Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burgas and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Burgas: $1,214 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Burgas
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Burgas Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Burgas

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,214

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,214 per month in Burgas vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Burgas $1,214
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $1,830 per month in Burgas vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Burgas $1,830
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $2,447 per month in Burgas vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Burgas $2,447
Sofia $3,361

Burgas is about 24% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Burgas sits 10% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 BGN 23.82

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-18.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.97 BGN 80.0

$65.8 BGN 115

-30.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 BGN 19.81

$11.32 BGN 19.69

0.53%

Cappuccino

$3.40 BGN 5.92

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-0.87%

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

$1.00 BGN 1.74

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-58.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 BGN 1.31

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$3.70 BGN 6.44

-45.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 BGN 5.05

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-36.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 BGN 1.78

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-13.30%

Eggs

$3.30 BGN 5.74

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 BGN 17.82

$11.76 BGN 20.47

-12.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 BGN 15.70

$8.83 BGN 15.37

2.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 BGN 19.86

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-34.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 BGN 4.13

$2.15 BGN 3.74

10.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.98 BGN 3.44

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 BGN 3.68

$1.93 BGN 3.37

9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 BGN 4.33

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-41.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.83

$1.04 BGN 1.80

55.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.52

$0.85 BGN 1.48

70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 BGN 1.70

$1.15 BGN 2.00

-14.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 BGN 1.58

$0.89 BGN 1.56

2.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 BGN 6.32

$4.21 BGN 7.33

-13.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 BGN 11.99

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-7.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 BGN 1.72

$1.15 BGN 2.01

-13.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 BGN 3.32

$1.85 BGN 3.23

3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.87 BGN 1.51

-2.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.51 BGN 60.0

$28.53 BGN 49.65

20.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$1.68 BGN 2.93

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-23.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.76 BGN 20.46

$15.35 BGN 26.70

-23.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 BGN 3.00

$1.69 BGN 2.94

1.78%

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

$30.3K BGN 52.7K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

1.69%

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

$22.5K BGN 39.2K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

-13.83%

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

$100 BGN 175

$156 BGN 272

-35.74%

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

$13.92 BGN 24.23

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-35.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.87 BGN 20.65

$15.24 BGN 26.51

-22.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.11 BGN 66.3

$46.08 BGN 80.2

-17.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.13 BGN 24.59

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-49.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 BGN 15.32

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-13.46%

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

$229 BGN 398

$774 BGN 1,347

-70.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.4K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

13.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 BGN 100

$89.9 BGN 157

-35.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 BGN 50.1

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-30.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.4 BGN 121

$105 BGN 183

-33.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 BGN 129

$107 BGN 186

-30.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 BGN 938

$783 BGN 1,362

-31.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 BGN 747

$597 BGN 1,038

-28.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 BGN 1,414

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-46.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 BGN 1,087

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-39.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,501 BGN 4,352

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-42.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,943 BGN 3,380

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-38.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$986 BGN 1,716

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-43.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

2.89

12.46%

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

Last update for Burgas: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Burgas

$430 35.4%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 39% $167

Groceries & Markets

Burgas

$248 20.5%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 17.1% $42

Eating Out

Burgas

$207 17.1%

Sofia

$255 16% 22.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burgas

$126 10.4%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 53% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Burgas

$103 8.5%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 49.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Burgas

$56 4.6%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 19.3% $11

Getting Around

Burgas

$43 3.6%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 11.2% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $539 in Burgas 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 76% 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 Burgas versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $248 vs $290 – making Burgas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Burgas

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

Same time as Burgas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

189,741

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Burgas Sofia 340 km

From you

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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

Burgas vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,214 in Burgas, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,820 per month in Burgas 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 Burgas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Burgas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $229 per month in Burgas and $774 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Burgas, where all-in costs run around $1,214, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Burgas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Burgas has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,214 in Burgas to $1,594 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Burgas. 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.