Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Vratsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Vratsa: $826 a month against $1,408 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Varna, Bulgaria
Vratsa, Bulgaria
Varna
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,408
/mo nomad
Vratsa
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$826
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varna and in Vratsa

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

A single person spends $1,408 per month in Varna vs $826 in Vratsa, rent included.

  • Varna $1,408
  • Vratsa $826

A couple spends around $2,217 per month in Varna vs $1,255 in Vratsa, rent included.

  • Varna $2,217
  • Vratsa $1,255

A family of three spends $3,026 per month in Varna vs $1,684 in Vratsa, rent included.

  • Varna $3,026
  • Vratsa $1,684

Varna costs about 70% more than Vratsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Varna sits 3% above the global median, while Vratsa is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Varna
Vratsa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.46 BGN 21.81
$8.49 BGN 14.85
46.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.9 BGN 105
$28.23 BGN 49.41
112.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.16 BGN 17.77
$5.65 BGN 9.88
79.82%
Cappuccino
$2.87 BGN 5.02
$2.22 BGN 3.88
29.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 BGN 3.31
$1.56 BGN 2.73
21.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 BGN 2.83
$0.82 BGN 1.44
97.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.81 BGN 4.91
$1.68 BGN 2.94
67.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 BGN 6.12
$2.03 BGN 3.55
72.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Varna
Vratsa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 BGN 3.36
$1.33 BGN 2.32
44.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.24 BGN 2.17
$0.84 BGN 1.47
47.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.58 BGN 4.52
$1.35 BGN 2.36
91.11%
Eggs
$3.53 BGN 6.17
$2.28 BGN 3.99
54.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.53 BGN 20.18
$9.35 BGN 16.36
23.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.28 BGN 16.25
$5.62 BGN 9.83
65.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 BGN 24.46
$8.41 BGN 14.71
66.11%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 BGN 3.33
$1.25 BGN 2.19
52.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.16 BGN 3.79
$1.64 BGN 2.87
31.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 BGN 3.72
$1.11 BGN 1.94
90.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.00 BGN 5.25
$1.73 BGN 3.02
73.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 BGN 2.28
$0.98 BGN 1.72
32.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.04 BGN 1.82
$0.71 BGN 1.25
46.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.05 BGN 1.84
$0.56 BGN 0.98
87.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 BGN 1.36
$0.54 BGN 0.95
44.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.03 BGN 7.04
$3.49 BGN 6.10
15.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.90 BGN 15.57
$5.22 BGN 9.13
70.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 BGN 2.05
$1.08 BGN 1.90
8.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 BGN 3.15
$1.74 BGN 3.04
3.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Varna
Vratsa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.13 BGN 1.98
$0.82 BGN 1.44
37.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.11 BGN 49.19
$25.24 BGN 44.17
11.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.56 BGN 2.74
$0.88 BGN 1.54
77.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.88 BGN 1.55
$0.62 BGN 1.08
41.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.19 BGN 21.34
$6.45 BGN 11.28
88.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 BGN 3.05
$1.56 BGN 2.73
11.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K BGN 51.7K
$30.4K BGN 53.3K
-2.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K BGN 43.3K
$23.4K BGN 41.0K
5.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Varna
Vratsa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$176 BGN 308
$94.3 BGN 165
86.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.41 BGN 35.71
$12.63 BGN 22.09
61.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.68 BGN 27.43
$12.23 BGN 21.40
28.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Varna
Vratsa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 BGN 90.0
$22.92 BGN 40.11
124.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.47 BGN 34.07
$19.29 BGN 33.77
0.93%
Cinema Ticket
$9.06 BGN 15.86
$5.80 BGN 10.15
56.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Varna
Vratsa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$498 BGN 872
$223 BGN 390
123.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,292 BGN 11.0K
$2,257 BGN 3,949
178.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Varna
Vratsa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.3 BGN 114
$30.65 BGN 53.6
113.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.01 BGN 57.8
$19.41 BGN 33.97
70.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 BGN 179
$64.4 BGN 113
58.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.7 BGN 174
$50.4 BGN 88.2
97.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Varna
Vratsa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$640 BGN 1,120
$337 BGN 590
89.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$482 BGN 843
$253 BGN 444
90.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,362 BGN 2,383
$550 BGN 962
147.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$916 BGN 1,602
$401 BGN 703
128.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,998 BGN 5,246
$1,309 BGN 2,291
129.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,090 BGN 3,657
$1,114 BGN 1,950
87.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Varna
Vratsa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,286 BGN 2,250
$1,080 BGN 1,890
19.05%
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 27, 2026

Last update for Vratsa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Varna
$482
Vratsa
$253 47.4% $228
Groceries & Markets
Varna
$272
Vratsa
$179 34.1% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Varna
$212
Vratsa
$119 43.8% $93
Eating Out
Varna
$200
Vratsa
$133 33.1% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Varna
$135
Vratsa
$74 45.1% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Varna
$70
Vratsa
$35 50.4% $35
Getting Around
Varna
$39
Vratsa
$33 15.8% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Varna versus $337 in Vratsa. 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 19% 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 in Varna versus $28 in Vratsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $179 – making Vratsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Varna
🇧🇬 Vratsa
🕒 Local time
15:53 3:53 PM
15:53 3:53 PM
Same time as Varna
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
348,058
60,877
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Varna Vratsa 350 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 Vratsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Varna and in Vratsa compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,408 in Varna, $826 in Vratsa – Vratsa comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Varna compared to Vratsa?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,113 per month in Varna and $1,240 in Vratsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Varna and Vratsa?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Vratsa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $640 in Varna.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 52% more in Varna, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Varna and $28 in Vratsa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vratsa, where all-in costs run around $826, than in Varna at $1,408. In Vratsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Varna or Vratsa?
Families tend to lean toward Vratsa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Varna or Vratsa safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Varna and Vratsa?
If budget matters most, go with Vratsa. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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