Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bialystok and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Bialystok: $1,450 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Sofia despite lower rent and utilities.

71

Cost of Living Index in Bialystok
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Bialystok Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Bialystok

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,450

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bialystok and in Sofia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bialystok and in Sofia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,450 per month in Bialystok vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Bialystok $1,450
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $2,061 per month in Bialystok vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Bialystok $2,061
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $2,672 per month in Bialystok vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Bialystok $2,672
Sofia $3,361

Bialystok is about 9% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bialystok and Sofia sit above the global median – Bialystok by 7%, Sofia by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 zł 38.15

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-41.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 zł 177

$65.8 BGN 115

-30.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 zł 35.02

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-20.41%

Cappuccino

$3.60 zł 13.99

$3.43 BGN 5.98

4.96%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 zł 6.99

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-25.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 zł 6.11

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-15.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 zł 13.48

$3.70 BGN 6.44

-6.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 zł 11.77

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-33.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.11

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-47.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 zł 3.93

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-35.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 zł 8.63

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-4.72%

Eggs

$3.82 zł 14.84

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-12.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 zł 35.94

$11.76 BGN 20.47

-21.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 zł 22.47

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-34.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 zł 43.63

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-35.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 zł 4.68

$2.15 BGN 3.74

-44.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 zł 7.09

$1.98 BGN 3.44

-7.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 zł 6.08

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-18.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 zł 7.78

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-52.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 zł 4.05

$1.04 BGN 1.80

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.54

$0.85 BGN 1.48

37.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 zł 4.35

$1.15 BGN 2.00

-2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 zł 2.40

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-30.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 zł 19.70

$4.21 BGN 7.33

20.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.29 zł 24.45

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-15.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 zł 4.47

$1.15 BGN 2.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 zł 5.66

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-21.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 zł 4.26

$0.87 BGN 1.51

26.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.94 zł 128

$28.53 BGN 49.65

15.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 zł 7.81

$1.68 BGN 2.93

19.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 zł 2.52

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-30.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.95 zł 50.3

$15.35 BGN 26.70

-15.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 zł 6.01

$1.69 BGN 2.94

-8.28%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.2K zł 117.4K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

1.40%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.0K zł 105.0K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

3.43%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$298 zł 1,157

$156 BGN 272

90.83%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.38 zł 32.54

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-61.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.99 zł 69.9

$15.24 BGN 26.51

18.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.37 zł 161

$46.08 BGN 80.2

-10.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.66 zł 107

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-0.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 zł 26.08

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-34.09%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$359 zł 1,394

$774 BGN 1,347

-53.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,280 zł 16.6K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-66.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.7 zł 383

$89.9 BGN 157

9.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.27 zł 141

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-12.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 zł 334

$105 BGN 183

-18.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 zł 349

$107 BGN 186

-15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 zł 2,101

$783 BGN 1,362

-30.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 zł 1,925

$597 BGN 1,038

-16.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 zł 3,187

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-45.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 zł 2,799

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-30.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,620 zł 10.2K

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-39.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,272 zł 8,826

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-28.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,462 zł 5,680

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-15.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

2.89

144.64%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bialystok: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bialystok

$496 34.2%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 20.4% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bialystok

$324 22.4%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 40.5% $131

Groceries & Markets

Bialystok

$207 14.3%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 40.3% $83

Eating Out

Bialystok

$186 12.8%

Sofia

$255 16% 37.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Bialystok

$140 9.7%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 10.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Bialystok

$55 3.8%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 21.3% $12

Getting Around

Bialystok

$43 2.9%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 9.9% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Bialystok versus $783 in Sofia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Bialystok versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $290 – making Bialystok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Bialystok

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

19:53 7:53 PM

1 h ahead of Bialystok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,554

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bialystok Sofia 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bialystok
Sofia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bialystok vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 10% more than Bialystok, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,175 per month in Bialystok and $2,391 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bialystok, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $359 per month in Bialystok and $774 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bialystok, where all-in costs run around $1,450, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Bialystok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bialystok costs $1,450 versus $1,594 in Sofia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bialystok. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.