An analysis of Numbeo data reveals significant differences in the cost of groceries, housing and salaries across Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas.
If you ask someone living in Sofia how much it costs to live in the capital, you are likely to hear stories about rising rents, household bills and increasingly expensive coffee. But the cost-of-living squeeze is not limited to Sofia. Bulgaria’s other major economic centers — Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas — have also seen prices rise.
Data from the international cost-of-living platform Numbeo offers a snapshot of how much consumers are paying for everyday essentials, housing and other basic expenses in the country’s four largest cities.
Sofia remains the most expensive city for groceries
Numbeo’s “Markets” category covers 15 basic food products, including milk, bread, rice, eggs, cheese, meat, fruit, vegetables and bottled water, while excluding alcohol and tobacco.
According to the data, the average cost of this basket is highest in Sofia, at €54.66. Varna follows at €51.33, while Plovdiv comes in at €49.15.
Burgas is the least expensive of the four, with the same basket costing €43.97 — €10.69, or around 20%, less than in Sofia.
Prices vary considerably by individual product. Sofia records the highest prices for bread, eggs, cheese, beef and tomatoes. Burgas offers the lowest prices for milk, bread, rice, cheese and chicken fillets, although apples are more expensive there than in the other three cities.
Varna is the most expensive city for several everyday products, including milk, rice, chicken, bananas, oranges and bottled water. Plovdiv, meanwhile, has the lowest prices for apples and bananas.
Housing widens the gap
The differences become even more pronounced when property prices are taken into account.
Sofia is by far the most expensive housing market among the four cities, with an average price of €3,911.66 per square meter in the city center and €2,892.04 outside the center.
Varna ranks second, at €2,899.76 per square meter in the center and €1,890.92 outside it.
Property prices in Burgas are comparatively lower, averaging €2,249.93 per square meter in the center and €1,649.50 outside the center.
Plovdiv is the most affordable of the four major cities, with an average price of €2,020.40 per square meter in the center and just €1,381.83 outside the center.
Higher salaries partly offset Sofia’s higher costs
Numbeo’s “Cost of Living Plus Rent” index also highlights the differences between the cities.
To maintain the same standard of living while renting, a person would need approximately €3,729.40 per month in Sofia, compared with €2,800 in Burgas.
Without rent, the cost of living in Sofia is approximately 26% higher than in Burgas.
However, the capital also offers significantly higher average earnings. The average monthly net salary after tax in Sofia stands at €1,518.67, compared with €875.06 in Burgas.
The figures illustrate a familiar trade-off: Sofia offers higher incomes but also considerably higher housing and everyday expenses, while cities such as Plovdiv and Burgas provide a lower cost of living at the expense of lower average salaries.