Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubna and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubna: $1,226 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dubna, Russia
Sofia, Bulgaria
Dubna
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,226
/mo nomad
Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,585
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,226 per month in Dubna vs $1,585 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Dubna $1,226
  • Sofia $1,585

A couple spends around $1,936 per month in Dubna vs $2,486 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Dubna $1,936
  • Sofia $2,486

A family of three spends $2,646 per month in Dubna vs $3,387 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Dubna $2,646
  • Sofia $3,387

Dubna is about 23% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dubna sits 9% below the global median, while Sofia is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dubna
Sofia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.11 ₽989
$16.57 BGN 28.84
-26.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.7 ₽5,121
$67.7 BGN 118
-7.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.83 ₽476
$11.68 BGN 20.33
-50.09%
Cappuccino
$1.59 ₽130
$3.41 BGN 5.93
-53.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 ₽119
$2.36 BGN 4.11
-38.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.41 ₽33.88
$1.67 BGN 2.91
-75.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.88 ₽153
$3.99 BGN 6.94
-52.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 ₽392
$4.53 BGN 7.88
5.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dubna
Sofia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 ₽96.6
$1.94 BGN 3.38
-39.18%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₽65.7
$1.55 BGN 2.70
-48.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 ₽143
$2.35 BGN 4.09
-25.53%
Eggs
$1.98 ₽161
$4.60 BGN 8.00
-56.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.71 ₽793
$11.47 BGN 19.96
-15.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.51 ₽531
$8.65 BGN 15.04
-24.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.42 ₽1,177
$17.34 BGN 30.17
-16.84%
Apples (1kg)
$1.77 ₽144
$2.15 BGN 3.73
-17.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 ₽144
$1.98 BGN 3.45
-10.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.19 ₽97.5
$1.83 BGN 3.18
-34.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ₽127
$4.27 BGN 7.43
-63.47%
Potato (1kg)
$0.43 ₽35.13
$1.04 BGN 1.82
-58.65%
Onion (1kg)
$0.57 ₽46.31
$0.89 BGN 1.54
-35.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 ₽128
$1.19 BGN 2.06
31.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ₽68.1
$0.83 BGN 1.45
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.51 ₽286
$4.40 BGN 7.66
-20.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.30 ₽1,004
$7.42 BGN 12.91
65.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 ₽101
$1.16 BGN 2.01
6.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 ₽210
$1.90 BGN 3.30
35.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Dubna
Sofia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 ₽43.43
$0.92 BGN 1.60
-42.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.71 ₽2,426
$28.11 BGN 48.91
5.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.28 ₽187
$1.67 BGN 2.90
36.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 ₽28.42
$0.85 BGN 1.49
-58.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.11 ₽499
$16.59 BGN 28.87
-63.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.89 ₽73.0
$1.74 BGN 3.03
-48.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.6K ₽3.5M
$29.9K BGN 52.1K
42.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K ₽3.2M
$25.0K BGN 43.5K
55.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubna
Sofia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 ₽14.9K
$158 BGN 275
15.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.61 ₽703
$21.27 BGN 37.01
-59.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.47 ₽773
$15.12 BGN 26.30
-37.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dubna
Sofia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.01 ₽3,022
$46.85 BGN 81.5
-21.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.65 ₽1,768
$27.82 BGN 48.41
-22.18%
Cinema Ticket
$8.80 ₽718
$10.00 BGN 17.39
-12.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dubna
Sofia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$361 ₽29.5K
$815 BGN 1,419
-55.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,466 ₽528.0K
$14.6K BGN 25.5K
-55.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dubna
Sofia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$105 ₽8,564
$87.1 BGN 152
20.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$67.5 ₽5,508
$38.28 BGN 66.6
76.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$147 ₽12.0K
$106 BGN 184
39.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$176 ₽14.4K
$107 BGN 187
64.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dubna
Sofia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₽40.8K
$769 BGN 1,338
-34.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$326 ₽26.6K
$593 BGN 1,032
-44.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$941 ₽76.9K
$1,530 BGN 2,662
-38.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$577 ₽47.1K
$1,061 BGN 1,846
-45.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,231 ₽182.2K
$4,526 BGN 7,875
-50.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,536 ₽125.4K
$3,109 BGN 5,410
-50.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dubna
Sofia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,780 BGN 3,098
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.36
2.89
569.90%

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

Last update for Dubna: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dubna
$326
Sofia
$593 81.7% $267
Groceries & Markets
Dubna
$226
Sofia
$288 27.2% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Dubna
$223
Sofia
$152 31.8% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubna
$200
Sofia
$194 3% $6
Eating Out
Dubna
$160
Sofia
$254 58.6% $94
Sport & Entertainment
Dubna
$55
Sofia
$67 22.4% $12
Getting Around
Dubna
$36
Sofia
$38 5.2% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Dubna 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Dubna versus $68 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $288 – making Dubna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Dubna
🇧🇬 Sofia
🕒 Local time
02:41 2:41 AM
01:41 1:41 AM
1 h behind Dubna
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
75,176
1,286,383 Capital
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 81.66 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 91.67 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dubna Sofia 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Dubna
  • Sofia

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Dubna vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Dubna or Sofia?
Sofia costs about 29% more than Dubna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Dubna and in Sofia?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,839 per month in Dubna and $2,378 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Dubna or Sofia?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dubna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $500 there versus $769 in Sofia.
How expensive is transport in Dubna compared to Sofia?
Public transport costs about 5% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Dubna and in Sofia?
Kindergarten costs $361 per month in Dubna and $815 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Dubna or in Sofia?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,226 in Dubna and $1,585 in Sofia. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Dubna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Dubna compared to Sofia?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Dubna vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?