Europe · Sofia
Cost of living in Bulgaria
Bulgaria is 57% cheaper than the US, ranking #107 of 203 countries we cover for cost of living.
World Bank data through 2024 · last reviewed 2026-06.
What drives the cost here
Price levels by category, where the world average = 100. Above 100 is pricier than the global norm; below it is cheaper.
In Bulgaria, transport is the priciest category relative to the world (100), while health is the most affordable (38).
Category price levels: World Bank ICP 2021 (world average = 100) · source
What your money is worth here
A $100,000 US lifestyle would cost roughly $42,500 in Bulgaria.
Quality of life
89/100 · #60 of 198Beyond cost — health, safety, and connectivity. The score is a transparent, equal-weight composite of the verified metrics below (see methodology).
About Bulgaria
The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks overran the country. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878, and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908.
Read the full background
Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, and the Schengen Area for air and sea travel in 2024.
Background from the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived 2026-06-03.
Frequently asked
Is Bulgaria expensive to live in?
Bulgaria is 57% cheaper than the US, ranking #107 of the 203 countries we track. Its most expensive category relative to the world is transport; health costs the least.
How much money do you need to live in Bulgaria?
A lifestyle that costs $100,000 in the United States would cost roughly $42,500 in Bulgaria, going by overall price levels. The salary translator turns your own figure into a local equivalent.
Is Bulgaria cheaper than the United States?
Yes. Its overall price level is 42.6, against 100 for the United States.
What is the quality of life in Bulgaria?
Bulgaria scores 89 out of 100 on our quality-of-life index (#60 of 198), a composite of life expectancy, safety, health, and connectivity, with life expectancy around 76 years.
Every number, sourced.
We cite the exact source and year for each figure. Derived values are computed at build time, never hand-entered.
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