Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Esztergom and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Esztergom: $1,307 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Esztergom
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Esztergom Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Esztergom

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,307

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,307 per month in Esztergom vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Esztergom $1,307
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $2,042 per month in Esztergom vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Esztergom $2,042
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $2,776 per month in Esztergom vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Esztergom $2,776
Sofia $3,361

Esztergom is about 18% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Esztergom sits 3% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.24 Ft 3,956

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-27.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.5 Ft 17.0K

$65.8 BGN 115

-20.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 Ft 2,931

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-19.88%

Cappuccino

$2.66 Ft 860

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-22.45%

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

$1.98 Ft 638

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-17.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 Ft 380

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-36.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 Ft 969

$3.70 BGN 6.44

-18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Ft 893

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-39.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 375

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-42.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 Ft 465

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 Ft 781

$2.33 BGN 4.05

3.86%

Eggs

$3.17 Ft 1,024

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-27.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 Ft 3,546

$11.76 BGN 20.47

-6.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 Ft 2,013

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-29.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 Ft 4,422

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-21.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.15 BGN 3.74

15.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 Ft 689

$1.98 BGN 3.44

7.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 Ft 688

$1.93 BGN 3.37

10.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 Ft 1,316

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-4.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 Ft 387

$1.04 BGN 1.80

15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 Ft 409

$0.85 BGN 1.48

49.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 Ft 572

$1.15 BGN 2.00

53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Ft 169

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-41.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.89 Ft 2,550

$4.21 BGN 7.33

87.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.26 Ft 2,023

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 Ft 396

$1.15 BGN 2.01

6.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 Ft 523

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-12.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 Ft 388

$0.87 BGN 1.51

37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.73 Ft 7,990

$28.53 BGN 49.65

-13.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 Ft 1,011

$1.68 BGN 2.93

86.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 Ft 508

$0.94 BGN 1.63

67.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 Ft 5,813

$15.35 BGN 26.70

17.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 Ft 592

$1.69 BGN 2.94

8.28%

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

$32.9K Ft 10.6M

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

10.29%

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

$35.7K Ft 11.5M

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

36.57%

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

$155 Ft 50.2K

$156 BGN 272

-0.44%

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

$33.19 Ft 10.7K

$21.56 BGN 37.52

53.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.01 Ft 8,728

$15.24 BGN 26.51

77.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 Ft 16.7K

$46.08 BGN 80.2

12.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.96 Ft 5,802

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-35.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 Ft 2,405

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-26.92%

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

$249 Ft 80.4K

$774 BGN 1,347

-67.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,327 Ft 2.4M

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-42.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 Ft 28.5K

$89.9 BGN 157

-1.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.33 Ft 8,829

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-33.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 Ft 32.2K

$105 BGN 183

-5.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 Ft 34.0K

$107 BGN 186

-1.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 Ft 172.4K

$783 BGN 1,362

-31.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 Ft 129.6K

$597 BGN 1,038

-32.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 Ft 278.0K

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-43.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 Ft 238.8K

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-28.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,775 Ft 896.6K

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-36.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 Ft 845.0K

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-17.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,185 Ft 382.7K

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-31.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

2.89

185.47%

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

Last update for Esztergom: 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

Esztergom

$401 30.7%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 48.7% $196

Groceries & Markets

Esztergom

$249 19%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 16.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Esztergom

$216 16.5%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 10.5% $23

Eating Out

Esztergom

$190 14.6%

Sofia

$255 16% 33.9% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Esztergom

$144 11%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 6.9% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Esztergom

$67 5.1%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Esztergom

$41 3.1%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 5.3% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $534 in Esztergom 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 46% 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 $52.0 in Esztergom versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $290 – making Esztergom the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Esztergom

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

23:24 11:24 PM

00:24 12:24 AM

1 h ahead of Esztergom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,642

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Esztergom Sofia 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Esztergom
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

Esztergom vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 22% more than Esztergom, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,961 per month in Esztergom 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 Esztergom, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Esztergom and $66.0 in Sofia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,307 in Esztergom and $1,594 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Esztergom, where all-in costs run around $1,307, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Esztergom it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Esztergom costs $1,307 versus $1,594 in Sofia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Esztergom. 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.