Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Varna: $1,408 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Varna
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Varna Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,408

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Sofia

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

A single person spends $1,408 per month in Varna vs $1,609 in Sofia, rent included.

Varna $1,408
Sofia $1,609

A couple spends around $2,217 per month in Varna vs $2,495 in Sofia, rent included.

Varna $2,217
Sofia $2,495

A family of three spends $3,026 per month in Varna vs $3,381 in Sofia, rent included.

Varna $3,026
Sofia $3,381

Varna is about 12% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Varna and Sofia sit above the global median – Varna by 3%, Sofia by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.46 BGN 21.81

$16.88 BGN 29.53

-26.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 BGN 105

$66.5 BGN 116

-9.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 BGN 17.77

$11.59 BGN 20.29

-12.34%

Cappuccino

$2.87 BGN 5.02

$3.52 BGN 6.17

-18.47%

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

$1.89 BGN 3.31

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-21.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BGN 2.83

$1.77 BGN 3.09

-8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 BGN 4.91

$3.68 BGN 6.44

-23.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 BGN 6.12

$4.38 BGN 7.66

-20.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.96 BGN 3.42

-2.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 BGN 2.17

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-17.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 BGN 4.52

$2.20 BGN 3.85

17.27%

Eggs

$3.53 BGN 6.17

$4.40 BGN 7.71

-19.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 BGN 20.18

$11.76 BGN 20.59

-1.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 BGN 16.25

$8.68 BGN 15.19

6.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 BGN 24.46

$17.37 BGN 30.40

-19.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 BGN 3.33

$2.13 BGN 3.73

-10.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 BGN 3.79

$2.05 BGN 3.59

5.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 BGN 3.72

$1.93 BGN 3.38

9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 BGN 5.25

$4.17 BGN 7.30

-28.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 BGN 2.28

$1.08 BGN 1.89

20.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.91 BGN 1.59

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 BGN 1.84

$1.18 BGN 2.07

-11.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BGN 1.36

$0.84 BGN 1.47

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 BGN 7.04

$4.18 BGN 7.32

-3.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 BGN 15.57

$7.68 BGN 13.43

15.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.15

$1.80 BGN 3.16

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 BGN 1.98

$0.87 BGN 1.52

29.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 49.19

$29.06 BGN 50.9

-3.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 BGN 2.74

$1.68 BGN 2.94

-7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

$0.87 BGN 1.53

1.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.19 BGN 21.34

$15.76 BGN 27.58

-22.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.05

$1.73 BGN 3.02

0.58%

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

$29.6K BGN 51.7K

$29.7K BGN 51.9K

-0.38%

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

$24.7K BGN 43.3K

$25.6K BGN 44.8K

-3.28%

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

$176 BGN 308

$161 BGN 282

9.44%

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

$20.41 BGN 35.71

$21.08 BGN 36.89

-3.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.68 BGN 27.43

$15.19 BGN 26.58

3.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 BGN 90.0

$48.34 BGN 84.6

6.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.47 BGN 34.07

$27.47 BGN 48.07

-29.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 BGN 15.86

$10.16 BGN 17.78

-10.83%

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

$498 BGN 872

$785 BGN 1,374

-36.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,292 BGN 11.0K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-50.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 BGN 114

$89.8 BGN 157

-27.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.01 BGN 57.8

$41.29 BGN 72.3

-20.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 BGN 179

$108 BGN 188

-4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 BGN 174

$109 BGN 191

-8.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 BGN 1,120

$789 BGN 1,381

-18.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 BGN 843

$604 BGN 1,057

-20.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 BGN 2,383

$1,517 BGN 2,654

-10.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$916 BGN 1,602

$1,037 BGN 1,814

-11.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,998 BGN 5,246

$4,407 BGN 7,712

-31.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 BGN 3,657

$3,137 BGN 5,490

-33.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,286 BGN 2,250

$1,736 BGN 3,038

-25.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.82

2.89

-2.42%

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

Last update for Varna: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$482 34.2%

Sofia

$604 37.5% 25.4% $122

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$272 19.3%

Sofia

$288 17.9% 6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$212 15.1%

Sofia

$197 12.3% 7.1% $15

Eating Out

Varna

$200 14.2%

Sofia

$256 15.9% 28.2% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$135 9.6%

Sofia

$157 9.7% 15.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$70 4.9%

Sofia

$69 4.3% 1.3% $0.9

Getting Around

Varna

$39 2.7%

Sofia

$39 2.4% 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Varna versus $789 in Sofia. 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 35% higher in Sofia. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Varna versus $66 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $288 – making Varna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

14:21 2:21 PM

Same time as Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.513 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.513 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Varna Sofia 380 km

From you

Varna
Sofia

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 Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,408 in Varna, $1,609 in Sofia – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,113 per month in Varna and $2,413 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $640 there versus $789 in Sofia.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,408 in Varna and $1,609 in Sofia. That’s a gap of about 14%.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Varna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,408 in Varna and $1,609 in Sofia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Varna has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,408 in Varna to $1,609 in Sofia. 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 Varna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.