Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubrovnik and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $1,979 in Dubrovnik, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Dubrovnik
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Dubrovnik Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Dubrovnik

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,979

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,979 per month in Dubrovnik vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Dubrovnik $1,979
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $2,933 per month in Dubrovnik vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Dubrovnik $2,933
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $3,886 per month in Dubrovnik vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Dubrovnik $3,886
Sofia $3,361

Dubrovnik costs about 24% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dubrovnik and Sofia sit above the global median – Dubrovnik by 47%, Sofia by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.49 €17.34

$16.87 BGN 29.35

15.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 €68.8

$65.8 BGN 115

17.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 €11.30

$11.32 BGN 19.69

12.28%

Cappuccino

$4.21 €3.74

$3.43 BGN 5.98

22.74%

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

$4.50 €4.01

$2.41 BGN 4.19

86.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 €3.99

$1.85 BGN 3.22

142.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.85

$3.70 BGN 6.44

47.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 €7.10

$4.58 BGN 7.97

74.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.96

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-46.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 €1.07

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-22.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-1.29%

Eggs

$4.18 €3.72

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.90 €8.81

$11.76 BGN 20.47

-15.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.97

$8.83 BGN 15.37

1.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 €8.54

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-45.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 €1.58

$2.15 BGN 3.74

-17.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.98 BGN 3.44

-31.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-11.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-35.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 €0.77

$1.04 BGN 1.80

-17.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 €0.81

$0.85 BGN 1.48

7.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.15 BGN 2.00

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.89 BGN 1.56

40.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 €4.76

$4.21 BGN 7.33

27.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.41 €3.92

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-40.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.15 BGN 2.01

14.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 €2.56

$1.85 BGN 3.23

55.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 €2.51

$0.87 BGN 1.51

225.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.6 €48.53

$28.53 BGN 49.65

91.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 €3.92

$1.68 BGN 2.93

162.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 €1.08

$0.94 BGN 1.63

29.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 €6.58

$15.35 BGN 26.70

-51.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.69 BGN 2.94

6.51%

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

$25.9K €23.0K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

-13.07%

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

$25.5K €22.7K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

-2.46%

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

$178 €158

$156 BGN 272

13.73%

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

$22.58 €20.09

$21.56 BGN 37.52

4.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.34 €37.66

$15.24 BGN 26.51

177.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 €62.4

$46.08 BGN 80.2

52.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.39 €20.81

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-16.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 €7.12

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-21.41%

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

$90.6 €80.6

$774 BGN 1,347

-88.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,922 €6,157

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-45.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €65.2

$89.9 BGN 157

-18.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.46 €24.43

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-33.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.3 €58.9

$105 BGN 183

-36.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 €69.7

$107 BGN 186

-26.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 €1,283

$783 BGN 1,362

84.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 €806

$597 BGN 1,038

51.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 €1,747

$1,516 BGN 2,638

29.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 €1,283

$1,030 BGN 1,792

40.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,912 €7,038

$4,350 BGN 7,568

81.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,158 €3,698

$3,177 BGN 5,528

30.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,437 €1,279

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-17.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

2.89

31.14%

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

Last update for Dubrovnik: 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

Dubrovnik

$906 45.8%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 34.1% $309

Eating Out

Dubrovnik

$324 16.4%

Sofia

$255 16% 21.3% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubrovnik

$242 12.3%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 20.4% $50

Groceries & Markets

Dubrovnik

$235 11.9%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 23.8% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Dubrovnik

$110 5.6%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 39.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Dubrovnik

$86 4.4%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 22.8% $20

Getting Around

Dubrovnik

$76 3.9%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 49.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,442 in Dubrovnik 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 21% higher in Sofia, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Dubrovnik versus $66.0 in Sofia. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Dubrovnik vs $290 in Sofia – so Dubrovnik wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Dubrovnik

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

20:38 8:38 PM

21:38 9:38 PM

1 h ahead of Dubrovnik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,562

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

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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

Dubrovnik vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,979 in Dubrovnik, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,969 per month in Dubrovnik 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 Sofia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 91% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $90.6 per month in Dubrovnik 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 Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Dubrovnik at $1,979. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubrovnik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Dubrovnik has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,594 in Sofia to $1,979 in Dubrovnik. 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 Sofia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubrovnik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.