Cost of Living in Sofia, 🇧🇬 Bulgaria - For Locals, Nomads, and Tourists

Researched Updated Oct 25, 2026 Last changed Oct 31, 2026 About costs

Cost breakdown

Digital nomad: short-term stay (1-3 months). Furnished Airbnb or coliving near center, coworking, eating out ~3x/day, travel health insurance.

Expat: long-term resident (1+ years). Renting apartment in center, mix of cooking and dining out, local health insurance, settled lifestyle.

Family: middle-class 4-person family. 2-3 bedroom in suburbs, groceries for 4, international school, car/transport, family health plan.

Local: budget-conscious local resident. Renting outside center, cooking at home, public transport, local phone plan.

Tourist: short-stay visitor (1-14 days). Hotel/Airbnb nightly, all meals at restaurants, taxis, sightseeing.

CategoryCost

Housing 1 8 $1,010 $731 $998 $554 $95

Utilities 24 25 26 1 — $140 $157 $103 —

Internet & Mobile 5 6 20 $32 $32 $49 $32 $0

Groceries 14 15 16 17 22 1 $141 $281 $489 $101 $9

Transportation 2 3 29 9 $76 $73 $247 $38 $18

Dining Out 27 21 40 1 $552 $248 $520 $97 $41

Leisure Activities 23 28 34 11 1 $76 $67 $1,478 $49 $22

Health Insurance 10 $63 $101 $247 — $2

Visa & Legal Fees 13 $34 $34 $67 — —

Total $1,984 $1,707 $4,252 $974 $187

Itemized prices

Local prices converted to the selected currency.

Housing

Apartment (1 bedroom) 1 8 $554.00 $449 – $730 per month

Coworking Space 7 $268.27 per month

Airbnb (1 month) 1 8 $1,010.21 $730 – $1,235 per month

Coliving Space 8 $471.43 per month

Food & Dining

Coffee 22 $4.80 per cup

Beer 18 1 $3.55 per pint

Meal (Inexpensive) 27 21 40 $13.80 per meal

Fast Food Combo 21 $11.50 per meal

Apples 14 1 $1.11 per kg

Bread 14 $0.62 per loaf

Milk 15 19 $1.18 per liter

Rice 17 $1.09 per kg

Chicken Fillets 14 16 $6.38 per kg

Beef 14 $8.11 per kg

Wine (Mid-range) 39 1 $7.62 per bottle

Meal (Mid-range, 2 people) 27 40 $57.60 per meal

Water (1.5L bottle) 38 $0.66 per bottle

Transportation

Taxi Start 9 $1.68 per trip

Taxi per km 9 $0.84 per km

Monthly Transport Pass 2 3 $28.62 per month

Gasoline 29 4 $1.75 per liter

Ride-hailing (5km) 9 $5.89 per trip

Scooter Rental 12 $60.61 per month

Services

Mobile Plan 6 $17.21 per month

Internet (60 Mbps+) 1 20 $14.80 per month

Gym Membership 23 $39.29 per month

Tennis Court (Weekend) 34 1 $17.96 per hour

SIM Card (Tourist, prepaid) 5 $3.45 one-time

Entertainment

Cinema Ticket 28 $9.54 per ticket

Clothing

Jeans 32 $89.78 per pair

Summer Dress 33 $42.65 per dress

Running Shoes 31 $100.97 per pair

Personal Care

Haircut 35 $12.35 per visit

Laundry 36 $1.12 per kg

Healthcare

Doctor Visit (GP) 30 $44.89 per visit

Pharmacy (basic meds) 37 $5.67 per purchase

About these costs

Method: Researched
Last updated: Oct 25, 2026
Last changed: Oct 31, 2026
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.8909 EUR on Oct 19, 2026

Checked against the sources below and compared with similar cities. Numbers in the list point to these sources.

