Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guimaraes and Sofia

For one person, living costs are similar in Guimaraes and in Sofia: $1,606 and $1,609 a month, rent and utilities included.

Guimaraes, Portugal
Sofia, Bulgaria
Guimaraes
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,606
/mo nomad
Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,609
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,606 per month in Guimaraes vs $1,609 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Guimaraes $1,606
  • Sofia $1,609

A couple spends around $2,318 per month in Guimaraes vs $2,495 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Guimaraes $2,318
  • Sofia $2,495

A family of three spends $3,031 per month in Guimaraes vs $3,381 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Guimaraes $3,031
  • Sofia $3,381

Guimaraes and Sofia have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guimaraes
Sofia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.99 €11.63
$16.88 BGN 29.53
-23.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.60 €44.42
$66.5 BGN 116
-25.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.13 €8.18
$11.59 BGN 20.29
-21.23%
Cappuccino
$1.88 €1.68
$3.52 BGN 6.17
-46.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.80
$2.42 BGN 4.23
-16.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.77 BGN 3.09
-23.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.28 €2.05
$3.68 BGN 6.44
-38.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 €2.47
$4.38 BGN 7.66
-36.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guimaraes
Sofia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 €0.94
$1.96 BGN 3.42
-46.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 €1.54
$1.51 BGN 2.64
13.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 €1.51
$2.20 BGN 3.85
-23.64%
Eggs
$2.94 €2.64
$4.40 BGN 7.71
-33.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.48 €11.18
$11.76 BGN 20.59
6.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 €7.04
$8.68 BGN 15.19
-9.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.56 €13.04
$17.37 BGN 30.40
-16.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.06 €1.85
$2.13 BGN 3.73
-3.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.35 €1.21
$2.05 BGN 3.59
-34.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.93 BGN 3.38
-5.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.43 €2.18
$4.17 BGN 7.30
-41.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.08 BGN 1.89
82.41%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$0.91 BGN 1.59
121.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.18 BGN 2.07
29.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 €0.89
$0.84 BGN 1.47
19.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.96
$4.18 BGN 7.32
59.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.45 €3.99
$7.68 BGN 13.43
-42.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 €1.19
$1.17 BGN 2.05
13.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 €1.95
$1.80 BGN 3.16
20.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Guimaraes
Sofia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 €2.28
$0.87 BGN 1.52
193.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.09 €28.74
$29.06 BGN 50.9
10.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.22 €3.78
$1.68 BGN 2.94
151.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 €1.27
$0.87 BGN 1.53
62.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.74
$15.76 BGN 27.58
4.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.16 €1.93
$1.73 BGN 3.02
24.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.8K
$29.7K BGN 51.9K
12.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.1K €34.1K
$25.6K BGN 44.8K
48.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guimaraes
Sofia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$105 €93.7
$161 BGN 282
-35.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.00 €15.23
$21.08 BGN 36.89
-19.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.11 €40.40
$15.19 BGN 26.58
196.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guimaraes
Sofia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.17 €38.67
$48.34 BGN 84.6
-10.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.26 €19.93
$27.47 BGN 48.07
-18.97%
Cinema Ticket
$8.65 €7.75
$10.16 BGN 17.78
-14.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guimaraes
Sofia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$393 €352
$785 BGN 1,374
-50.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,486 €5,809
$12.8K BGN 22.3K
-49.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guimaraes
Sofia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.8 €67.9
$89.8 BGN 157
-15.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.54 €34.52
$41.29 BGN 72.3
-6.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.5 €74.8
$108 BGN 188
-22.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 €92.1
$109 BGN 191
-5.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guimaraes
Sofia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$936 €839
$789 BGN 1,381
18.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$753 €675
$604 BGN 1,057
24.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,310 €1,173
$1,517 BGN 2,654
-13.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,073 €961
$1,037 BGN 1,814
3.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,836 €2,540
$4,407 BGN 7,712
-35.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,207 €1,976
$3,137 BGN 5,490
-29.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guimaraes
Sofia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,434 €1,284
$1,736 BGN 3,038
-17.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.7
2.89
28.03%

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

Last update for Guimaraes: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Guimaraes
$753
Sofia
$604 19.8% $149
Groceries & Markets
Guimaraes
$252
Sofia
$288 14.1% $36
Eating Out
Guimaraes
$184
Sofia
$256 38.9% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guimaraes
$167
Sofia
$197 18.3% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Guimaraes
$135
Sofia
$157 15.7% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Guimaraes
$60
Sofia
$69 13.5% $8.2
Getting Around
Guimaraes
$54
Sofia
$39 28% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $936 in Guimaraes versus $789 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. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Guimaraes versus $66 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $288 – making Guimaraes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Guimaraes
🇧🇬 Sofia
🕒 Local time
15:48 3:48 PM
17:48 5:48 PM
2 h ahead of Guimaraes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
156,849
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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Guimaraes Sofia 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Guimaraes
  • 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
Guimaraes vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Guimaraes and in Sofia?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,409 per month in Guimaraes and $2,413 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Guimaraes or Sofia?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sofia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $789 there versus $936 in Guimaraes.
Are groceries more expensive in Guimaraes or in Sofia?
Groceries cost about 14% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do childcare costs compare in Guimaraes and in Sofia?
Kindergarten costs $393 per month in Guimaraes and $785 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Guimaraes or in Sofia?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,606 in Guimaraes and $1,609 in Sofia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Guimaraes or Sofia?
It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,606 in Guimaraes to $1,609 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Guimaraes compared to Sofia?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Guimaraes or to Sofia?
If budget matters most, go with Guimaraes. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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