Moving to Bulgaria from Latvia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Latvia to Bulgaria — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Latvia to Bulgaria, you would find that Bulgaria is 16.4% cheaper than Latvia overall. A €67,000 salary in Latvia would need to be roughly BGN110,000 in Bulgaria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Bulgarian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sofia averages 59°F vs 50°F in Riga, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Bulgaria cheaper than Latvia?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.1% less
Groceries
pay 4.5% less
Transportation
pay 15.5% less
Housing
pay 15.6% less
Childcare
pay 42.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 35.5% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Bulgaria?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → BGN110,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Bulgaria
Calculate with your salary →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 Bulgaria cost about 5% less than cities in Latvia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Bulgaria
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Latvia to Bulgaria, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Latvia to Bulgaria.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Bulgaria performs significantly better than Latvia across all safety metrics.
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
Bulgaria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Latvia performs 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
Latvia generally does better on infrastructure, though Bulgaria leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 Latvia 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
Latvia generally does better on family life, though Bulgaria leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), State Revenue Service, Latvia (2016), National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Bulgaria vs Latvia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riga | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) | 42°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riga | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) | 36°/23°F (2.2°/-4.9°C) |
| Feb | 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) | 41°/27°F (4.9°/-2.9°C) |
| Mar | 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.3°C) |
| Apr | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/4.8°C) |
| May | 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) | 69°/48°F (20.3°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) | 74°/54°F (23.5°/12.1°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) | 79°/57°F (25.9°/13.8°C) |
| Aug | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) | 79°/56°F (26.0°/13.4°C) |
| Sep | 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) | 73°/51°F (22.6°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) | 62°/42°F (16.6°/5.7°C) |
| Nov | 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) | 49°/34°F (9.6°/1.2°C) |
| Dec | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.7°C) |
Data:
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre,
National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology
Can you move from Latvia to Bulgaria?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Latvia and Bulgaria. To live, work, or study long-term in Bulgaria, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Bulgaria's immigration authority.
Latvia passport holder visiting Bulgaria
Visa Free
Bulgaria passport holder visiting Latvia
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 Bulgaria than Latvia?
Yes — Bulgaria is on average about 16% cheaper than Latvia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Bulgaria?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly BGN27,500 in Bulgaria on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Bulgaria?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Bulgaria has 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Bulgaria safe for expats?
Bulgaria performs significantly better than Latvia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Bulgaria is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.5 in Latvia. About 86% of people in Bulgaria feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Bulgaria compared to Latvia?
Bulgaria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in health coverage index. There are 43.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Bulgaria, compared to 34.0 in Latvia. Bulgaria scores 73 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Latvia: 75).
What's the weather like in Bulgaria compared to Latvia?
The average high temperature in Sofia is 59°F, compared to 50°F in Riga. Sofia receives around 22.5 in of rainfall per year, while Riga gets 24.9 in.
What language do they speak in Bulgaria?
The official language in Bulgaria is Bulgarian. In Latvia, the official language is Latvian.
