Living in Kardzhali

In Kardzhali, unemployment is 9.6% (2021).

In September 2021, the unemployment rate was 9.6%. Kardzhali had a population of 67,238 at the end of 2025.

Last checked 2026-10-0211 sources

Population67,238people31 Dec 2025Official source · NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities

Average gross salary865.9EUR/month31 Dec 2024District figureOfficial source · Average annual wages and salaries of the employees under labour contract by statistical regions and districts in 2024 (EUR)

Unemployment rate9.6%country median 9.2% — 4% aboveOfficial source · NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality

Recorded crime730.3incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025District figureOfficial source · Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population

Which Bulgaria-wide rules apply when you move to Kardzhali?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in BulgariaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Kardzhali.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Kardzhali. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€20

Mobile plan, 10 GB€16

Net rent across major citiesKardzhali highlighted among comparable cities

net rent, € / m² / month

Sofia€3.83

Plovdiv€2.75

Varna€2.42

Shumen€2.33

Stara Zagora€1.75

Pazardzhik€1.67

Show the other 6 cities

Blagoevgrad€2.25

Vratsa€2.20

Burgas€2.00

Veliko Tarnovo€1.92

Ruse€1.92

Haskovo€1.83

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	20 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	A1 Bulgaria fixed internet¹Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	15.9 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Vivacom mobile data plan¹⁰Official · national market

Is Kardzhali a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker50%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 39–61%

Skilled employee53%strong on work, weak on education · range 43–63%

Student60%strong on legal route, weak on education · range 48–72%

Family49%strong on safety, weak on education · range 37–61%

Retirement58%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 44–72%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Kardzhali?

The unemployment rate is 9.6 % (September 2021). Source: NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality⁶

Unemployment across cities in BulgariaUnemployment in Kardzhali is 9.6%. Of 36 cities with data, 12 have unemployment of 8 to under 10%.

4–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1622–24

Kardzhali 9.6%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average gross earnings	865.9 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Average annual wages and salaries of the employees under labour contract by statistical regions and districts in 2024 (EUR)²Official · county
Unemployment rate	9.6 %country median 9.2%	7 Sept 2021	NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality⁶Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Kardzhali. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Employment Agency — Public employment service

Bulgarian Employment Agency

Job Search

Search jobs

Open the Bulgaria service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Kardzhali. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Kardzhali?

Police recorded about 730 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 730.3 incidents per 100,000 · Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population⁹

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	730.3 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2025	Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population⁹Official · county

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	2 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁷Official
Nearest airport	PDV	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁸Official
Distance to nearest airport	63 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁸Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Kardzhali. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Free Bulgarian language courses for people displaced from Ukraine — State Language Course

Government of Bulgaria / Bulgaria for Ukraine

For people displaced from Ukraine, adults, children.

BulgarianCEFR A1–B2In Person, OnlineFree

Open official information

Open the full Bulgaria section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Kardzhali.

