Moving to Bulgaria from Portugal
What to Expect
Considering a move from Portugal to Bulgaria? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Portugal to Bulgaria, you would find that Bulgaria is 37.2% cheaper than Portugal overall. A €67,000 salary in Portugal would need to be roughly BGN82,300 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 69°F in Lisbon, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Portugal and Bulgaria.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → BGN82,300
To maintain the same standard of living in Bulgaria
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 15.8% less
Groceries
pay 14.0% less
Transportation
pay 26.6% less
Housing
pay 59.5% less
Childcare
pay 30.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.6% 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.
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 28% less than cities in Portugal.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Portugal to Bulgaria.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Bulgaria compared to Portugal.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal performs better than Bulgaria 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
Portugal 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
Portugal 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
Portugal 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
Portugal generally does better on employment & economy, though Bulgaria leads in unemployment rate.
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
Portugal generally does better on family life, though Bulgaria leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (2016), National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lisbon | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 42°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 36°/23°F (2.2°/-4.9°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 41°/27°F (4.9°/-2.9°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.3°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/4.8°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 69°/48°F (20.3°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 74°/54°F (23.5°/12.1°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 79°/57°F (25.9°/13.8°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 79°/56°F (26.0°/13.4°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 73°/51°F (22.6°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 62°/42°F (16.6°/5.7°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 49°/34°F (9.6°/1.2°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.7°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal 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.
Portugal passport holder visiting Bulgaria
Visa Free
Bulgaria passport holder visiting Portugal
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 Portugal?
On average Bulgaria is about 37% less expensive than Portugal, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Bulgaria?
Budget about BGN20,575 for 3 months in Bulgaria (based on a €67,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Bulgaria?
Connectivity is usually fine (Bulgaria: 37.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Bulgaria offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Bulgaria safe for expats?
Portugal performs better than Bulgaria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Bulgaria is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Bulgaria compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bulgaria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 43.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Bulgaria, compared to 58.5 in Portugal. Bulgaria scores 73 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Bulgaria compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Sofia is 59°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Sofia receives around 22.5 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Bulgaria?
The official language in Bulgaria is Bulgarian. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
