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Living in Varna

In Varna, unemployment is 6.7% (2021).

Varna, a city in Bulgaria, had a population of 331,260 at the end of 2025. For Varna, annual PM2.5 was 11 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. An estimate placed a monthly public-transport pass at €25.58 in August 2026.

Last checked 2026-10-0217 sources

Population331,260people31 Dec 2025Official source · NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities
Average gross salary1,108EUR/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 rent2.42EUR/m²/monthcountry median €1.92 — 26% aboveOfficial source · NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2
Unemployment rate6.7%country median 9.2% — 27% belowOfficial source · NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality
Recorded crime1,573incidents 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 mean11µg/m³country median 17.0 — 35% belowOfficial source · EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data

Pricier rent than 82% of Bulgarian cities that publish it and lower unemployment than 92% of Bulgarian cities that publish it.

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

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 Varna.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Practical estimates in August 2026 placed basic utilities for an 85 m² home at €149.69 per month, fixed internet at €15.05 per month, and an inexpensive restaurant meal at €12.11. A monthly estimate placed a mobile plan with at least 10 GB of data at €9 in July 2026.

How much does it cost to rent in Varna?

Average net cold rent is 2.42 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): 2.42 EUR/m²/month · NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m210
What recurs every month5 published recurring costs, € per month
Varna recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€454
Utilities, 85 m² flat€150
Fitness club€44
Internet, 60 Mbps€15
Mobile plan, 10 GB€9

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Net rent across major citiesVarna highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Varna 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, monthly44.33 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Grocery basket, monthly61.96 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited15.05 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly454.5 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant12.11 eur3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB9.14 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Varna. Jun 2026. Prices in Varna17Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home149.7 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Average net rent (nettokalt)2.42 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €1.9231 Dec 2020NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m210Official

Is Varna 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%
Family58%strong on family, weak on education · range 47–69%
Retirement59%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 48–70%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 145 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 2.42 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 6.7% in September 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Varna?

The unemployment rate is 6.7 % (September 2021). Source: NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality12

Unemployment across cities in BulgariaUnemployment in Varna is 6.7%. Of 36 cities with data, 12 have unemployment of 8 to under 10%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average gross earnings1,108 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 rate6.7 %country median 9.2%7 Sept 2021NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality12Official
Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 2009–2022

Unemployment rate fell 57.4% between 2009 and 2022, from 5.0% to 2.1%.

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Varna?

Police recorded 1,573 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 population15

MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents1,573 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population15Official · county

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport9 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights13Official
Nearest airportVAR3 Aug 2026OurAirports14Official
Distance to nearest airport7 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports14Official
Public transport monthly pass25.58 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Language courses and integration

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

Find courses near Varna

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Varna?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 11 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.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
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 mean26 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — BG NO2 annual mean 2024 (station AMS SOU Angel Kanchev-Varna)3Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean25 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — BG PM10 annual mean 2024 (station AMS SOU Angel Kanchev-Varna)4Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5 — annual mean11 µg/m³country median 17.031 Dec 2024EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data2Official
Annual mean temperature (modelled)13.9 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology9Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Annual precipitation (modelled)536.9 mm/year2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology9Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
January mean temperature (modelled)3.94 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology9Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
January minimum temperature (modelled)-12.41 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology9Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
July maximum temperature (modelled)33.47 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology9Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
July mean temperature (modelled)24.26 °C2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology9Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Daily precipitation rate (modelled)1.47 mm/day2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology9Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Solar exposure (modelled)3.92 kWh/m²/day2001-2020NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology9Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Average daytime high by monthJan 6.6 · Feb 8.1 · Mar 11.2 · Apr 15.5 · May 21.2 · Jun 26.1 · Jul 28.9 · Aug 29.4 · Sep 24.8 · Oct 19 · Nov 13.2 · Dec 8.2 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station VARNA16Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -0.5 · Feb 0.3 · Mar 3.1 · Apr 7.2 · May 12.3 · Jun 16.7 · Jul 18.9 · Aug 19.2 · Sep 15.2 · Oct 10.5 · Nov 5.9 · Dec 1.3 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station VARNA16Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 2.7 · Feb 3.6 · Mar 6.5 · Apr 10.7 · May 16.2 · Jun 21 · Jul 23.3 · Aug 23.5 · Sep 19.1 · Oct 14 · Nov 9.1 · Dec 4.3 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station VARNA16Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 45 · Feb 33 · Mar 42 · Apr 38 · May 38 · Jun 52 · Jul 48 · Aug 29 · Sep 49 · Oct 56 · Nov 49 · Dec 47 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station VARNA16Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 99 · Feb 119 · Mar 154 · Apr 204 · May 259 · Jun 278 · Jul 318 · Aug 318 · Sep 236 · Oct 163 · Nov 105 · Dec 92 hours1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station VARNA16Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In Bulgaria: Burgas ±0.5 °C. Elsewhere: Constanța (Romania) ±0.9 °C, Murfreesboro (United States) ±2.4 °C, Brăila (Romania) ±2.0 °C, Galați (Romania) ±2.0 °C, Reims (France) ±2.7 °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 Varna?

