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Living in Plovdiv

In Plovdiv, unemployment is 6.3% (2021).

Plovdiv had 333,994 residents at the end of 2025 and is a city in Bulgaria. An estimate placed a monthly public-transport pass at €25.56 in August 2026. Annual PM2.5 was 17 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Practical estimates in August 2026 placed basic utilities for an 85 m² home at €100.54 per month, fixed internet at €13.71 per month, and an inexpensive restaurant meal at €8.69. A monthly estimate placed a mobile plan with at least 10 GB of data at €8 in July 2026.

Last checked 2026-10-0217 sources

Population333,994people31 Dec 2025Official source · NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities
Average gross salary1,000EUR/month31 Dec 2024District figureOfficial source · Average annual wages and salaries of the employees under labour contract by statistical regions and districts in 2024 (EUR)
Average net rent2.75EUR/m²/monthcountry median €1.92 — 43% aboveOfficial source · NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2
Unemployment rate6.3%country median 9.2% — 32% belowOfficial source · NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality
Recorded crime993.8incidents 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
PM2.5, annual mean17µg/m³country median 17.0 — about the sameOfficial source · EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data

Pricier rent than 88% of Bulgarian cities that publish it and lower unemployment than 97% of Bulgarian cities that publish it.

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

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 Plovdiv.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Plovdiv?

Average net cold rent is 2.75 EUR/m² per month (2020), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

  • Average net rent (nettokalt): 2.75 EUR/m²/month · NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m211
What recurs every month5 published recurring costs, € per month
Plovdiv recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€466
Utilities, 85 m² flat€101
Fitness club€36
Internet, 60 Mbps€14
Mobile plan, 10 GB€8

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Net rent across major citiesPlovdiv highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Plovdiv highlighted

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
MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly36.32 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Grocery basket, monthly58.07 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited13.71 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly465.6 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant8.69 eur3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB8.36 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Plovdiv. Jul 2026. Prices in Plovdiv17Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home100.5 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Average net rent (nettokalt)2.75 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €1.9231 Dec 2020NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m211Official

Is Plovdiv 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 worker58%strong on housing, weak on air quality · range 49–67%
Skilled employee62%strong on housing, weak on education · range 53–71%
Student67%strong on cost, weak on education · range 56–78%
Family59%strong on family, weak on education · range 48–70%
Retirement56%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 45–67%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 165 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 2.75 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2020

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 6.3% in September 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Plovdiv?

The unemployment rate is 6.3 % (September 2021). Source: NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality13

Unemployment across cities in BulgariaUnemployment in Plovdiv is 6.3%. Of 36 cities with data, 12 have unemployment of 8 to under 10%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average gross earnings1,000 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Average annual wages and salaries of the employees under labour contract by statistical regions and districts in 2024 (EUR)1Official · county
Unemployment rate6.3 %country median 9.2%7 Sept 2021NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality13Official
Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 2009–2022

Unemployment rate fell 66.4% between 2009 and 2022, from 6.3% to 2.1%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Plovdiv. 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 Plovdiv. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Plovdiv?

Police recorded about 994 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: 993.8 incidents per 100,000 · Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population16
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents993.8 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population16Official · county

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport2 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights14Official
Nearest airportPDV3 Aug 2026OurAirports15Official
Distance to nearest airport13 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports15Official
Public transport monthly pass25.56 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Plovdiv. 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 Plovdiv.

Find courses near Plovdiv

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Plovdiv?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 17 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data2

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

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

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean17 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — BG NO2 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Kamenitsa-Plovdiv)3Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean30 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — BG PM10 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Kamenitsa-Plovdiv)4Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5 — annual mean17 µg/m³country median 17.0 — about the same31 Dec 2024EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data2Official
Annual mean temperature (modelled)12.5 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Annual precipitation (modelled)661.1 mm/year2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
January mean temperature (modelled)0.46 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
January minimum temperature (modelled)-23 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
July maximum temperature (modelled)43.16 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
July mean temperature (modelled)24.12 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Daily precipitation rate (modelled)1.81 mm/day2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Solar exposure (modelled)3.89 kWh/m²/day2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology10Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Monthly extreme high temperatureJan 20.61 · Feb 23.82 · Mar 29.54 · Apr 30.46 · May 34.03 · Jun 39.91 · Jul 43.16 · Aug 39.52 · Sep 37.77 · Oct 34.26 · Nov 26.55 · Dec 22.17 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center9Official
Monthly extreme low temperatureJan -23 · Feb -21.1 · Mar -15.98 · Apr -8.02 · May 2.64 · Jun 6.48 · Jul 10.6 · Aug 10.5 · Sep 2.45 · Oct -4.38 · Nov -7.13 · Dec -14.5 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center9Official
Average temperature by monthJan 0.46 · Feb 2.53 · Mar 6.69 · Apr 11.21 · May 16.88 · Jun 21.36 · Jul 24.12 · Aug 24.24 · Sep 19.17 · Oct 13.08 · Nov 7.61 · Dec 2.04 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center9Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Plovdiv?

