Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sofia

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Sofia: $1,526 and $1,589 a month, rent and utilities included.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Sofia $3,324

Istanbul is about 4% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Sofia sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Sofia by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-30.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$66.9 BGN 117

-17.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-22.34%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.42 BGN 5.99

23.98%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-27.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-70.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$3.33 BGN 5.83

40.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$4.53 BGN 7.92

31.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-34.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-37.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.21 BGN 3.88

4.52%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-43.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$11.56 BGN 20.22

-8.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-36.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$16.97 BGN 29.71

24.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.17 BGN 3.79

-11.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.04 BGN 3.57

12.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.84 BGN 3.22

-30.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-57.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.03 BGN 1.80

-34.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.93 BGN 1.62

-36.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.20 BGN 2.11

10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-35.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-45.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$7.33 BGN 12.83

83.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.18 BGN 2.06

105.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.87 BGN 3.28

89.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-4.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$28.14 BGN 49.24

136.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-22.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.96 BGN 1.68

-11.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$15.54 BGN 27.19

-30.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-17.88%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

72.18%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

68.57%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$156 BGN 273

-42.79%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-45.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$15.64 BGN 27.37

2.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$46.76 BGN 81.8

65.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-18.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-16.77%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$766 BGN 1,341

27.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

101.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$89.7 BGN 157

-41.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$40.88 BGN 71.5

-4.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$106 BGN 186

-2.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$105 BGN 183

-7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$796 BGN 1,393

24.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$607 BGN 1,063

3.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,563 BGN 2,735

29.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$1,060 BGN 1,855

8.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

-27.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-43.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-30.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

2.89

1321.80%

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

Last update for Istanbul: 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

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 3.5% $22

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 8.9% $23

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Sofia

$256 16% 17.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 17% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Sofia

$193 12% 64.9% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 28.9% $27

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 49.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul 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 45% 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $287 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Sofia 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
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

Istanbul vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul 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 Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $766 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – 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 Istanbul. 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.