Cost #1/31 · Cost of living · Europe · Eurostat PLI 2024
🇧🇬 Cost of living in Bulgaria
Bulgaria undercuts most of the EU-27 across rent, groceries and transport - see the categories driving that gap and how far local income actually stretches.
- Cost rank · cheapest = #1 of 31
- #1
- Affordability rank · highest purchasing power = #1 of 29
- #26
Bulgaria's livability score
Livability score
68/100
Bulgaria, weighted across 8 of 8 tracked dimensions
A cost-and-income composite (price-level indices plus purchasing power), not an overall quality-of-life judgment, it does not weigh climate, safety, culture, or healthcare outcomes.
- Purchasing power F €8,862
Median net income adjusted for local cost level
- Overall cost A+ 57
Eurostat overall price level (EU27=100)
- Rent A+ 38
Housing / rent price level (EU27=100)
- Groceries A 89
Food and non-alcoholic beverages (EU27=100)
- Healthcare A+ 44
Healthcare price level (EU27=100)
- Transport A+ 72
Transport price level (EU27=100)
- Utilities A+ 52
Electricity / gas / water (EU27=100)
- Restaurants A+ 53
Restaurants and hotels (EU27=100)
Bulgaria: large 2024 Eurostat move
Overall cost index moved +1.1 vs the 2023 archive - among the larger European shifts this release.
- Healthcare index 42 44 2023 → 2024
Healthcare index rose from 42 to 44 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Utilities index 53 52 2023 → 2024
Utilities index fell from 53 to 52 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Restaurants index 52 53 2023 → 2024
Restaurants index rose from 52 to 53 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Overall cost index 56 57 2023 → 2024
Overall cost index rose from 56 to 57 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
- Transport index 71 72 2023 → 2024
Transport index rose from 71 to 72 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
Bulgaria in the Under 85 cost band
On the EU-27 = 100 scale, Bulgaria's overall index (57) sits in the Under 85 band with 9 other published countries. The Europe-wide band mix lives on the rankings hub, not repeated here.
Where Bulgaria undercuts the EU basket
Bars + gauge for a below-EU overall index (57): which categories keep the basket cheap.
Bulgaria - price level by category (EU-27 = 100)
🇧🇬 Bulgaria vs EU-27 = 100
Gauge reads the same overall cost_index (57); the tick marks the EU average.
In Bulgaria, groceries is the most expensive category and housing & utilities the least.
Why Bulgaria reads cheap on Eurostat
Bulgaria's overall consumer price level is 43% below the EU-27 average. (How this index is built →)
Groceries stand out as the priciest category in Bulgaria, at index 89, ahead of housing & utilities at index 38 - a food basket costs proportionally more here than rent, transport or healthcare do.
That price gap works strongly in Bulgaria's favor: prices run far below the EU average, so the headline income of €8,862 goes much further than the sticker figure suggests, worth roughly €15,575 in EU-27-average purchasing power.
Eurostat PLI Basket · similar price levels and purchasing power
Two peer sets for Bulgaria: nearest overall price-level indices (EU-27 = 100) and nearest cost-adjusted incomes (median net income ÷ cost index). The cost band block above stays cohort-based; these neighborhoods vary by entity.
Similar overall cost index
Nearest countries by Eurostat price level (57 here, EU-27 = 100).
PLI neighbourhood · Bulgaria
Similar purchasing power
Nearest countries by cost-adjusted income (€15,575 here).
What to do with this Bulgaria data
Bulgaria ranks #26 of 29 for cost-adjusted purchasing power. A raw price index alone does not tell you whether income stretches further here than elsewhere.
- Run the numbers for Bulgaria in the calculator
- Compare Bulgaria vs Romania side by side
- See the full best-value ranking
- Browse every country we track
These are Eurostat comparative price-level averages for the whole country, not a personal budget. Regional and city-level costs can differ substantially from the national figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bulgaria expensive to live in?
Bulgaria's overall cost of living is 43% below the EU-27 average (index 57). Groceries is the priciest category and housing & utilities the cheapest.
What are housing & utilities costs in Bulgaria?
Bulgaria's housing & utilities price index is 38, below the EU norm.
How does income compare to costs in Bulgaria?
That price gap works strongly in Bulgaria's favor: prices run far below the EU average, so the headline income of €8,862 goes much further than the sticker figure suggests, worth roughly €15,575 in EU-27-average purchasing power.
PlainCostOfLiving is rendered directly from Eurostat comparative price levels and median equivalised net income, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-20. Primary sources: Eurostat comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and Eurostat median equivalised net income (ilc_di03).