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Living in Shumen

In Shumen, unemployment is 8.2% (2021).

Shumen's population was 77,095 at the end of 2025. For Shumen, the unemployment rate was 8.2% in September 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-0215 sources

Population77,095people31 Dec 2025Official source · NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities
Average gross salary941.4EUR/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 rent2.33EUR/m²/monthcountry median €1.92 — 21% aboveOfficial source · NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2
Unemployment rate8.2%country median 9.2% — 11% belowOfficial source · NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality
Recorded crime1,052incidents 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

Pricier rent than 76% of Bulgarian cities that publish it and lower unemployment than 72% of Bulgarian cities that publish it.

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

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 Shumen.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Shumen?

Average net cold rent is 2.33 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): 2.33 EUR/m²/month · NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m29
What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Shumen recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€20
Mobile plan, 10 GB€16
Net rent across major citiesShumen highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Shumen 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
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited20 EUR/month30 Sept 2026A1 Bulgaria fixed internet1Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB15.9 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Vivacom mobile data plan15Official · national market
Average net rent (nettokalt)2.33 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €1.9231 Dec 2020NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m29Official

Is Shumen 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 48–68%
Skilled employee60%strong on housing, weak on education · range 51–69%
Student67%strong on cost, weak on education · range 56–78%
Family56%strong on safety, weak on education · range 45–67%
Retirement63%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 50–76%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 140 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 2.33 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

What is the unemployment rate in Shumen?

The unemployment rate is 8.2 % (September 2021). Source: NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality11

Unemployment across cities in BulgariaUnemployment in Shumen is 8.2%. Of 36 cities with data, 12 have unemployment of 8 to under 10%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average gross earnings941.4 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Average annual wages and salaries of the employees under labour contract by statistical regions and districts in 2024 (EUR)2Official · county
Unemployment rate8.2 %country median 9.2%7 Sept 2021NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality11Official
Unemployment rate over time9 published observations, 2011–2022

Unemployment rate fell 59.2% between 2011 and 2022, from 12.6% to 5.1%.

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Shumen?

Police recorded about 1,052 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 population14

MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents1,052 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population14Official · county

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport9 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights12Official
Nearest airportVAR3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official
Distance to nearest airport73 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official

Language courses and integration

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

Find courses near Shumen

Climate and air quality

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 mean15 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — BG NO2 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Shumen)3Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean24 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — BG PM10 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Shumen)4Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperatureJan 17.54 · Feb 19.56 · Mar 25.35 · Apr 29.75 · May 34.17 · Jun 40.04 · Jul 41.38 · Aug 39.43 · Sep 36.29 · Oct 33.41 · Nov 24.66 · Dec 18.96 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center8Official
Monthly extreme low temperatureJan -26.95 · Feb -22.27 · Mar -14.47 · Apr -5.15 · May 1.78 · Jun 6.01 · Jul 8.57 · Aug 9.58 · Sep 1.7 · Oct -5.39 · Nov -13.95 · Dec -16.87 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center8Official
Average temperature by monthJan -1.12 · Feb 0.95 · Mar 5.44 · Apr 10.26 · May 16.12 · Jun 20.73 · Jul 23.48 · Aug 23.49 · Sep 18.16 · Oct 11.86 · Nov 6.4 · Dec 0.59 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center8Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Shumen?

The published population was 77,095 people in 2025. Source: NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities10

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area656.3 km²31 Dec 2024Eurostat GISCO, European Commission6Official
Foreign-resident share2.3 %31 Dec 2022Eurostat5Official
Foreign residents1,648 people31 Dec 2022Eurostat5Official
City area138.3 km²31 Dec 2024migrationfit.com7Official
Population density575 people/km²31 Dec 2024migrationfit.com7Official
Population77,095 people31 Dec 2025NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities10Official
Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2011–2022

Foreign residents rose 270.3% between 2011 and 2022, from 445 to 1,648.

Alternatives for people set on Shumen

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.

Pernik as a Shumen alternative in the same country

Better on 2 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3.

  • Rent: €1.17/m² Pernik vs €2.33/m² Shumen−50%
  • Foreign residents: 0.7% Pernik vs 2.3% Shumen−70%
  • Nearest airport: 33.0 km Pernik vs 73.0 km Shumen−55%
  • Unemployment: 9.0% Pernik vs 8.2% Shumen+10%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,140 Pernik vs 1,052 Shumen+8%
  • Residents: 80,576 Pernik vs 77,095 Shumen+5%
Full comparisonMore about Pernik

Alternative cities in Bulgaria

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

All Bulgaria cities
Veliko Tarnovo77,049 residentsHaskovo78,235 residentsPernik80,576 residentsBlagoevgrad70,708 residentsPazardzhik87,766 residentsKardzhali67,238 residents

How does Shumen compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Shumen in rankings

#5 of 16 in Most international cities in Bulgaria #11 of 30 in Cities with lowest unemployment in Bulgaria #12 of 30 in Largest cities in Bulgaria #14 of 17 in Cheapest cities to rent in Bulgaria

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

The published population was 77,095 people in 2025. Source: NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities.

How much does it cost to rent in Shumen?

Average net cold rent is 2.33 EUR/m² per month (2020), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 163 EUR a month before utilities. Source: NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2.

How safe is Shumen?

Police recorded about 1,052 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 Shumen?

The unemployment rate is 8.2 % (September 2021). Source: NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality.

How many foreign residents live in Shumen?

1,648 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Eurostat.

Is Shumen a good place to live?

Shumen 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). Shumen, Bulgaria: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 17044a15a072d2c9e1ce21d1f0a3b864]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/shumen/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_shumen-bulgaria-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_b767e61b62b3,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Shumen, Bulgaria: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {17044a15a072d2c9e1ce21d1f0a3b864},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/shumen/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Shumen, Bulgaria: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/shumen/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 17044a15a072d2c9e1ce21d1f0a3b864; 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
  1. A1 Bulgaria fixed internet a1.bg · checked 2026-09-15
  2. 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
  3. EEA air quality statistics — BG NO2 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Shumen) 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 Shumen) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  5. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  6. Eurostat GISCO, European Commission gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  7. migrationfit.com migrationfit.com · checked 2026-06-14
  8. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2 NSI City Statistics · nsi.bg · checked 2026-09-18
  10. NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities NSI Infostat 1062 · nsi.bg · checked 2026-07-27
Show 5 more sources
  1. NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality NSI Infostat 2016 · nsi.bg · checked 2026-07-27
  2. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  3. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  4. 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
  5. Vivacom mobile data plan vivacom.bg · checked 2026-09-15

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.