Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Genoa and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $1,833 in Genoa, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Genoa
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Genoa Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Genoa

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,833

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,833 per month in Genoa vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Genoa $1,833
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $2,715 per month in Genoa vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Genoa $2,715
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $3,596 per month in Genoa vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Genoa $3,596
Sofia $3,324

Genoa costs about 15% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Genoa and Sofia sit above the global median – Genoa by 37%, Sofia by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.94 €15.12

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-0.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 €70.0

$66.9 BGN 117

17.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

$11.77 BGN 20.59

13.68%

Cappuccino

$1.98 €1.77

$3.42 BGN 5.99

-42.11%

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

$2.93 €2.61

$2.42 BGN 4.23

21.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-13.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.78 €6.05

$3.33 BGN 5.83

103.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 €4.97

$4.53 BGN 7.92

22.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-3.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.18

$1.51 BGN 2.64

61.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.91

$2.21 BGN 3.88

47.51%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.24

$4.40 BGN 7.69

7.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.17 €16.22

$11.56 BGN 20.22

57.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.36

$8.79 BGN 15.38

44.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.35 €18.16

$16.97 BGN 29.71

19.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.17 BGN 3.79

23.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.04 BGN 3.57

1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 €2.60

$1.84 BGN 3.22

58.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 €2.99

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-21.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.93

$1.03 BGN 1.80

109.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$0.93 BGN 1.62

97.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.20 BGN 2.11

45.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.48

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-42.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.02 €6.26

$4.30 BGN 7.53

63.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 €6.98

$7.33 BGN 12.83

6.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.18 BGN 2.06

96.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.67

$1.87 BGN 3.28

59.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.05

$0.87 BGN 1.52

164.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.8 €48.93

$28.14 BGN 49.24

94.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.78 €6.05

$1.74 BGN 3.04

289.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.23

$0.96 BGN 1.68

43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 €30.64

$15.54 BGN 27.19

120.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.79 BGN 3.14

21.79%

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

$36.1K €32.2K

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

20.36%

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

$34.8K €31.0K

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

31.84%

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

$237 €211

$156 BGN 273

51.79%

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

$10.05 €8.97

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-52.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €27.91

$15.64 BGN 27.37

100.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.92 €44.55

$46.76 BGN 81.8

6.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.78 €14.08

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-43.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 €7.92

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-11.48%

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

$358 €319

$766 BGN 1,341

-53.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.9K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-4.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 €65.1

$89.7 BGN 157

-18.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.07 €33.97

$40.88 BGN 71.5

-6.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 €81.4

$106 BGN 186

-14.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €110

$105 BGN 183

17.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 €781

$796 BGN 1,393

9.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 €524

$607 BGN 1,063

-3.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 €1,277

$1,563 BGN 2,735

-8.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$933 €833

$1,060 BGN 1,855

-12.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,635 €3,244

$4,357 BGN 7,626

-16.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,163 €1,038

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-64.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,066 €1,844

$1,740 BGN 3,044

18.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

2.89

16.96%

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

Last update for Genoa: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Genoa

$588 32.9%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 3.4% $20

Groceries & Markets

Genoa

$365 20.5%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 21.3% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Genoa

$278 15.6%

Sofia

$193 12% 30.7% $85

Eating Out

Genoa

$263 14.7%

Sofia

$256 16% 2.5% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Genoa

$146 8.2%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 4.9% $7.2

Getting Around

Genoa

$78 4.4%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 50.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Genoa

$68 3.8%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 1.3% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $875 in Genoa versus $796 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 19% higher in Genoa, 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 $78.0 in Genoa versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $287 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Genoa

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

1 h ahead of Genoa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

586,655

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Genoa Sofia 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Genoa
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

Genoa vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Genoa costs about 15% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,749 per month in Genoa and $2,384 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 95% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $358 per month in Genoa and $766 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 $1,589, than in Genoa at $1,833. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Genoa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sofia costs $1,589 versus $1,833 in Genoa. 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 Sofia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Genoa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.