Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Veliko Tarnovo and Nis

For one person, living costs are similar in Veliko Tarnovo and in Nis: $1,006 and $1,023 a month, rent and utilities included.

49

Cost of Living Index in Veliko Tarnovo
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Veliko Tarnovo Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Nis
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Nis Living Index

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Veliko Tarnovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,006

/mo nomad

Nis

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Veliko Tarnovo and in Nis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,006 per month in Veliko Tarnovo vs $1,023 in Nis, rent included.

Veliko Tarnovo $1,006
Nis $1,023

A couple spends around $1,574 per month in Veliko Tarnovo vs $1,502 in Nis, rent included.

Veliko Tarnovo $1,574
Nis $1,502

A family of three spends $2,141 per month in Veliko Tarnovo vs $1,980 in Nis, rent included.

Veliko Tarnovo $2,141
Nis $1,980

Veliko Tarnovo is about 2% cheaper than Nis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Veliko Tarnovo and Nis are more affordable than the global median – Veliko Tarnovo 25% lower, Nis 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 BGN 19.35

$8.78 RSD 915

26.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.76 BGN 69.2

$33.82 RSD 3,525

17.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.61 BGN 16.73

$9.67 RSD 1,008

-0.62%

Cappuccino

$1.85 BGN 3.21

$1.95 RSD 203

-5.13%

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

$1.31 BGN 2.29

$2.29 RSD 239

-42.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 BGN 1.53

$1.75 RSD 183

-49.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 BGN 3.53

$3.65 RSD 380

-44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 BGN 4.85

$4.46 RSD 465

-37.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 BGN 3.23

$1.13 RSD 118

64.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 BGN 1.83

$0.70 RSD 72.9

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 BGN 4.31

$1.75 RSD 182

41.71%

Eggs

$3.67 BGN 6.39

$2.35 RSD 245

56.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 BGN 17.70

$7.86 RSD 819

29.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.00 BGN 13.92

$5.69 RSD 594

40.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.43 BGN 21.63

$10.37 RSD 1,081

19.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 BGN 2.78

$1.11 RSD 116

44.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.57

$1.67 RSD 174

22.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 BGN 3.41

$1.48 RSD 155

32.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 BGN 4.48

$2.14 RSD 223

20.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 BGN 1.90

$0.82 RSD 85.6

32.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 BGN 2.04

$0.72 RSD 75.2

62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 BGN 1.70

$0.66 RSD 69.0

48.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BGN 1.27

$0.58 RSD 60.9

25.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 BGN 7.13

$4.43 RSD 462

-7.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.72 BGN 11.69

$5.63 RSD 587

19.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 BGN 2.10

$0.71 RSD 73.9

70.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 BGN 2.79

$1.28 RSD 134

25.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 BGN 1.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.23 BGN 40.42

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 BGN 2.02

$1.76 RSD 183

-34.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 BGN 1.17

$0.70 RSD 72.9

-4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.18 BGN 19.46

$8.10 RSD 845

38.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 BGN 2.71

$1.89 RSD 197

-17.46%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$30.2K RSD 3.1M

0.99%

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

$30.6K BGN 53.3K

$23.3K RSD 2.4M

31.64%

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

$95.9 BGN 167

$161 RSD 16.8K

-40.62%

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

$18.81 BGN 32.73

$18.82 RSD 1,962

-0.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.86 BGN 27.59

$22.47 RSD 2,342

-29.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.50 BGN 53.1

$29.95 RSD 3,122

1.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.69 BGN 34.26

$15.69 RSD 1,636

25.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 BGN 12.02

$4.73 RSD 493

46.09%

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

$247 RSD 25.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,859 RSD 506.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.95 BGN 81.7

$89.7 RSD 9,350

-47.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.58 BGN 53.2

$38.11 RSD 3,973

-19.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 BGN 213

$98.6 RSD 10.3K

23.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 BGN 162

$108 RSD 11.2K

-13.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 BGN 611

$392 RSD 40.9K

-10.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 BGN 453

$278 RSD 29.0K

-6.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 BGN 995

$581 RSD 60.6K

-1.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 BGN 731

$400 RSD 41.7K

5.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 BGN 4,187

$2,477 RSD 258.2K

-2.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 BGN 2,373

$1,826 RSD 190.4K

-25.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$952 BGN 1,657

$886 RSD 92.4K

7.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.74

5.12

-46.48%

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

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nis: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Veliko Tarnovo

$260 25.9%

Nis

$278 27.2% 6.9% $18

Groceries & Markets

Veliko Tarnovo

$244 24.2%

Nis

$181 17.7% 25.7% $63

Eating Out

Veliko Tarnovo

$164 16.3%

Nis

$166 16.2% 0.9% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Veliko Tarnovo

$132 13.1%

Nis

$150 14.7% 14.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Veliko Tarnovo

$131 13%

Nis

$203 19.8% 55.3% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Veliko Tarnovo

$44 4.4%

Nis

$39 3.9% 11.1% $4.9

Getting Around

Veliko Tarnovo

$31 3.1%

Nis

$5.3 * 0.5% 83.2% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $351 in Veliko Tarnovo versus $392 in Nis. 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 7% higher in Veliko Tarnovo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Veliko Tarnovo versus $34.00 in Nis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $181 – making Nis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Veliko Tarnovo

🇷🇸 Nis

🕒 Local time

18:22 6:22 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

1 h behind Veliko Tarnovo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,150

78,470

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

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Veliko Tarnovo Nis 300 km

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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

Veliko Tarnovo vs Nis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nis costs about 2% more than Veliko Tarnovo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,509 per month in Veliko Tarnovo and $1,534 in Nis. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo and $1,023 in Nis. That's a gap of about 2%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 35% cheaper in Nis – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Veliko Tarnovo, where all-in costs run around $1,006, than in Nis at $1,023. In Veliko Tarnovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nis it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Veliko Tarnovo costs $1,006 versus $1,023 in Nis. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Nis makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.