Find courses near Kardzhali

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

7°-2°

9°-1°

13°2°

18°6°

23°10°

28°14°

31°16°

26°12°

20°8°

13°3°

8°-1°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

112

154

192

233

271

309

302

230

156

102

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM1022WHO 15 · EU 40

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM10 — annual mean	22 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	EEA air quality statistics — BG PM10 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Studen kladenets-Kardzhali)³Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by month	Jan 7 · Feb 9.2 · Mar 12.9 · Apr 18.1 · May 23.1 · Jun 27.7 · Jul 30.7 · Aug 31 · Sep 26 · Oct 19.6 · Nov 13.5 · Dec 8.1 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station KARDZHALI¹¹Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan -2.3 · Feb -1.1 · Mar 1.9 · Apr 5.8 · May 10.3 · Jun 14 · Jul 16 · Aug 15.9 · Sep 11.8 · Oct 7.7 · Nov 3.4 · Dec -0.6 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station KARDZHALI¹¹Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 2.1 · Feb 3.8 · Mar 7.1 · Apr 11.8 · May 16.7 · Jun 20.9 · Jul 23.7 · Aug 23.8 · Sep 19 · Oct 13.4 · Nov 8.2 · Dec 3.5 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station KARDZHALI¹¹Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 56 · Feb 60 · Mar 58 · Apr 52 · May 64 · Jun 58 · Jul 35 · Aug 26 · Sep 34 · Oct 58 · Nov 63 · Dec 80 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station KARDZHALI¹¹Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by month	Jan 92 · Feb 112 · Mar 154 · Apr 192 · May 233 · Jun 271 · Jul 309 · Aug 302 · Sep 230 · Oct 156 · Nov 102 · Dec 78 hours	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station KARDZHALI¹¹Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In Bulgaria: Sliven ±1.2 °C. Elsewhere: Murfreesboro (United States) ±2.1 °C, Reims (France) ±2.6 °C, Oklahoma City (United States) ±2.8 °C, Cottbus (Germany) ±2.9 °C, Werl (Germany) ±2.9 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

How many people live in Kardzhali?

The published population was 67,238 people in 2025. Source: NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities⁵

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	80 km²	31 Dec 2024	Bulgaria city identity collection⁴Official
City area	80 km²	31 Dec 2024	migrationfit.com⁴Official
Population density	654 people/km²	31 Dec 2024	migrationfit.com⁴Official
Population	67,238 people	31 Dec 2025	NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities⁵Official

Alternatives for people set on Kardzhali

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Burgas as a Kardzhali alternative in the same country

Better on 2 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Residents: 195,912 Burgas vs 67,238 Kardzhali+191%
Nearest airport: 8.0 km Burgas vs 63.0 km Kardzhali−87%
Unemployment: 7.2% Burgas vs 9.6% Kardzhali−25%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,448 Burgas vs 730 Kardzhalino percentage

Full comparison More about Burgas

Alternative cities in Bulgaria

Other cities in Bulgaria to compare with Kardzhali, nearest in population first.

All Bulgaria cities

Blagoevgrad70,708 residents Kazanlak62,923 residents Yambol58,997 residents Vratsa58,721 residents Veliko Tarnovo77,049 residents Shumen77,095 residents

How does Kardzhali compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Kardzhali's.

Open the full comparison

Kardzhali in rankings

#15 of 30 in Largest cities in Bulgaria #20 of 30 in Cities with lowest unemployment in Bulgaria

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Kardzhali when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 7 to 16, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Free Bulgarian-language training for migrant children (school-based intensive language preparation). How to enrol a child (mon.gov.bg).

A country-wide rule for Bulgaria; Kardzhali's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Kardzhali?

The published population was 67,238 people in 2025. Source: NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities.

How safe is Kardzhali?

Police recorded about 730 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population.

What is the unemployment rate in Kardzhali?

The unemployment rate is 9.6 % (September 2021). Source: NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality.

Is Kardzhali a good place to live?

Kardzhali may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Kardzhali, Bulgaria: population, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version c237d16a68e2da962aba760a36a70f1b]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/kardzhali/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_kardzhali-bulgaria-population-salary-cost-of-living_cbecdcfa99f2,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Kardzhali, Bulgaria: population, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {c237d16a68e2da962aba760a36a70f1b},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/kardzhali/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Kardzhali, Bulgaria: population, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/kardzhali/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version c237d16a68e2da962aba760a36a70f1b; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

A1 Bulgaria fixed internet a1.bg · checked 2026-09-15
Average annual wages and salaries of the employees under labour contract by statistical regions and districts in 2024 (EUR) nsi.bg · checked 2026-09-23
EEA air quality statistics — BG PM10 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Studen kladenets-Kardzhali) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
migrationfit.com migrationfit.com · checked 2026-06-14
NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities NSI Infostat 1062 · nsi.bg · checked 2026-07-27
NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality NSI Infostat 2016 · nsi.bg · checked 2026-07-27
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population mvr.bg · checked 2026-09-28
Vivacom mobile data plan vivacom.bg · checked 2026-09-15

Show 1 more source

WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station KARDZHALI WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31

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