The published population was 333,994 people in 2025. Source: NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities12

Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 4,282 is not 1.8% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area101.9 km²31 Dec 2024Eurostat GISCO, European Commission7Official
Foreign-resident share1.8 %31 Dec 2022Eurostat5Official
Foreign residents4,282 people31 Dec 2019Eurostat — City statistics, urb_cpopcb (indicator DE2012V), Plovdiv6Official
City area101.9 km²31 Dec 2024migrationfit.com8Official
Population density3,576 people/km²31 Dec 2024migrationfit.com8Official
Population333,994 people31 Dec 2025NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities12Official
Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2011–2022

Foreign residents rose 126.8% between 2011 and 2022, from 2,745 to 6,227.

Alternatives for people set on Plovdiv

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 Plovdiv alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Rent: €2.00/m² Burgas vs €2.75/m² Plovdiv−27%
  • Foreign residents: 2.8% Burgas vs 1.8% Plovdiv+56%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,448 Burgas vs 994 Plovdivno percentage
  • Unemployment: 7.2% Burgas vs 6.3% Plovdiv+14%
  • Residents: 195,912 Burgas vs 333,994 Plovdiv−41%
  • Nearest airport: 8.0 km Burgas vs 13.0 km Plovdiv−38%
Full comparisonMore about Burgas

Amsterdam as a Plovdiv alternative in another country

Better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Rent and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Transport pass: €100 Amsterdam vs €26 Plovdiv+291%
  • Rent: €37.27/m² (2025) Amsterdam vs €2.75/m² (2020) Plovdivno percentage
  • Annual PM2.5: 9.0 µg/m³ Amsterdam vs 17.0 µg/m³ Plovdiv−47%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,970 (2024) Amsterdam vs 994 (2025) Plovdivno percentage
Full comparisonMore about Amsterdam

Alternative cities in Bulgaria

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

All Bulgaria cities
Varna331,260 residentsBurgas195,912 residentsStara Zagora141,748 residentsRuse136,112 residentsSliven109,879 residentsPleven108,440 residents

How does Plovdiv compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Plovdiv in rankings

#2 of 30 in Cities with lowest unemployment in Bulgaria #2 of 30 in Largest cities in Bulgaria #7 of 30 in Major cities with the hottest modelled July mean #7 of 16 in Most international cities in Bulgaria #12 of 13 in Cities with cleanest air in Bulgaria #12 of 30 in Major cities with the highest modelled solar exposure

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Plovdiv 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; Plovdiv'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 Plovdiv?

The published population was 333,994 people in 2025. Source: NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities.

How much does it cost to rent in Plovdiv?

Average net cold rent is 2.75 EUR/m² per month (2020), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 193 EUR a month before utilities. Source: NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2.

Is the air quality good in Plovdiv?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 17 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data.

How safe is Plovdiv?

Police recorded about 994 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 Plovdiv?

The unemployment rate is 6.3 % (September 2021). Source: NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality.

How many foreign residents live in Plovdiv?

4,282 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Eurostat — City statistics, urb_cpopcb (indicator DE2012V), Plovdiv.

Is Plovdiv a good place to live?

Plovdiv 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 25). Plovdiv, Bulgaria: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 6e6665cbdc49d7512601824596d4f1a0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/plovdiv/ Retrieved 2026-10-25. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_plovdiv-bulgaria-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_4aed53654083,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Plovdiv, Bulgaria: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-25},
  version = {6e6665cbdc49d7512601824596d4f1a0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/plovdiv/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-25. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Plovdiv, Bulgaria: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/plovdiv/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 6e6665cbdc49d7512601824596d4f1a0; retrieved 2026-10-25; built 2026-10-25.

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
  1. 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
  2. EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
  3. EEA air quality statistics — BG NO2 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Kamenitsa-Plovdiv) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  4. EEA air quality statistics — BG PM10 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Kamenitsa-Plovdiv) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  5. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  6. Eurostat — City statistics, urb_cpopcb (indicator DE2012V), Plovdiv Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  7. Eurostat GISCO, European Commission gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  8. migrationfit.com migrationfit.com · checked 2026-06-14
  9. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  10. NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology NASA POWER · power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-10-25
Show 7 more sources
  1. NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2 NSI City Statistics · nsi.bg · checked 2026-09-18
  2. NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities NSI Infostat 1062 · nsi.bg · checked 2026-07-27
  3. NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality NSI Infostat 2016 · nsi.bg · checked 2026-07-27
  4. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  5. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  6. 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
  7. Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.