Moving to Australia from Bulgaria

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Bulgaria to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Bulgaria to Australia, you would find that Australia is 2.4 times more expensive than Bulgaria overall. A BGN128,244 salary in Bulgaria would need to be roughly A$175,728 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Bulgaria to Australia.

What does your salary buy?

BGN128,244 A$175,728

To maintain the same standard of living in Australia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 82.5% more

Groceries

pay 64.5% more

Transportation

pay 96.4% more

Housing

pay 3.3 times more

Childcare

pay 3.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.3 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BGN = 0.8379 AUD (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Australia cost about 45% more than cities in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria

Sofia 44%
Ruse 36%

Australia

Sydney 64%
Melbourne 60%
Perth 57%
Brisbane 57%
Adelaide 55%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Bulgaria to Australia, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
46 ↓ 48% vs 2022

people moved from Bulgaria to Australia · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Australia?

Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Bulgaria and Australia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

BG
1.1
AU
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BG
8.4
AU
4.5

Australia performs significantly better than Bulgaria across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BG
$2,970
AU
$7,691
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

BG
49.0
AU
39.8

Bulgaria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BG
63.0
AU
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BG
5.3t
AU
14.1t

Bulgaria generally does better on environment, though Australia leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BG
35.2
AU
35.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BG
37.5%
AU
4.6%

Australia generally does better on infrastructure, though Bulgaria leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

BG
4.3%
AU
3.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

BG
$33,300
AU
$59,500

Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Bulgaria leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

BG
75.6 yrs
AU
83.1 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BG
8.0
AU
3.0

Australia performs significantly better than Bulgaria across all family life metrics.

Data: National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Sofia Rain: 22.5 in/yr (571 mm)
59° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Canberra Rain: 24.8 in/yr (629 mm)
67° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Sofia Canberra
Jan–Mar 42°/28°F (6°/-2°C) 80°/54°F (26°/12°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) 61°/39°F (16°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 56°/35°F (13°/1°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) 73°/47°F (23°/9°C)
View all months
Month Sofia Canberra
Jan 36°/23°F (2.2°/-4.9°C) 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C)
Feb 41°/27°F (4.9°/-2.9°C) 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C)
Mar 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.3°C) 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C)
Apr 60°/41°F (15.7°/4.8°C) 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C)
May 69°/48°F (20.3°/9.0°C) 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C)
Jun 74°/54°F (23.5°/12.1°C) 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C)
Jul 79°/57°F (25.9°/13.8°C) 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C)
Aug 79°/56°F (26.0°/13.4°C) 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C)
Sep 73°/51°F (22.6°/10.4°C) 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C)
Oct 62°/42°F (16.6°/5.7°C) 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C)
Nov 49°/34°F (9.6°/1.2°C) 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C)
Dec 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.7°C) 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C)

Data: National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, Bureau of Meteorology Bureau of Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bulgaria and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.

Bulgaria passport

Bulgaria passport holder visiting Australia

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Bulgaria passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Australia.
Australia passport

Australia passport holder visiting Bulgaria

Visa Free
Australia passport holders can enter Bulgaria without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Australia than Bulgaria?

Day-to-day costs in Australia run about 64% higher than Bulgaria on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Australia?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a BGN128,244 comparable salary, that's around A$43,932 in Australia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Australia?

With 35.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Australia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Bulgaria and Australia.

Is Australia safe for expats?

Australia performs significantly better than Bulgaria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Bulgaria.

How is healthcare in Australia compared to Bulgaria?

Bulgaria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in health coverage index. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 49.0 in Bulgaria. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bulgaria: 73).

What's the weather like in Australia compared to Bulgaria?

The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 59°F in Sofia. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Sofia gets 22.5 in.

What language do they speak in Australia?

The official language in Australia is English. In Bulgaria, the official language is Bulgarian.

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At a Glance

BG AU
Population 6,873,253 26,141,369
Currency Bulgarian Lev (BGN) Australian Dollar (A$)
Languages Bulgarian English
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +359 +61
Time zones 1 8
Emergency number 112 000