Moving to Bulgaria from Serbia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Serbia to Bulgaria — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Serbia to Bulgaria, you would find that Bulgaria is 2.1% cheaper than Serbia overall. A RSD7,900,000 salary in Serbia would need to be roughly BGN129,000 in Bulgaria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Bulgarian.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Serbia to Bulgaria.
What does your salary buy?
RSD7,900,000 → BGN129,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Bulgaria
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 1.1% less
Groceries
pay 19.0% more
Transportation
pay 9.2% less
Housing
pay 6.2% less
Childcare
pay 15.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.9% 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 Bulgaria cost about 21% less than cities in Serbia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Serbia to Bulgaria, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Serbia and Bulgaria stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Serbia generally does better on safety, though Bulgaria leads in homicide rate.
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 Serbia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
Serbia 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
Serbia 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 Serbia leads in poverty 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
Serbia 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), Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia (2017), National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria (2016), The World Factbook (2021). 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 | Belgrade | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/33°F (7°/0°C) | 42°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/53°F (22°/12°C) | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/39°F (11°/4°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Belgrade | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C) | 36°/23°F (2.2°/-4.9°C) |
| Feb | 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C) | 41°/27°F (4.9°/-2.9°C) |
| Mar | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.3°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/4.8°C) |
| May | 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C) | 69°/48°F (20.3°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C) | 74°/54°F (23.5°/12.1°C) |
| Jul | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C) | 79°/57°F (25.9°/13.8°C) |
| Aug | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C) | 79°/56°F (26.0°/13.4°C) |
| Sep | 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C) | 73°/51°F (22.6°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) | 62°/42°F (16.6°/5.7°C) |
| Nov | 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C) | 49°/34°F (9.6°/1.2°C) |
| Dec | 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C) | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.7°C) |
Data:
Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia,
National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Serbia 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.
Serbia passport holder visiting Bulgaria
Visa Free
Bulgaria passport holder visiting Serbia
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 Serbia?
Headline costs are within a few percent between Bulgaria and Serbia; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to Bulgaria?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a RSD7,900,000 comparable salary, that's around BGN32,250 in Bulgaria for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Bulgaria?
With 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Bulgaria can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Serbia and Bulgaria.
Is Bulgaria safe for expats?
Serbia generally does better on safety, though Bulgaria leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Bulgaria is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in Serbia.
How is healthcare in Bulgaria compared to Serbia?
Bulgaria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 43.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Bulgaria, compared to 31.0 in Serbia. Bulgaria scores 73 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Serbia: 72).
What's the weather like in Bulgaria compared to Serbia?
The average high temperature in Sofia is 59°F, compared to 62°F in Belgrade. Sofia receives around 22.5 in of rainfall per year, while Belgrade gets 26.9 in.
What language do they speak in Bulgaria?
The official language in Bulgaria is Bulgarian. In Serbia, the official language is Serbian.