Compared with Hanoi, Buenos Aires, Vienna, Sarajevo

Livingcost Sofia rent, dining, utilities cross-check (Oct 2026)Index
Sofia Urban Mobility Centre fares from 1 Jan 2026 (EUR)Official
Sofia Metro monthly all-mode pass €25.50Official
Bulgaria Octane-95 €1.65/litre (19 Oct 2026)Index
A1 Holiday Plus starter €3.07Official
A1 prepaid 9000 MB / 30 days €15.33Official
VworkX shared desk €239/monthOfficial
Furnished 1BR Banishora €650/monthListings
Licensed taxis €1.50 initial + €0.75/km day; municipal €/km capsSecondary
SafetyWing Essential USD 62.72 per 4 weeksOfficial
Uwekind tuition from €7,000/year (2026/27)Official
Bolt Bulgaria scooter from €0.15/minuteOfficial
MFA Bulgaria visa and residence application channelOfficial
Kaufland weekly offers Sofia (19–25 Oct 2026)Shop
KZP-tracked fresh milk 1 L from €1.05 (Sofia chains)Secondary
KZP-tracked chicken fillet from €4.70/kgSecondary
KZP-tracked white rice from €0.97/kgSecondary
KZP-tracked store beer from €0.91/0.5 LSecondary
Kaufland NN KLC fresh milk 1 L €1.25Shop
A1 Bulgaria residential fibre internet plansOfficial
McDonalds Mall of Sofia Wolt menu, Big Mac meal €10.50Shop
Starbucks Nansen & Levski Wolt — Caffè Latte €4.80Shop
Pulse Sofia local club card from €35/monthOfficial
Electrohold regulated household electricity €0.12854/kWh incl. network (Jul 2026)Official
Toplofikatsiya Sofia district heat €73.30/MWh ex-VAT (Jul 2026)Official
NSI household electricity €0.1363/kWh all-in (H1 2026)Official
Happy Bar & Grill delivery — mains €7.46–€10.69Shop
Cinema City 2D ticket €8.50 regular (from 5 Sep 2026)Official
Lukoil Bulgaria A95H chain average €1.56/litreOfficial
Medical Arts Sofia — specialist primary consultation €40Official
Decathlon Kiprun Kipstorm Challenger running shoes €89.99Shop
Levis BG mens jeans from €70 (515 Slim Taper €80)Shop
H&M BG satin summer dress €37.99Shop
Amik Sport Sofia tennis €12–€14/hourOfficial
The Blades Studio Sofia mens haircut from €11Official
Laundromat Sofia self-service wash €6/10 kgOfficial
SOpharmacy paracetamol 20 tablets €1.58Shop
Devin mineral water 1.5 L from €0.30 (Lidl) to €0.59 (Kaufland)Shop
KZP-tracked wine from €1.69/L bottle (0.75 L)Secondary
Visit Sofia — Happy Bar & Grill mains €7–15Official

Change history

Oct 31, 2026
- Method Generated Researched
- Currency BGN EUR
- Airbnb (1 month) 1299.65 1010.21
- Apartment (1 bedroom) 738.44 554
- Apples 1.65 1.11
- Beef 13 8.11
41 more changes
- Beer 2.95 3.55
- Bread 1.12 0.62
- Chicken Fillets 8.57 6.38
- Cinema Ticket 10.04 9.54
- Coffee 2.66 4.8
- Coliving Space 649.82 471.43
- Coworking Space 177.22 268.27
- Dining Out local 106.33, nomad 649.82, expat 265.84, family 472.6, tourist 44.31 local 96.6, nomad 552, expat 248.4, family 520, tourist 41.4
- Doctor Visit (GP) 35.44 44.89
- Fast Food Combo 9.45 11.5
- Gasoline 1.74 1.75
- Groceries local 265.84, nomad 118.15, expat 324.91, family 767.97, tourist 7.09 local 101.25, nomad 141.3, expat 281, family 489, tourist 9.23
- Gym Membership 38.4 39.29
- Haircut 20.68 12.35
- Health Insurance local 26.58, nomad 82.7, expat 47.26, family 129.96, tourist 0 local 0, nomad 62.72, expat 101.02, family 246.94, tourist 2.09
- Housing local 443.06, nomad 1092.89, expat 649.82, family 1299.65, tourist 82.7 local 554, nomad 1010.21, expat 731, family 998, tourist 95.41
- Internet & Mobile local 20.68, nomad 50.21, expat 29.54, family 64.98, tourist 2.95 local 32.01, family 49.22, tourist 0.34
- Internet (60 Mbps+) 14.77 14.8
- Jeans 82.7 89.78
- Laundry 5.91 1.12
- Leisure Activities local 59.07, nomad 236.3, expat 177.22, family 354.45, tourist 20.68 local 48.83, nomad 76.33, expat 66.79, family 1477.64, tourist 22
- Meal (Inexpensive) 11.81 13.8
- Meal (Mid-range, 2 people) 53.17 57.6
- Milk 1.83 1.18
- Mobile Plan 20.68 17.21
- Monthly Transport Pass 29.54 28.62
- Pharmacy (basic meds) 8.27 5.67
- Rice 2.48 1.09
- Ride-hailing (5km) 6.5 5.89
- Running Shoes 106.33 100.97
- SIM Card (Tourist, prepaid) 7.09 3.45
- Scooter Rental 8.86 60.61
- Summer Dress 44.31 42.65
- Taxi Start 1.48 1.68
- Taxi per km 0.77 0.84
- Tennis Court (Weekend) 17.72 17.96
- Transportation local 29.54, nomad 70.89, expat 59.07, family 206.76, tourist 14.77 local 38.16, nomad 75.74, expat 72.96, family 246.94, tourist 17.96
- Utilities local 112.24, nomad 0, expat 141.78, family 265.84, tourist 0 local 103, nomad 0, expat 140.31, family 157, tourist 0
- Visa & Legal Fees local 0, expat 23.63, family 59.07 local 0, nomad 33.74, expat 33.74, family 67.48
- Water (1.5L bottle) 0.83 0.66
- Wine (Mid-range) 8.86 7.62
Coffee, Groceries (nomad), Groceries (tourist) moved to Starbucks Wolt Caffè Latte **€4.80** Source

Sofia cost of living