Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Bulgaria instead of New York, you would:

Health

live 2.1 years less

In New York, the average life expectancy is 78 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

make 63.8% less money

New York has a GDP per capita of $91,992 as of 2024, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $33,300 as of 2023.

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be 54.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In New York, 13.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Bulgaria, however, that number is 20.6% as of 2022.

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Basic Needs

be 16.4% less likely to have internet access

In New York, approximately 89.7% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Bulgaria, about 75.0% do as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), The World Factbook.

Compare further: New York vs. Bulgaria

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Bulgaria is 47.2% cheaper than New York
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Size Comparison · See true size
New York is around the same size as Bulgaria.
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Bulgaria: At a glance

Bulgaria is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 108,489 sq km. 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 country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. 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 and the EU in 2007.
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How big is Bulgaria compared to New York? See an in-depth size comparison.

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