Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora has 120,976 residents (2025). Average gross wage in the district EUR 1,242 (Q3 2026), registered unemployment in the municipality 2.7% (2025).
Data updated 13.11.2026 · Sources and methodology
Work and economy
What is the average salary in Stara Zagora?
The average gross monthly wage in Stara Zagora district is EUR 1,242 (Q3 2026, NSI, preliminary data). The national average is EUR 1,438.
Source: NSI, average gross monthly wage by district, Q3 2026 (preliminary data); NSI, average gross monthly wage, national, Q3 2026 (preliminary data); change, rank and gap: BWY calculation
Gross wage by quarter
EUR a month, district average, Q4 2024 – Q3 2026
The data in a table
| Quarter | Stara Zagora district | Bulgaria | Change on the quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | EUR 1,242 | EUR 1,438 | +1.0% |
| Q2 2026 | EUR 1,230 | EUR 1,444 | +1.3% |
| Q1 2026 | EUR 1,214 | EUR 1,407 | +6.2% |
| Q4 2025 | EUR 1,143 | EUR 1,369 | +2.7% |
| Q3 2025 | EUR 1,113 | EUR 1,303 | −0.1% |
| Q2 2025 | EUR 1,114 | EUR 1,315 | +6.2% |
| Q1 2025 | EUR 1,049 | EUR 1,249 | −1.5% |
| Q4 2024 | EUR 1,065 | EUR 1,234 |
Source: NSI, average gross monthly wage by district, Q4 2024 – Q3 2026 (preliminary data); NSI, average gross monthly wage, national, Q4 2024 – Q3 2026 (preliminary data)
Gross wage by district
28 districts, Q3 2026
For Ruse: EUR 1,178 in Q3 2026. Here the wage is 5% higher.
Source: NSI, average gross monthly wage by district, Q3 2026 (preliminary data); gap to the compared city: BWY calculation
Registered unemployment by municipality
27 districts, 2025
For Stara Zagora: 2.7% in the municipality and 4.2% in the district.
For Ruse: 3.3% in the municipality and 5.8% in the district.
Source: Employment Agency, average annual registered unemployment rate, 2025
Jobs in Stara Zagora
14 job posts in Stara Zagora district: 10 in Stara Zagora, 3 in Kazanlak, 1 in Chirpan. 10 of them were published in the last 30 days.
By field
The 5 most common of 5 fields; one post can be in more than one
Declared gross salary
8 of 14 posts state a gross salary; on average EUR 910; the middle of a range counts
Work type
Number of job posts
Специалист Кредити на физически лица
Касиер-продавач (м/ж) - Стара Заогра, бул. Никола Петков 48
Касиер-продавач (м/ж) - Стара Загора, ул. Хаджи Димитър Асенов № 3
Служители на витрина с обслужване на пълно работно време, ул. Стамо Пулев 2
Employers in Stara Zagora
Cost of living
How much do water, electricity and heating cost in Stara Zagora?
Household prices in Stara Zagora, incl. VAT: electricity EUR 0.1546/kWh, water and sewerage EUR 2.73/m³, natural gas with transmission EUR 82.68/MWh.
For Ruse: 2,346 degree days. The heating season here is milder.
Source: KEVR decisions and the gas suppliers' price notices; prices with VAT and gas with transmission: BWY calculation; NSI, average prices of non-food goods bought by households, 2025; Eurostat, nrg_chddr2_a, accessed 13.11.2026
Monthly costs by household in Stara Zagora
Food at home, electricity without heating and water, EUR a month
At the official prices stored for each city, incl. VAT; municipal kindergarten 0 EUR with a place. Rows rounded to the euro, totals to EUR 10. Rent, heating, transport, telecom and eating out are not included: add them in the calculator.
How prices move
Consumer prices, change over 12 months, national, 10.2026 (preliminary data)
Official price statistics exist only for the country as a whole; the changes apply to Stara Zagora as to every other city.
Source: Eurostat, prc_hicp_minr, accessed 13.11.2026
Properties in Stara Zagora
7 listings of the partner agencies Home2U and INclusive in Stara Zagora district: 7 for sale and 0 to rent.
Source: NSI, house price index, change on the same quarter of the previous year, Q2 2026 (preliminary data)
By property type
The 2 most common of 2 types
DETACHED HOUSE !!! CENTER !!!
DETACHED HOUSE !!! CENTER !!!
Къща
Къща
Calculator
Education
How does a child get a place in a municipal kindergarten in Stara Zagora?
