Bulgaria
Bulgaria's affordable, mountain-backed capital with a layered history spanning Roman ruins to Soviet-era monuments, and a quietly emerging food and tech scene.
#118 of 250
11% below average
Monthly cost, one adult
$ 1 306
Based on NYC = 100 index
Total does not include Healthcare — no scraped prices there (N/A)
Sofia is the 118. most expensive of the 250 cities we track — a month here comes to $ 1 306 for one adult.
Most of that goes on utilities, which runs 58% above the median city and adds $ 76 a month: basic utilities (85m2 apt) $ 186, mobile plan (10gb+) $ 9.
Cheaper here than almost anywhere else is basic grocery basket, 61% below the median: chicken breast (1kg) $ 8, milk (1 liter) $ 1. You also get off lightly on housing.
Percentages compare this city against the median of all tracked cities, category by category.
9 prices on this page come from live scrapers (6 sources, observed October 13, 2026 to October 13, 2026). They are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit CostCompass and link this page.
CostCompass (2026). Cost of living in Sofia, Bulgaria. Data as of 2026-10-14. https://costcompass.net/living/cities/sofia. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
| Item | Price (USD) | Observations | Last observed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (city-wide) | 614.63 / month | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Balkan and Slovak property portals (per-listing) |
| 3BR Apartment (city-wide) | 1,229.26 / month | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Balkan and Slovak property portals (per-listing) |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | 1.86 / liter | 1 | 2026-10-13 | EU Weekly Oil Bulletin |
| Basic Utilities (85m2 Apt) | 185.82 / month | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Eurostat Energy Prices |
| Fitness Club (Monthly) | 28.57 / month | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Gym Chains |
| Cinema Ticket | 9.50 / ticket | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Cinema Ticket Prices |
| Jeans (Levis or Similar) | 100.51 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | AboutYou & local fashion e-shops |
| Summer Dress (Chain Store) | 134.16 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | AboutYou & local fashion e-shops |
| Business Shoes (Leather) | 47.48 / pair | 1 | 2026-10-13 | AboutYou & local fashion e-shops |
Cities where the money splits the same way
Romania
Similar share of Housing & Utilities · compared on 7 of 8 categories
Slovakia
Similar share of Restaurants & Utilities · compared on 7 of 8 categories
Poland
Similar share of Restaurants & Entertainment · compared on 7 of 8 categories
Mexico
Similar share of Restaurants & Transportation · compared on 7 of 8 categories
Monthly average costs by category
$ 615
per month
$ 57
per month
$ 253
per month
$ 62
per month
$ 206
per month
$ 70
per month
N/A
$ 43
per month