Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kardzhali and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Kardzhali: $653 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Kardzhali
Learn more

Kardzhali Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Kardzhali

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$653

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $653 per month in Kardzhali vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Kardzhali $653
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $1,071 per month in Kardzhali vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Kardzhali $1,071
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $1,489 per month in Kardzhali vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Kardzhali $1,489
Sofia $3,361

Kardzhali is about 59% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kardzhali sits 52% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.22 BGN 19.52

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-33.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.74 BGN 39.57

$65.8 BGN 115

-65.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 BGN 15.75

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-20.05%

Cappuccino

$1.11 BGN 1.92

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-67.64%

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

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-56.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 BGN 1.21

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 BGN 2.82

$3.70 BGN 6.44

-56.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 BGN 2.31

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-70.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-18.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 BGN 1.29

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-52.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 BGN 2.49

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-38.63%

Eggs

$2.81 BGN 4.89

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-35.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 BGN 17.68

$11.76 BGN 20.47

-13.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 BGN 9.75

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-36.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 BGN 11.73

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-61.40%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 BGN 1.56

$2.15 BGN 3.74

-58.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.55

$1.98 BGN 3.44

3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.35

$1.93 BGN 3.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.71

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-49.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 BGN 1.13

$1.04 BGN 1.80

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 BGN 2.22

$0.85 BGN 1.48

49.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$1.15 BGN 2.00

-37.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 BGN 1.39

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-10.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 BGN 6.25

$4.21 BGN 7.33

-14.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.56 BGN 7.94

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-38.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 BGN 1.83

$1.15 BGN 2.01

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 BGN 2.46

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-23.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

$0.87 BGN 1.51

-37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.13 BGN 19.36

$28.53 BGN 49.65

-60.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.68 BGN 2.93

0.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 BGN 1.23

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-25.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 BGN 9.83

$15.35 BGN 26.70

-63.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

$1.69 BGN 2.94

0.59%

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

$29.7K BGN 51.7K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

-0.27%

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

$22.4K BGN 39.0K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

-14.28%

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

$60.9 BGN 106

$156 BGN 272

-60.96%

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

$5.73 BGN 9.97

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-73.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.65 BGN 13.30

$15.24 BGN 26.51

-49.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.14 BGN 40.26

$46.08 BGN 80.2

-49.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$8.43 BGN 14.67

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-17.19%

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

$230 BGN 401

$774 BGN 1,347

-70.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K BGN 25.2K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

13.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.87 BGN 39.79

$89.9 BGN 157

-74.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.49 BGN 21.73

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-69.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.07 BGN 78.4

$105 BGN 183

-57.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 BGN 130

$107 BGN 186

-29.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 BGN 198

$783 BGN 1,362

-85.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 BGN 198

$597 BGN 1,038

-80.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 BGN 396

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-84.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 BGN 479

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-73.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,145 BGN 1,993

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-73.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$858 BGN 1,493

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-72.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,281 BGN 2,229

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-26.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

2.89

12.46%

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

Last update for Kardzhali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kardzhali

$189 28.9%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 53.9% $102

Eating Out

Kardzhali

$148 22.6%

Sofia

$255 16% 72.3% $107

Accommodation & Living

Kardzhali

$114 17.5%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 423% $483

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kardzhali

$74 11.4%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 160% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Kardzhali

$70 10.7%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 121% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Kardzhali

$40 6.1%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 66.1% $26

Getting Around

Kardzhali

$19 2.8%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 107% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $114 in Kardzhali versus $783 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 35% 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 $23.00 in Kardzhali versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $290 – making Kardzhali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Kardzhali

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

Same time as Kardzhali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,421

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kardzhali Sofia 210 km

From you

Kardzhali
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

Kardzhali vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 144% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $980 per month in Kardzhali and $2,391 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kardzhali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $653 in Kardzhali and $1,594 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 144%.

Public transport costs about 156% less in Kardzhali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kardzhali, where all-in costs run around $653, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Kardzhali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kardzhali costs $653 versus $1,594 in Sofia. 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 Kardzhali. 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.