Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Celje and Sofia

For one person, living costs are similar in Celje and in Sofia: $1,574 and $1,600 a month, rent and utilities included.

77

Cost of Living Index in Celje
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Celje Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Celje

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$1,574

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,574 in Celje versus $1,600 in Sofia.

Celje $1,574
Sofia $1,600

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,290 in Celje versus $2,490 in Sofia.

Celje $2,290
Sofia $2,490

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,006 in Celje versus $3,380 in Sofia.

Celje $3,006
Sofia $3,380

Living in Celje costs roughly 2% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Celje 16% above, Sofia 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 €12.07

$16.96 BGN 29.51

-19.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.1 €45.41

$68.3 BGN 119

-25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 €7.96

$11.62 BGN 20.21

-23.06%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.90

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-37.61%

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

$2.22 €1.98

$2.34 BGN 4.08

-5.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.83 BGN 3.19

6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 €2.32

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.94

$4.44 BGN 7.73

-25.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.97 BGN 3.42

-33.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.81

$1.49 BGN 2.59

36.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-2.15%

Eggs

$3.06 €2.72

$4.41 BGN 7.68

-30.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.03 €13.37

$11.54 BGN 20.08

30.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 €8.85

$8.88 BGN 15.44

12.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.85 €7.87

$17.51 BGN 30.46

-49.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.15 BGN 3.74

-8.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.07 BGN 3.60

-15.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.07

$1.93 BGN 3.37

20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 €2.86

$4.25 BGN 7.39

-24.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.03 BGN 1.79

11.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.39

$0.88 BGN 1.54

77.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.19 BGN 2.07

37.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-15.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.68 €5.05

$4.23 BGN 7.35

34.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 €5.38

$7.87 BGN 13.69

-23.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.23

$1.18 BGN 2.06

17.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.89 BGN 3.29

10.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.22

$0.93 BGN 1.62

47.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.26 €25.13

$28.30 BGN 49.24

-0.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 €1.96

$1.68 BGN 2.93

31.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.01

$0.96 BGN 1.68

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.28 €17.15

$15.36 BGN 26.73

25.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.77 BGN 3.09

-5.65%

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

$29.5K €26.3K

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

-3.15%

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

$24.8K €22.1K

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

-1.14%

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

$240 €214

$157 BGN 273

53.07%

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

$8.75 €7.78

$21.12 BGN 36.74

-58.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.02 €18.70

$15.32 BGN 26.65

37.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.03 €29.38

$46.39 BGN 80.7

-28.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.08 €9.85

$28.09 BGN 48.87

-60.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.33 €8.30

$10.04 BGN 17.46

-7.07%

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

$650 €579

$775 BGN 1,348

-16.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K €12.4K

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

11.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €103

$88.1 BGN 153

31.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.87 €39.02

$41.39 BGN 72.0

5.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.3

$107 BGN 186

3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €126

$106 BGN 185

33.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 €645

$770 BGN 1,340

-5.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 €499

$602 BGN 1,048

-6.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 €1,013

$1,564 BGN 2,721

-27.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$837 €745

$1,036 BGN 1,803

-19.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,313 €2,947

$4,567 BGN 7,946

-27.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,570 €2,286

$3,162 BGN 5,502

-18.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,513 €1,346

$1,742 BGN 3,031

-13.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

2.89

21.80%

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

Last update for Celje: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Celje

$561 35.6%

Sofia

$602 37.6% 7.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Celje

$270 17.2%

Sofia

$194 12.1% 28.4% $77

Groceries & Markets

Celje

$267 17%

Sofia

$291 18.2% 8.9% $24

Eating Out

Celje

$197 12.5%

Sofia

$254 15.9% 28.8% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Celje

$185 11.8%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 16.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Celje

$52 3.3%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 28.6% $15

Getting Around

Celje

$42 2.7%

Sofia

$39 2.4% 7.5% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $725 in Celje and $770 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 15% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $51.0 in Celje vs $68.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $291 per month, with Celje cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇮 Celje

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

20:39 8:39 PM

1 h ahead of Celje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,872

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Celje Sofia 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Celje
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

Celje vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Celje and Sofia differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,574 vs $1,600 including rent). Celje is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Sofia. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $725 in Celje versus $770 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,574 per month in Celje versus $1,600 in Sofia – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Celje runs roughly 0% less than in Sofia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,574 in Celje versus $1,600 in Sofia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Celje but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Celje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Celje and Sofia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Celje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.