Moving to Greece from Bulgaria
What to Expect
Considering a move from Bulgaria to Greece? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Bulgaria to Greece, you would find that Greece is 50.0% more expensive than Bulgaria overall. A BGN128,505 salary in Bulgaria would need to be roughly €85,008 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Athens averages 72°F vs 59°F in Sofia, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Bulgaria and Greece.
What does your salary buy?
BGN128,505 → €85,008
To maintain the same standard of living in Greece
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 31.0% more
Groceries
pay 19.6% more
Transportation
pay 60.5% more
Housing
pay 2.0 times more
Childcare
pay 10.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 81.4% more
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 Greece cost about 12% more than cities in Bulgaria.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Bulgaria to Greece.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Greece compared to Bulgaria.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Bulgaria generally does better on safety, though Greece leads in road traffic deaths.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bulgaria leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Greece performs significantly better than Bulgaria across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Greece generally does better on infrastructure, though Bulgaria leads in electricity per capita.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Bulgaria generally does better on employment & economy, though Greece leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Greece generally does better on family life, though Bulgaria leads in literacy rate.
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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sofia | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sofia | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/23°F (2.2°/-4.9°C) | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) |
| Feb | 41°/27°F (4.9°/-2.9°C) | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) |
| Mar | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.3°C) | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 60°/41°F (15.7°/4.8°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) |
| May | 69°/48°F (20.3°/9.0°C) | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 74°/54°F (23.5°/12.1°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 79°/57°F (25.9°/13.8°C) | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 79°/56°F (26.0°/13.4°C) | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) |
| Sep | 73°/51°F (22.6°/10.4°C) | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 62°/42°F (16.6°/5.7°C) | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) |
| Nov | 49°/34°F (9.6°/1.2°C) | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) |
| Dec | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.7°C) | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) |
Data:
National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology,
Hellenic National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bulgaria and Greece. To live, work, or study long-term in Greece, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Greece's immigration authority.
Bulgaria passport holder visiting Greece
Visa Free
Greece passport holder visiting Bulgaria
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Greece than Bulgaria?
On average Greece is around 29% pricier than Bulgaria, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Greece?
Budget about €21,252 for 3 months in Greece (based on a BGN128,505 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Greece?
Connectivity is usually fine (Greece: 43.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Greece offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Greece safe for expats?
Bulgaria generally does better on safety, though Greece leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Greece is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Bulgaria.
How is healthcare in Greece compared to Bulgaria?
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bulgaria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 63.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 49.0 in Bulgaria. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bulgaria: 73).
What's the weather like in Greece compared to Bulgaria?
The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 59°F in Sofia. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Sofia gets 22.5 in.
What language do they speak in Greece?
The official language in Greece is Greek. In Bulgaria, the official language is Bulgarian.
