Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Veliko Tarnovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliko Tarnovo: $1,006 a month against $1,388 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Veliko Tarnovo
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Veliko Tarnovo Living Index

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Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,388

/mo nomad

Veliko Tarnovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Veliko Tarnovo

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Varna vs $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Varna $1,388
Veliko Tarnovo $1,006

A couple spends around $2,192 per month in Varna vs $1,574 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Varna $2,192
Veliko Tarnovo $1,574

A family of three spends $2,997 per month in Varna vs $2,141 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Varna $2,997
Veliko Tarnovo $2,141

Varna costs about 38% more than Veliko Tarnovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Varna sits 3% above the global median, while Veliko Tarnovo is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.74 BGN 22.16

$11.12 BGN 19.35

14.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 BGN 104

$39.76 BGN 69.2

50.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 BGN 17.77

$9.61 BGN 16.73

6.24%

Cappuccino

$2.93 BGN 5.10

$1.85 BGN 3.21

58.38%

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

$1.88 BGN 3.27

$1.31 BGN 2.29

43.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 BGN 2.78

$0.88 BGN 1.53

81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 BGN 5.10

$2.03 BGN 3.53

44.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 BGN 6.13

$2.79 BGN 4.85

26.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$1.86 BGN 3.23

2.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 BGN 2.05

$1.05 BGN 1.83

12.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 BGN 4.47

$2.48 BGN 4.31

3.63%

Eggs

$3.45 BGN 6.01

$3.67 BGN 6.39

-5.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 BGN 19.66

$10.17 BGN 17.70

11.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 BGN 15.69

$8.00 BGN 13.92

12.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 BGN 24.57

$12.43 BGN 21.63

13.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 BGN 3.32

$1.60 BGN 2.78

19.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 BGN 3.67

$2.05 BGN 3.57

2.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.70

$1.96 BGN 3.41

8.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 BGN 5.14

$2.58 BGN 4.48

14.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 BGN 2.18

$1.09 BGN 1.90

14.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$1.17 BGN 2.04

-11.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 BGN 1.86

$0.98 BGN 1.70

9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 BGN 1.30

$0.73 BGN 1.27

2.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 BGN 6.92

$4.10 BGN 7.13

-3.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.68 BGN 15.10

$6.72 BGN 11.69

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$1.21 BGN 2.10

-4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.13

$1.61 BGN 2.79

11.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.90 BGN 1.56

-1.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.87 BGN 50.2

$23.23 BGN 40.42

24.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 BGN 2.80

$1.16 BGN 2.02

38.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.58

$0.67 BGN 1.17

35.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.08 BGN 21.02

$11.18 BGN 19.46

8.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 BGN 3.04

$1.56 BGN 2.71

12.18%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.8K

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

-2.49%

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

$25.4K BGN 44.2K

$30.6K BGN 53.3K

-17.12%

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

$173 BGN 302

$95.9 BGN 167

80.93%

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

$20.88 BGN 36.32

$18.81 BGN 32.73

11.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.07 BGN 27.96

$15.86 BGN 27.59

1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 BGN 91.2

$30.50 BGN 53.1

71.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 BGN 34.94

$19.69 BGN 34.26

1.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.86 BGN 15.42

$6.91 BGN 12.02

28.22%

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

$497 BGN 865

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,315 BGN 11.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 BGN 114

$46.95 BGN 81.7

39.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.69 BGN 58.6

$30.58 BGN 53.2

10.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 BGN 176

$122 BGN 213

-17.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 BGN 177

$93.1 BGN 162

9.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 BGN 1,089

$351 BGN 611

78.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 BGN 805

$260 BGN 453

77.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 BGN 2,307

$572 BGN 995

131.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 BGN 1,545

$420 BGN 731

111.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 BGN 5,205

$2,407 BGN 4,187

24.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,161 BGN 3,760

$1,364 BGN 2,373

58.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,283 BGN 2,232

$952 BGN 1,657

34.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.85

2.74

4.01%

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

Last update for Varna: October 13, 2026

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varna

$462 33.3%

Veliko Tarnovo

$260 25.9% 43.7% $202

Groceries & Markets

Varna

$267 19.3%

Veliko Tarnovo

$244 24.2% 8.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varna

$210 15.2%

Veliko Tarnovo

$131 13% 38% $80

Eating Out

Varna

$203 14.6%

Veliko Tarnovo

$164 16.3% 19.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Varna

$136 9.8%

Veliko Tarnovo

$132 13.1% 3% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Varna

$70 5.1%

Veliko Tarnovo

$44 4.4% 36.8% $26

Getting Around

Varna

$39 2.8%

Veliko Tarnovo

$31 3.1% 18.7% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Varna versus $351 in Veliko Tarnovo. 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 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 $60.0 in Varna versus $40.00 in Veliko Tarnovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $244 – making Veliko Tarnovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Varna

🇧🇬 Veliko Tarnovo

🕒 Local time

18:52 6:52 PM

Same time as Varna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,058

71,150

💱 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

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Between locations

Varna Veliko Tarnovo 190 km

From you

Varna
Veliko Tarnovo

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 Veliko Tarnovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,388 in Varna, $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,082 per month in Varna and $1,509 in Veliko Tarnovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Veliko Tarnovo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Veliko Tarnovo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Varna, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Veliko Tarnovo, where all-in costs run around $1,006, than in Varna at $1,388. In Veliko Tarnovo 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 $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo to $1,388 in Varna. 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 Veliko Tarnovo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.