Moving to Poland from Bulgaria

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Bulgaria to Poland, you would find that Poland is 34.4% more expensive than Bulgaria overall. A BGN128,244 salary in Bulgaria would need to be roughly PLN348,297 in Poland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Polish.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

BGN128,244 PLN348,297

To maintain the same standard of living in Poland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 35.0% more

Groceries

pay 3.6% less

Transportation

pay 21.1% more

Housing

pay 2.0 times more

Childcare

pay 7.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 44.8% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BGN = 2.22 PLN (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 Poland cost about 13% more than cities in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria

Sofia 44%
Ruse 36%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2021
341 ↑ 2% vs 2020

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

Who's moving to Poland?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Bulgaria and Poland 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
PL
0.7
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

BG
86%
PL
11%

Poland generally does better on safety, though Bulgaria leads in feel safe walking at night.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

BG
$2,970
PL
$3,939
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

BG
49.0
PL
33.9

Bulgaria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland 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
PL
41.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BG
5.3t
PL
7.6t

Bulgaria generally does better on environment, though Poland 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
PL
23.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BG
37.5%
PL
32.1%

Bulgaria generally does better on infrastructure, though Poland leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

BG
4.3%
PL
2.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

BG
$33,300
PL
$44,100

Poland 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
PL
78.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BG
8.0
PL
4.2

Poland 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

Warsaw Rain: 20.9 in/yr (532 mm)
55° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Sofia Warsaw
Jan–Mar 42°/28°F (6°/-2°C) 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) 66°/46°F (19°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 72°/53°F (22°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) 44°/33°F (7°/1°C)
View all months
Month Sofia Warsaw
Jan 36°/23°F (2.2°/-4.9°C) 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C)
Feb 41°/27°F (4.9°/-2.9°C) 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C)
Mar 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.3°C) 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C)
Apr 60°/41°F (15.7°/4.8°C) 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C)
May 69°/48°F (20.3°/9.0°C) 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C)
Jun 74°/54°F (23.5°/12.1°C) 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C)
Jul 79°/57°F (25.9°/13.8°C) 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C)
Aug 79°/56°F (26.0°/13.4°C) 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C)
Sep 73°/51°F (22.6°/10.4°C) 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C)
Oct 62°/42°F (16.6°/5.7°C) 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C)
Nov 49°/34°F (9.6°/1.2°C) 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C)
Dec 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.7°C) 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C)

Data: National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, Institute of Meteorology and Water Management Institute of Meteorology and Water Management

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Bulgaria passport

Bulgaria passport holder visiting Poland

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

Poland passport holder visiting Bulgaria

Visa Free
Poland 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 Poland than Bulgaria?

Day-to-day costs in Poland run about 23% higher than Bulgaria on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Poland?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a BGN128,244 comparable salary, that's around PLN87,074 in Poland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Poland?

With 23.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Poland 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 Poland.

Is Poland safe for expats?

Poland generally does better on safety, though Bulgaria leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Poland is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Bulgaria. About 11% of people in Poland feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Poland compared to Bulgaria?

Bulgaria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in health coverage index. There are 33.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Poland, compared to 49.0 in Bulgaria. Poland scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bulgaria: 73).

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

The average high temperature in Warsaw is 55°F, compared to 59°F in Sofia. Warsaw receives around 20.9 in of rainfall per year, while Sofia gets 22.5 in.

What language do they speak in Poland?

The official language in Poland is Polish. In Bulgaria, the official language is Bulgarian.

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At a Glance

BG PL
Population 6,873,253 38,093,101
Currency Bulgarian Lev (BGN) Polish Zloty (PLN)
Languages Bulgarian Polish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +359 +48
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112