Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brest, Belarus and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Brest: $855 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Brest
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Brest Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Brest

🇧🇾 Belarus

$855

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brest 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 Brest and in Sofia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $855 per month in Brest vs $1,585 in Sofia, rent included.

Brest $855
Sofia $1,585

A couple spends around $1,357 per month in Brest vs $2,486 in Sofia, rent included.

Brest $1,357
Sofia $2,486

A family of three spends $1,859 per month in Brest vs $3,387 in Sofia, rent included.

Brest $1,859
Sofia $3,387

Brest is about 46% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Brest sits 37% below the global median, while Sofia is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.65 BYN 37.58

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-23.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.56 BYN 115

$67.7 BGN 118

-43.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 BYN 19.56

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-43.58%

Cappuccino

$2.18 BYN 6.48

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-36.07%

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

$0.97 BYN 2.88

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-58.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 BYN 2.70

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-45.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 BYN 9.31

$3.99 BGN 6.94

-21.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 BYN 12.14

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-9.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 BYN 3.50

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-39.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 BYN 3.08

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-32.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 BYN 2.96

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-57.45%

Eggs

$1.60 BYN 4.76

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-65.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 BYN 20.54

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-39.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 BYN 11.01

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-57.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.65 BYN 10.83

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-78.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 BYN 6.06

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-5.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 BYN 7.27

$1.98 BGN 3.45

23.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 BYN 6.45

$1.83 BGN 3.18

18.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 BYN 7.38

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-41.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 BYN 2.64

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-14.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 BYN 4.88

$0.89 BGN 1.54

84.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 BYN 5.90

$1.19 BGN 2.06

67.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 BYN 3.93

$0.83 BGN 1.45

59.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 BYN 8.19

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-37.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 BYN 23.61

$7.42 BGN 12.91

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 BYN 3.77

$1.16 BGN 2.01

9.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 BYN 6.17

$1.90 BGN 3.30

9.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 BYN 1.00

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-63.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.53 BYN 49.09

$28.11 BGN 48.91

-41.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 BYN 2.31

$1.67 BGN 2.90

-53.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 BYN 1.61

$0.85 BGN 1.49

-36.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.80 BYN 49.90

$16.59 BGN 28.87

1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 BYN 2.77

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-46.55%

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

$19.1K BYN 56.7K

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

-36.18%

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

$28.1K BYN 83.4K

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

12.33%

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

$65.0 BYN 193

$158 BGN 275

-58.84%

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

$11.49 BYN 34.13

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-45.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.60 BYN 67.1

$15.12 BGN 26.30

49.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.47 BYN 99.4

$46.85 BGN 81.5

-28.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.98 BYN 23.69

$27.82 BGN 48.41

-71.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.38 BYN 15.99

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-46.20%

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

$336 BYN 997

$815 BGN 1,419

-58.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,199 BYN 18.4K

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

-57.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 BYN 157

$87.1 BGN 152

-39.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.25 BYN 120

$38.28 BGN 66.6

5.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 BYN 402

$106 BGN 184

28.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 BYN 262

$107 BGN 187

-17.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 BYN 1,061

$769 BGN 1,338

-53.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 BYN 548

$593 BGN 1,032

-68.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 BYN 1,496

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-67.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 BYN 936

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-70.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,483 BYN 7,376

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-45.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,506 BYN 7,444

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-19.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$538 BYN 1,598

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-69.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

280.62%

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

Last update for Brest: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Brest

$185 21.6%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 55.6% $103

Accommodation & Living

Brest

$184 21.6%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 222% $409

Eating Out

Brest

$179 20.9%

Sofia

$254 16% 42.1% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Brest

$143 16.7%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 6.7% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brest

$99 11.6%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 96.1% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Brest

$44 5.2%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 51.1% $23

Getting Around

Brest

$21 2.5%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 76.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $357 in Brest versus $769 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 in Sofia are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Brest versus $68 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $288 – making Brest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇾 Brest

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

06:34 6:34 AM

1 h behind Brest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,521

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Belarusian Ruble BYN Br

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BYN = 0.337 USD

1 BYN = 0.3 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to BYN – Belarusian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇾 Belarusian Ruble (Br)

Belarusian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2.97 BYN (1 BYN = 0.337 USD). 1 EUR = 3.33 BYN (1 BYN = 0.3 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to BYN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brest Sofia 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brest
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

Brest vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 85% more than Brest, 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 $1,283 per month in Brest and $2,378 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brest, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $357 there versus $769 in Sofia.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Brest and $68 in Sofia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $855 in Brest and $1,585 in Sofia. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Brest – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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