Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Goes and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,600 a month against $2,593 in Goes, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Goes, Netherlands
Sofia, Bulgaria
Goes
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,593
/mo nomad
Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,600
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,593 per month in Goes vs $1,600 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Goes $2,593
  • Sofia $1,600

A couple spends around $3,733 per month in Goes vs $2,490 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Goes $3,733
  • Sofia $2,490

A family of three spends $4,873 per month in Goes vs $3,380 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Goes $4,873
  • Sofia $3,380

Goes costs about 62% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Goes and Sofia sit above the global median – Goes by 91%, Sofia by 18%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Goes
Sofia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.51 €14.72
$16.96 BGN 29.68
-2.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.7 €64.8
$68.3 BGN 119
6.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.84 €13.23
$11.62 BGN 20.33
27.71%
Cappuccino
$4.89 €4.36
$3.43 BGN 6.01
42.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 €2.89
$2.34 BGN 4.10
38.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 €2.50
$1.83 BGN 3.21
53.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.57 €5.85
$3.41 BGN 5.96
92.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.67 €5.05
$4.44 BGN 7.77
27.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Goes
Sofia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.97 BGN 3.44
-25.38%
White Bread (500g)
$2.40 €2.14
$1.49 BGN 2.61
61.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.71 €3.31
$2.33 BGN 4.08
59.23%
Eggs
$5.25 €4.68
$4.41 BGN 7.72
19.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.14 €13.49
$11.54 BGN 20.20
31.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.91 €13.29
$8.88 BGN 15.53
67.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.87 €14.14
$17.51 BGN 30.64
-9.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 €2.48
$2.15 BGN 3.76
29.30%
Banana (1kg)
$2.48 €2.21
$2.07 BGN 3.62
19.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.93 BGN 3.39
-3.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.62 €5.01
$4.25 BGN 7.43
32.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 €1.61
$1.03 BGN 1.80
75.73%
Onion (1kg)
$2.80 €2.50
$0.88 BGN 1.54
218.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.19 BGN 2.08
7.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.77
$0.89 BGN 1.56
-2.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.06 €12.53
$4.23 BGN 7.40
232.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.98 €6.22
$7.87 BGN 13.77
-11.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.18 BGN 2.07
9.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 €2.33
$1.89 BGN 3.31
38.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Goes
Sofia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.40 €3.03
$0.93 BGN 1.63
265.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.0 €78.4
$28.30 BGN 49.52
210.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.07 €3.63
$1.68 BGN 2.94
142.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.80 €2.50
$0.96 BGN 1.69
191.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.59 €26.38
$15.36 BGN 26.88
92.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.42 €2.16
$1.77 BGN 3.10
36.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.0K €37.5K
$30.5K BGN 53.4K
37.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K €34.4K
$25.1K BGN 43.9K
53.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Goes
Sofia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$340 €303
$157 BGN 275
116.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.78 €20.30
$21.12 BGN 36.95
7.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.6 €54.9
$15.32 BGN 26.80
302.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Goes
Sofia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.24 €35.86
$46.39 BGN 81.2
-13.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.47 €20.92
$28.09 BGN 49.15
-16.45%
Cinema Ticket
$14.53 €12.95
$10.04 BGN 17.56
44.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Goes
Sofia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,996 €2,670
$775 BGN 1,356
286.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,979 €5,329
$12.5K BGN 21.9K
-52.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Goes
Sofia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.8 €83.6
$88.1 BGN 154
6.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.63 €37.99
$41.39 BGN 72.4
3.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.7 €77.3
$107 BGN 187
-18.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.0 €88.2
$106 BGN 186
-6.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Goes
Sofia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,415 €1,261
$770 BGN 1,347
83.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,172 €1,045
$602 BGN 1,054
94.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,429 €2,165
$1,564 BGN 2,737
55.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,880 €1,675
$1,036 BGN 1,813
81.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,254 €4,683
$4,567 BGN 7,992
15.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,444 €3,961
$3,162 BGN 5,534
40.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Goes
Sofia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,080 €2,745
$1,742 BGN 3,048
76.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.95
2.89
36.68%

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

Last update for Goes: 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
Goes
$1.2K
Sofia
$602 48.6% $570
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Goes
$425
Sofia
$194 54.4% $231
Groceries & Markets
Goes
$359
Sofia
$291 18.9% $68
Eating Out
Goes
$304
Sofia
$254 16.2% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Goes
$145
Sofia
$154 6.3% $9.2
Getting Around
Goes
$120
Sofia
$39 67.8% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Goes
$69
Sofia
$66 4.1% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,415 in Goes versus $770 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 77% higher in Goes. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Goes versus $68 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $291 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Goes
🇧🇬 Sofia
🕒 Local time
07:56 7:56 AM
08:56 8:56 AM
1 h ahead of Goes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
27,495
1,286,383 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Goes Sofia 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Goes
  • 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
Goes vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sofia cheaper than Goes?
Yes – Goes is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,890 per month in Goes and $2,400 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sofia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $770 there versus $1,415 in Goes.
What are total monthly expenses in Goes and in Sofia?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,593 in Goes and $1,600 in Sofia. That’s a gap of about 62%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 68% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $3,000 enough for either Goes or Sofia?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,593 in Goes and $1,600 in Sofia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Goes or Sofia more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sofia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Goes or Sofia?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Sofia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Goes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Goes vs other spots: cost of living compared

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