Where will you live?

From the capital to the coast and the mountains: what each city is like, who it suits, what it costs, and where to get help locally.

I'm looking for All cities Jobs and city life Beach Mountains Families Remote work Retirement
City guides

The places expats choose most

The capitalSofia Bulgaria's biggest city, with the most jobs, English-speaking services and expats, and a mountain on its doorstep. Jobs and city lifeFamiliesRemote work 1-bed rent: €530–700Airport: Sofia (SOF) Explore Sofia →
PlovdivBulgaria's second city: creative, historic and more affordable than Sofia, with the Rhodope mountains close by.ValueRemote workRetirement1-bed rent: €375–500Explore Plovdiv →VarnaBulgaria's biggest city on the Black Sea, with city beaches, the Sea Garden and life all year round.BeachFamiliesRemote work1-bed rent: €425–570Explore Varna →BanskoA small town below the Pirin mountains, known for skiing, hiking and a community of remote workers.MountainsRemote workSkiing1-bed rent: €250–400Explore Bansko →SozopolAn ancient seaside town on a rocky peninsula: lively in summer, peaceful in winter, and 35 minutes from Burgas.BeachRetirementRemote work1-bed rent: €450–800Explore Sozopol →RuseBulgaria’s elegant Danube city, with grand old buildings, low costs and Bucharest’s airport about 90 minutes away.ValueFamiliesRemote work1-bed rent: €270–315Explore Ruse →
Side by side

Compare the cities

CityBest forPace of life1-bed rentNearest airportFrom Sofia
SofiaJobs, families, city lifeBusy€530–700Sofia (SOF)The capital
PlovdivValue, culture, remote workRelaxed€375–500Plovdiv (PDV), or SofiaAbout 1h45 by car, 2.5 to 3h by train
VarnaBeach, families, remote workRelaxed, busy in summer€425–570Varna (VAR)About 5h by car, 1h by plane
BurgasBeach, retirementQuiet, busy in summer€405–515Burgas (BOJ)About 4h by car, 1h by plane
BanskoMountains, remote workQuiet, busy in ski season€250–400Sofia (SOF)About 2.5h by car or bus
Veliko TarnovoValue, retirement, village lifeRelaxed€285–350Sofia (SOF) or Varna (VAR)About 3h by car or bus
SozopolSea, retirement, remote workVery quiet in winter, busy in summer€450–800Burgas (BOJ)About 4.5h by car, or fly to Burgas
RuseValue, families, remote workRelaxed€270–315Bucharest (OTP) or Varna (VAR)About 4.5h by car
Stara ZagoraValue, families, retirementRelaxed€255–290Plovdiv (PDV) or Sofia (SOF)About 2h45 by car

More places, coming soon

We are writing guides for more towns. Tell us which one you want next.

Blagoevgrad Nessebar Kazanlak Gabrovo Pomorie
Suggest a town

Still deciding?

See what’s on there, or read what it really costs first.

See upcoming events Cost of living guides

Rules change. We'll tell you when.

The latest updates on visas, taxes, cost of living and life in Bulgaria. Once a month, free.