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Bulgaria vs Portugal: salary & cost of living
Which offers better value? A real Eurostat comparison of take-home pay and cost of living, with each country’s Gera EU Value Index.
Bulgaria vs Portugal: which is better value to live in?
As of 2024, Bulgaria offers better salary-to-cost value than Portugal on the Gera EU Value Index (82 vs 78.7, a 3.3-point gap, EU≈100). Bulgaria pays €11,881 net a year versus €18,835 in Portugal; cost-of-living indices are 58.7 and 96.9. Figures from Eurostat (earnings & price levels).
Bulgaria vs Portugal — head to head
| Metric | Bulgaria | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Net annual take-home pay | €11,881 (лв23,237 BGN) | €18,835 |
| PPS earnings index (EU=100) | 42.4 | 90.3 |
| Cost of living (EU=100) | 58.7 | 96.9 |
| Gera EU Value Index | 82 | 78.7 |
| EU value rank (of 27) | #19 | #21 |
Compare your salary in Bulgaria and Portugal
Index your take-home pay against the EU norm in both
How far does your salary go in the EU?
Enter a net (take-home) salary and pick two EU countries. We index it against the EU norm using the same real Eurostat earnings and cost-of-living figures behind the Gera EU Value Index.
| Metric | Bulgaria | Austria |
|---|---|---|
| Your salary, locally | €35,000 (лв68,454 BGN) | €35,000 |
| Salary value vs EU norm | 241.5 | 120.4 |
| Local cost of living (EU=100) | 58.7 | 117.8 |
| Typical local net pay | €11,881 | €35,824 |
| Gera EU Value Index | 82 (#19) | 123.2 (#2) |
On €35,000 a year, your salary stretches further in Bulgaria — a value index of 241.5 against the EU norm of 100, because its cost of living is 58.7 (EU=100). The same salary indexes 241.5 in Bulgaria and 120.4 in Austria. The Gera EU Value Index median is 94.9.
Bulgaria vs Portugal — FAQ
- Is Bulgaria or Portugal better value to live in?
- Bulgaria offers better salary-to-cost value on the Gera EU Value Index (82 vs 78.7, EU≈100, 2024). Bulgaria pays €11,881 net a year and Portugal €18,835; their cost-of-living indices are 58.7 and 96.9. Figures from Eurostat.
- Where is the salary higher — Bulgaria or Portugal?
- Portugal has the higher net annual take-home pay at €18,835 versus €11,881 in Bulgaria, for a single person at 100% of the average wage (Eurostat earn_nt_net, 2024). A higher salary does not always mean better value once cost of living is taken into account.
- Where is the cost of living lower — Bulgaria or Portugal?
- Bulgaria has the lower cost of living, with a Gera EU Cost Index of 58.7 versus 96.9 (EU average ≈ 100), built from Eurostat price levels and household energy prices.
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Contains public sector information published by Eurostat (European Commission) and licensed under the Eurostat reuse policy (© European Union — free reuse with attribution). Source: Eurostat — Net annual earnings (earn_nt_net), single person at 100% of average wage (2024 (earnings) · 2024 price levels / 2025-S2 energy (cost of living), published 2025 (Eurostat earnings release)).