- How to apply
- Online, in the municipal system: dg.starazagora.bg
- Campaign
- several rankings a year; the main one is in April (2026: applications 6-21 April, results 24 April)
- Address
- the child and the applicant must have a current address in Stara Zagora; nearness to the kindergarten gives no points
- Child without an EGN
- with an LNCh and no EGN: application only in person at the kindergarten, with proof of address registration and identity
- Rules
- Municipal ordinance
Source: the municipality's ordinance and admission system, checked 12.10.2026; compensation: Ministry of Education and Science. Rules change every year: check the dates with the municipality before you apply.
Healthcare
How many hospitals and physicians does Stara Zagora district have?
Stara Zagora district has 13 hospitals with 2,400 beds and 1,343 physicians, 194 of them general practitioners (31.12.2025, NSI). A self-insured person pays EUR 24.81 a month for health insurance (from 08.2026).
Source: NSI, health establishments and beds by district as of 31 December, 2025; NSI, physicians by specialty and district as of 31 December, 2025; NRA, Road Infrastructure Agency, Ministry of Education, national fees and amounts set by law, 13.11.2026
Transport and infrastructure
How much does public transport cost in Stara Zagora?
Public transport in Stara Zagora: the monthly card EUR 30.68, a single ticket EUR 0.80 (01.2026).
Source: municipalities and transport operators, public transport ticket and card prices, 13.11.2026
Nearest airports with scheduled flights
Source: Eurostat, avia_paoa, accessed 13.11.2026; distances in a straight line from the town centre: BWY calculation
Fuel prices
Including taxes, national average
Source: European Commission, Weekly Oil Bulletin, 09.11.2026
Culture and entertainment
How many museums and cinema-goers does Stara Zagora district have?
The museums of Stara Zagora district number 14, with 294,871 visits in 2025. Its cinemas had 183,416 admissions in 2024.
Source: NSI, museums by district, 2025; NSI, cinema screenings and admissions by district, 2024
Tourism
How many visitors stay in Stara Zagora district, and when?
Visitors spent 665,024 nights in the tourist accommodation of Stara Zagora district in 2025, 10.2% of them visitors from abroad (Eurostat). The strongest month of the last twelve was August 2026 with 79,408 nights, the quietest December 2025 with 57,399 (NSI).
For Ruse: 1,057. More visitors stay here for the size of the district.
Source: Eurostat, tour_occ_nin3, accessed 13.11.2026
Where the visitors come from
Nights in Stara Zagora district, 2025
Source: Eurostat, tour_occ_nin3, accessed 13.11.2026
Nights by month
Stara Zagora district, October 2025 – September 2026
The strongest month: August 2026
The data in a table
| Month | Establishments open | Beds | Nights | Guests | Revenue from nights, EUR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 72 | 5,994 | 67,207 | 23,442 | 3,643,711 |
| August 2026 | 72 | 5,917 | 79,408 | 27,481 | 4,467,022 |
| July 2026 | 74 | 6,012 | 71,107 | 23,705 | 3,696,685 |
| June 2026 | 76 | 6,433 | 66,749 | 25,411 | 3,650,241 |
| May 2026 | 73 | 6,377 | 67,725 | 26,086 | 3,758,610 |
| April 2026 | 72 | 6,355 | 58,236 | 24,164 | 3,816,016 |
| March 2026 | 68 | 6,067 | 65,083 | 26,532 | 3,865,210 |
| February 2026 | 67 | 6,083 | 63,672 | 25,982 | 4,135,435 |
| January 2026 | 68 | 6,086 | 63,700 | 24,660 | 4,111,857 |
| December 2025 | 61 | 5,293 | 57,399 | 21,975 | 2,831,693 |
| November 2025 | 62 | 5,315 | 57,541 | 21,992 | 2,757,789 |
| October 2025 | 64 | 5,421 | 59,520 | 22,142 | 2,649,224 |
Source: NSI, activity of the accommodation establishments by district, 10.2025 – 09.2026
Business and investment opportunities
How large is the economy of Stara Zagora district?
GDP per inhabitant in Stara Zagora district is EUR 22,400 (2024, Eurostat). The national figure is EUR 16,300. 15,182 enterprises were active in 2024, 1,411 of them newly founded.
Source: Eurostat, nama_10r_3gdp, accessed 13.11.2026; Eurostat, bd_size_r, accessed 13.11.2026
Gross value added by sector
Stara Zagora district, 2024, at current prices; 5,647 million EUR in all
Source: Eurostat, nama_10r_3gva, accessed 13.11.2026
Stara Zagora compared with the others
Pick another city above or on the map to change the comparison.
Sources: NSI, the Employment Agency, KEVR, the gas suppliers' price notices, Eurostat, the municipalities and the listings of Home2U and INclusive, as in the sections above.
Stories from Stara Zagora
Bulgaria Wants You - Стара Загора
Bulgaria Wants You - Стара Загора, туризъм
Bulgaria Wants You – Стара Загора - градът на възможностите
Other district cities
Pick a district on the map to compare it with Stara Zagora.