Plovdiv at a glance
- Plovdiv ranks 2nd of 5 priced cities in Bulgaria on cost: $901 a month in essentials, 18% above Ruse, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $1,142 covers that 1.3×.
- 101.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at oblast level.
- PM2.5 averages 13.1 µg/m³ a year, 3× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 5 Bulgaria cities we track, so every row says whether Plovdiv is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $901 | $989 | $88 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $390 | $421 | $31 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $543 | $543 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $134 | $134 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $218 | $266 | $48 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $130 | $130 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $29 | $29 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,142 | $1,142 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $668 | $668 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $896 | $896 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Plovdiv, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $9.90 | $11.66 | $1.76 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $46.08 | $46.58 | $0.50 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $8.93 | $10.48 | $1.55 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.64 | $2.98 | $0.34 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.62 | $2.62 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.49 | $3.49 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.59 | $1.59 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.58 | $1.58 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.82 | $1.82 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.21 | $1.21 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.25 | $2.25 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.74 | $3.56 | $0.18 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $11.76 | $11.60 | $0.16 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $8.53 | $8.53 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.71 | $1.96 | $0.25 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.86 | $2.02 | $0.16 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.63 | $2.70 | $0.07 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.08 | $1.12 | $0.04 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.09 | $1.09 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.76 | $0.79 | $0.03 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.58 | $0.87 | 1.50ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $29.11 | $29.11 | same |
| Taxi start | $1.40 | $1.51 | $0.11 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.67 | $0.76 | $0.09 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.62 | $1.62 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 mยฒ flat | $114.52 | $114.52 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $15.61 | $15.10 | $0.51 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $18.63 | $18.63 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $41.37 | $41.37 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $9.31 | $9.11 | $0.20 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Plovdiv has 101.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (oblast level). That is the lowest of the 6 Bulgaria cities we track. Bulgaria's national figure is 105.4, so Plovdiv runs 4 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Plovdiv ranks against every city we track
Plovdiv sits ahead of 83% of the 562 cities we track on safety. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 63% of 553. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 35% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Plovdiv sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Need the full Bulgaria model?
Open the gated deep-dive for city shortlist, cost detail, weather, visa, tax, dating-market signals, and subregion rankings.
Unlock Bulgaria deep-dive
Photo: ะะฑัะธะฝะฐ ะะปะพะฒะดะธะฒ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
