Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Graz and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $2,204 in Graz, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Graz
Learn more

Graz Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Graz

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,204

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,204 per month in Graz vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Graz $2,204
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $3,268 per month in Graz vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Graz $3,268
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $4,332 per month in Graz vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Graz $4,332
Sofia $3,324

Graz costs about 39% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Graz and Sofia sit above the global median – Graz by 64%, Sofia by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.76 €14.96

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-1.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.5 €53.1

$66.9 BGN 117

-11.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €12.19

$11.77 BGN 20.59

16.06%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.86

$3.42 BGN 5.99

26.32%

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

$3.94 €3.52

$2.42 BGN 4.23

62.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.47

$1.86 BGN 3.26

48.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.14

$3.33 BGN 5.83

72.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 €4.91

$4.53 BGN 7.92

21.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-7.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 €2.55

$1.51 BGN 2.64

89.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$2.21 BGN 3.88

28.05%

Eggs

$5.03 €4.49

$4.40 BGN 7.69

14.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.53 €21.89

$11.56 BGN 20.22

112.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.10 €13.48

$8.79 BGN 15.38

71.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.42 €20.90

$16.97 BGN 29.71

38.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 €2.60

$2.17 BGN 3.79

34.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.04 BGN 3.57

21.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 €2.78

$1.84 BGN 3.22

69.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.31

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-13.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.03 BGN 1.80

91.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$0.93 BGN 1.62

120.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.20 BGN 2.11

61.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.85

$0.92 BGN 1.62

3.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.89 €7.04

$4.30 BGN 7.53

83.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.17 €8.19

$7.33 BGN 12.83

25.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.18 BGN 2.06

33.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €2.03

$1.87 BGN 3.28

21.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.64 €3.25

$0.87 BGN 1.52

318.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 €67.2

$28.14 BGN 49.24

167.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 €4.81

$1.74 BGN 3.04

209.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 €2.36

$0.96 BGN 1.68

175.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.10 €31.33

$15.54 BGN 27.19

125.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.78

$1.79 BGN 3.14

11.17%

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

$29.9K €26.7K

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

-0.12%

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

$27.8K €24.8K

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

5.32%

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

$376 €336

$156 BGN 273

141.19%

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

$13.76 €12.28

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-35.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.59 €31.76

$15.64 BGN 27.37

127.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.86 €34.68

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-16.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.97 €19.61

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-20.80%

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 €11.91

$10.02 BGN 17.53

33.13%

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

$519 €463

$766 BGN 1,341

-32.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,618 €5,013

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-56.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €94.1

$89.7 BGN 157

17.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.03 €37.50

$40.88 BGN 71.5

2.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €101

$106 BGN 186

6.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €150

$105 BGN 183

60.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 €742

$796 BGN 1,393

4.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 €615

$607 BGN 1,063

13.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 €1,296

$1,563 BGN 2,735

-7.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,039

$1,060 BGN 1,855

9.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,864 €5,233

$4,357 BGN 7,626

34.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 €2,900

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-0.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,155 €2,815

$1,740 BGN 3,044

81.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

2.89

23.88%

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

Last update for Graz: October 3, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Graz

$689 31.4%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 11.8% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Graz

$426 19.4%

Sofia

$193 12% 54.7% $233

Groceries & Markets

Graz

$418 19.1%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 31.2% $130

Eating Out

Graz

$294 13.4%

Sofia

$256 16% 12.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Graz

$193 8.8%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 20.4% $39

Getting Around

Graz

$108 5%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 64.8% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Graz

$66 3%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 1.9% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $831 in Graz 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 81% higher in Graz, 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 $59.0 in Graz versus $67.0 in Sofia. Groceries tell a different story – $418 in Graz vs $287 in Sofia – so Sofia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Graz

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

1 h ahead of Graz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

331,359

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

Highest

Between locations

Graz Sofia 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Graz
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

Graz vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Graz is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,306 per month in Graz 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.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Graz, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Graz and $67.0 in Sofia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Graz at $2,204. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Graz it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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, Graz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.