Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kastamonu and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Kastamonu: $1,004 a month against $1,600 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Kastamonu
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Kastamonu Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Kastamonu

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,004

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,004 in Kastamonu versus $1,600 in Sofia.

Kastamonu $1,004
Sofia $1,600

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,638 in Kastamonu versus $2,490 in Sofia.

Kastamonu $1,638
Sofia $2,490

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,273 in Kastamonu versus $3,380 in Sofia.

Kastamonu $2,273
Sofia $3,380

Living in Kastamonu costs roughly 37% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kastamonu is 26% below, Sofia is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.27 ₺509

$16.96 BGN 29.51

-39.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 ₺2,964

$68.3 BGN 119

-12.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 ₺526

$11.62 BGN 20.21

-8.61%

Cappuccino

$4.09 ₺202

$3.43 BGN 5.98

19.24%

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

$0.77 ₺38.27

$2.34 BGN 4.08

-67.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₺14.23

$1.83 BGN 3.19

-84.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₺88.6

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-47.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₺102

$4.44 BGN 7.73

-53.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 ₺57.9

$1.97 BGN 3.42

-40.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 ₺98.8

$1.49 BGN 2.59

34.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 ₺138

$2.33 BGN 4.05

19.31%

Eggs

$1.98 ₺97.8

$4.41 BGN 7.68

-55.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 ₺405

$11.54 BGN 20.08

-29.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 ₺203

$8.88 BGN 15.44

-53.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.23 ₺1,299

$17.51 BGN 30.46

49.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ₺116

$2.15 BGN 3.74

8.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₺91.6

$2.07 BGN 3.60

-10.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ₺75.3

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-21.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 ₺49.45

$4.25 BGN 7.39

-76.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ₺15.46

$1.03 BGN 1.79

-69.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.25 ₺12.31

$0.88 BGN 1.54

-71.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ₺40.99

$1.19 BGN 2.07

-30.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₺31.66

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-28.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 ₺107

$4.23 BGN 7.35

-48.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 ₺462

$7.87 BGN 13.69

18.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₺79.5

$1.18 BGN 2.06

36.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.89 BGN 3.29

21.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ₺34.14

$0.93 BGN 1.62

-25.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 ₺102

$1.68 BGN 2.93

22.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₺33.71

$0.96 BGN 1.68

-29.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 ₺317

$15.36 BGN 26.73

-58.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₺63.6

$1.77 BGN 3.09

-27.68%

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

$40.5K ₺2.0M

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

32.88%

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

$39.9K ₺2.0M

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

59.28%

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

$90.3 ₺4,472

$157 BGN 273

-42.49%

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

$4.31 ₺213

$21.12 BGN 36.74

-79.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.49 ₺618

$15.32 BGN 26.65

-18.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 ₺2,826

$46.39 BGN 80.7

23.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.11 ₺154

$28.09 BGN 48.87

-88.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 ₺203

$10.04 BGN 17.46

-59.16%

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

$257 ₺12.7K

$775 BGN 1,348

-66.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K ₺495.3K

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

-20.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.09 ₺2,034

$88.1 BGN 153

-53.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.69 ₺1,519

$41.39 BGN 72.0

-25.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ₺3,545

$107 BGN 186

-32.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₺2,937

$106 BGN 185

-44.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 ₺21.1K

$770 BGN 1,340

-44.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ₺14.8K

$602 BGN 1,048

-50.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 ₺37.9K

$1,564 BGN 2,721

-51.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ₺27.4K

$1,036 BGN 1,803

-46.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,401 ₺69.3K

$4,567 BGN 7,946

-69.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,041 ₺51.5K

$3,162 BGN 5,502

-67.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,275 ₺63.1K

$1,742 BGN 3,031

-26.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

1595.50%

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

Last update for Kastamonu: 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

Kastamonu

$300 29.8%

Sofia

$602 37.6% 101% $303

Groceries & Markets

Kastamonu

$252 25.1%

Sofia

$291 18.2% 15.4% $39

Eating Out

Kastamonu

$180 18%

Sofia

$254 15.9% 41% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kastamonu

$107 10.7%

Sofia

$194 12.1% 80.6% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Kastamonu

$91 9.1%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 68.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Kastamonu

$65 6.5%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 1.8% $1.2

Getting Around

Kastamonu

$8.2 * 0.8%

Sofia

$39 2.4% 369% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Kastamonu and $770 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 37% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Kastamonu vs $68.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $291 per month, with Kastamonu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Kastamonu

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

07:38 7:38 AM

1 h behind Kastamonu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,541

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kastamonu Sofia 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kastamonu
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

Kastamonu vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kastamonu and Sofia differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,004 vs $1,600 including rent). Kastamonu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Sofia. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $426 in Kastamonu versus $770 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,004 per month in Kastamonu versus $1,600 in Sofia – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,004 in Kastamonu versus $1,600 in Sofia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kastamonu but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Kastamonu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kastamonu and Sofia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kastamonu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.