGN 24.61

$8.89 BGN 14.78

66.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.30

$1.21 BGN 2.01

63.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 BGN 3.77

$1.83 BGN 3.04

24.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 BGN 3.78

$1.20 BGN 2.00

89.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 BGN 5.15

$2.41 BGN 4.01

28.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 BGN 2.28

$1.17 BGN 1.95

17.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 BGN 1.86

$1.42 BGN 2.36

-21.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 BGN 1.76

$0.98 BGN 1.63

8.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 BGN 1.33

$0.57 BGN 0.94

40.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.03

$3.60 BGN 5.99

17.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.09 BGN 15.12

$5.88 BGN 9.78

54.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 BGN 1.98

$0.57 BGN 0.94

108.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.11

$1.83 BGN 3.05

2.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 BGN 1.90

$0.99 BGN 1.64

15.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.17 BGN 48.53

$34.23 BGN 56.9

-14.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 BGN 2.53

$1.31 BGN 2.18

16.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.52

$0.57 BGN 0.94

59.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.55 BGN 20.87

$12.33 BGN 20.51

1.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 2.89

$1.58 BGN 2.63

9.49%

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

$30.7K BGN 51.1K

$23.6K BGN 39.3K

30.07%

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

$26.3K BGN 43.8K

$23.2K BGN 38.6K

13.55%

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

$182 BGN 302

$111 BGN 184

63.97%

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

$21.15 BGN 35.19

$14.79 BGN 24.61

43.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.25 BGN 28.70

$9.60 BGN 15.98

79.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 BGN 90.4

$23.06 BGN 38.36

135.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.77 BGN 34.55

$17.63 BGN 29.33

17.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.03 BGN 15.02

$8.11 BGN 13.48

11.34%

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

$520 BGN 865

$236 BGN 393

120.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,550 BGN 10.9K

$6,167 BGN 10.3K

6.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 BGN 113

$29.43 BGN 48.96

130.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.02 BGN 58.3

$22.02 BGN 36.64

59.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 BGN 173

$62.5 BGN 104

66.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 176

$64.6 BGN 107

63.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 BGN 1,071

$207 BGN 344

211.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 BGN 799

$146 BGN 243

228.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 BGN 2,174

$299 BGN 498

337.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 BGN 1,550

$251 BGN 417

271.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,351 BGN 5,575

$1,346 BGN 2,239

148.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,215 BGN 3,684

$1,121 BGN 1,865

97.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,240 BGN 2,062

$715 BGN 1,190

73.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.93

3.25

-9.85%

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

Last update for Varna: August 30, 2026

Last update for Smolyan: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $644 in Varna and $207 in Smolyan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 73% 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: $62.0 in Varna vs $39.00 in Smolyan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $201 per month, with Smolyan cheaper across the board.

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 & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% 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: $644 in Varna versus $207 in Smolyan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $520 in Varna versus $236 in Smolyan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Varna. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $749 in Smolyan versus $1,468 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 96% less than in Varna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.