Moving to Bulgaria from Sweden
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sweden to Bulgaria — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sweden to Bulgaria, you would find that Bulgaria is 25.3% cheaper than Sweden overall. A SEK709,611 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly BGN82,562 in Bulgaria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Bulgarian.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Sweden to Bulgaria.
What does your salary buy?
SEK709,611 → BGN82,562
To maintain the same standard of living in Bulgaria
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 40.5% less
Groceries
pay 35.6% less
Transportation
pay 54.6% less
Housing
pay 53.0% less
Childcare
pay 97.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 53.7% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Sweden to Bulgaria, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Sweden and Bulgaria stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Sweden generally does better on safety, though Bulgaria leads in feel safe walking at night.
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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Sweden 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
Sweden 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
Sweden performs better than Bulgaria across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Bulgaria generally does better on employment & economy, though Sweden 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
Sweden performs better than Bulgaria across all family life metrics.
Data: Skatteverket, 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 | Stockholm | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 42°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Sofia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 36°/23°F (2.2°/-4.9°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 41°/27°F (4.9°/-2.9°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.3°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/4.8°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 69°/48°F (20.3°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 74°/54°F (23.5°/12.1°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 79°/57°F (25.9°/13.8°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 79°/56°F (26.0°/13.4°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 73°/51°F (22.6°/10.4°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 62°/42°F (16.6°/5.7°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 49°/34°F (9.6°/1.2°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.7°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI),
National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden 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.
Sweden passport holder visiting Bulgaria
Visa Free
Bulgaria passport holder visiting Sweden
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 Sweden?
Generally yes: Bulgaria runs about 35% cheaper than Sweden on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 SEK709,611 comparable salary, that's around BGN20,640 in Bulgaria for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Bulgaria?
With 35.2 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 Sweden and Bulgaria.
Is Bulgaria safe for expats?
Sweden generally does better on safety, though Bulgaria leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Bulgaria is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden. About 86% of people in Bulgaria feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Bulgaria compared to Sweden?
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bulgaria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 49.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Bulgaria, compared to 71.5 in Sweden. Bulgaria scores 73 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in Bulgaria compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Sofia is 59°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Sofia receives around 22.5 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in Bulgaria?
The official language in Bulgaria is Bulgarian. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