The published population was 331,260 people in 2025. Source: NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities11

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 7,115 is not 3.3% 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 area238.2 km²31 Dec 2024Eurostat GISCO, European Commission7Official
Foreign-resident share3.3 %31 Dec 2022Eurostat5Official
Foreign residents7,115 people31 Dec 2018Eurostat — City statistics, urb_cpopcb (indicator DE2012V), Varna6Official
City area238.9 km²31 Dec 2024migrationfit.com8Official
Population density1,456 people/km²31 Dec 2024migrationfit.com8Official
Population331,260 people31 Dec 2025NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities11Official
Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2011–2022

Foreign residents rose 258.2% between 2011 and 2022, from 3,085 to 11,051.

Alternatives for people set on Varna

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.

Pleven as a Varna alternative in the same country

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

  • Nearest airport: 94.0 km Pleven vs 7.0 km Varna+1243%
  • Rent: €1.58/m² Pleven vs €2.42/m² Varna−35%
  • Foreign residents: 1.4% Pleven vs 3.3% Varna−58%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,139 Pleven vs 1,573 Varna−28%
  • Residents: 108,440 Pleven vs 331,260 Varna−67%
  • Unemployment: 7.9% Pleven vs 6.7% Varna+18%
Full comparisonMore about Pleven

Alternative cities in Bulgaria

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

All Bulgaria cities
Plovdiv333,994 residentsBurgas195,912 residentsStara Zagora141,748 residentsRuse136,112 residentsSliven109,879 residentsPleven108,440 residents

How does Varna compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Varna in rankings

#1 of 16 in Most international cities in Bulgaria #2 of 13 in Cities with cleanest air in Bulgaria #3 of 30 in Largest cities in Bulgaria #4 of 30 in Cities with lowest unemployment in Bulgaria #5 of 30 in Major cities with the lowest modelled annual precipitation #6 of 30 in Major cities with the hottest modelled July mean

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

The published population was 331,260 people in 2025. Source: NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities.

How much does it cost to rent in Varna?

Average net cold rent is 2.42 EUR/m² per month (2020), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 169 EUR a month before utilities. Source: NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2.

Is the air quality good in Varna?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 11 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 Varna?

Police recorded 1,573 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 Varna?

The unemployment rate is 6.7 % (September 2021). Source: NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality.

How many foreign residents live in Varna?

7,115 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Eurostat — City statistics, urb_cpopcb (indicator DE2012V), Varna.

Is Varna a good place to live?

Varna 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). Varna, Bulgaria: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version dcc972ce3927af46e284c59d7e55568e]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/varna/ Retrieved 2026-10-25. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_varna-bulgaria-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_0cafecff8aad,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Varna, Bulgaria: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-25},
  version = {dcc972ce3927af46e284c59d7e55568e},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/varna/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-25. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Varna, Bulgaria: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/varna/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version dcc972ce3927af46e284c59d7e55568e; 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 SOU Angel Kanchev-Varna) 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 SOU Angel Kanchev-Varna) 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), Varna 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 20-year meteorological and solar climatology NASA POWER · power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-10-25
  10. NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2 NSI City Statistics · nsi.bg · checked 2026-09-18
Show 7 more sources
  1. NSI Infostat 1062 — population by sex, residence districts and municipalities NSI Infostat 1062 · nsi.bg · checked 2026-07-27
  2. NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality NSI Infostat 2016 · nsi.bg · checked 2026-07-27
  3. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  4. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  5. 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
  6. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station VARNA WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  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.