Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Veliko Tarnovo and Plovdiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliko Tarnovo: $1,067 a month against $1,227 in Plovdiv, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Veliko Tarnovo
Learn more

Veliko Tarnovo Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Plovdiv
Learn more

Plovdiv Living Index

Jump to prices

Veliko Tarnovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,067

/mo nomad

Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,067 per month in Veliko Tarnovo vs $1,227 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Veliko Tarnovo $1,067
Plovdiv $1,227

A couple spends around $1,606 per month in Veliko Tarnovo vs $1,874 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Veliko Tarnovo $1,606
Plovdiv $1,874

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Veliko Tarnovo vs $2,522 in Plovdiv, rent included.

Veliko Tarnovo $2,144
Plovdiv $2,522

Veliko Tarnovo is about 13% cheaper than Plovdiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Veliko Tarnovo and Plovdiv are more affordable than the global median – Veliko Tarnovo 22% lower, Plovdiv 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 BGN 19.69

$9.16 BGN 16.03

22.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.10 BGN 70.2

$45.67 BGN 79.9

-12.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 BGN 17.10

$9.43 BGN 16.51

3.61%

Cappuccino

$1.76 BGN 3.09

$2.86 BGN 5.01

-38.46%

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

$1.28 BGN 2.24

$1.76 BGN 3.08

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 BGN 1.65

$1.58 BGN 2.77

-40.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 BGN 3.59

$2.54 BGN 4.44

-19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 BGN 4.89

$4.35 BGN 7.61

-35.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 BGN 3.32

$1.81 BGN 3.17

4.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 BGN 1.77

$1.22 BGN 2.13

-17.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 BGN 4.15

$2.23 BGN 3.91

6.28%

Eggs

$3.52 BGN 6.16

$3.77 BGN 6.59

-6.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 BGN 17.66

$11.62 BGN 20.33

-13.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 BGN 14.07

$8.55 BGN 14.96

-5.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 BGN 21.95

$14.32 BGN 25.06

-12.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 BGN 2.68

$1.62 BGN 2.84

-5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.56

$1.84 BGN 3.23

10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.46

$1.93 BGN 3.37

2.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 BGN 4.59

$2.63 BGN 4.61

-0.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 BGN 2.00

$1.09 BGN 1.91

4.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 BGN 1.97

$1.04 BGN 1.82

8.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 BGN 1.72

$1.16 BGN 2.03

-15.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$0.71 BGN 1.24

1.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.93 BGN 6.88

$3.90 BGN 6.82

0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 BGN 11.21

$6.03 BGN 10.55

6.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.02

$1.16 BGN 2.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 BGN 2.80

$1.98 BGN 3.47

-19.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.60 BGN 1.05

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.31 BGN 44.29

$29.11 BGN 51.0

-13.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

$1.29 BGN 2.26

-10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 BGN 1.17

$0.61 BGN 1.07

9.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.29 BGN 19.76

$10.46 BGN 18.30

7.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$1.70 BGN 2.98

-7.65%

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

$29.7K BGN 51.9K

$30.3K BGN 53.1K

-2.17%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.8K

$24.6K BGN 43.1K

1.69%

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

$96.8 BGN 169

$113 BGN 197

-14.21%

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

$19.10 BGN 33.43

$18.40 BGN 32.20

3.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.84 BGN 27.72

$15.41 BGN 26.96

2.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.44 BGN 58.5

$41.91 BGN 73.4

-20.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.84 BGN 34.73

$20.61 BGN 36.07

-3.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 BGN 12.27

$9.31 BGN 16.29

-24.70%

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

$599 BGN 1,047

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,404 BGN 9,456

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.03 BGN 82.3

$67.3 BGN 118

-30.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.99 BGN 52.5

$41.80 BGN 73.1

-28.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 BGN 209

$96.9 BGN 170

23.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 BGN 168

$102 BGN 178

-5.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 BGN 670

$553 BGN 968

-30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 BGN 553

$420 BGN 734

-24.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 BGN 994

$880 BGN 1,539

-35.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 BGN 721

$663 BGN 1,160

-37.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 BGN 3,491

$2,228 BGN 3,899

-10.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 BGN 2,463

$1,512 BGN 2,646

-6.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$945 BGN 1,654

$1,162 BGN 2,033

-18.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.74

3.1

-11.61%

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

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: October 24, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Veliko Tarnovo

$316 29.6%

Plovdiv

$420 34.2% 32.8% $104

Groceries & Markets

Veliko Tarnovo

$242 22.7%

Plovdiv

$255 20.8% 5.6% $13

Eating Out

Veliko Tarnovo

$165 15.5%

Plovdiv

$171 13.9% 3.3% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Veliko Tarnovo

$132 12.3%

Plovdiv

$147 12% 11.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Veliko Tarnovo

$132 12.3%

Plovdiv

$139 11.3% 5.2% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Veliko Tarnovo

$47 4.5%

Plovdiv

$61 4.9% 27.5% $13

Getting Around

Veliko Tarnovo

$33 3.1%

Plovdiv

$36 2.9% 8% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $383 in Veliko Tarnovo versus $553 in Plovdiv. 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 23% higher in Plovdiv. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Veliko Tarnovo versus $46 in Plovdiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $255 – making Veliko Tarnovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Veliko Tarnovo

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

Same time as Veliko Tarnovo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,150

368,983

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Veliko Tarnovo Plovdiv 130 km

From you

Veliko Tarnovo
Plovdiv

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 Plovdiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,067 in Veliko Tarnovo, $1,227 in Plovdiv – Veliko Tarnovo comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,600 per month in Veliko Tarnovo and $1,840 in Plovdiv. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $383 there versus $553 in Plovdiv.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Veliko Tarnovo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Plovdiv, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,067 in Veliko Tarnovo and $1,227 in Plovdiv, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Veliko Tarnovo costs $1,067 versus $1,227 in Plovdiv. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Veliko Tarnovo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Plovdiv makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.