Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyustendil and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyustendil: $801 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Kyustendil
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Kyustendil Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Kyustendil

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$801

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $801 per month in Kyustendil vs $1,609 in Sofia, rent included.

Kyustendil $801
Sofia $1,609

A couple spends around $1,230 per month in Kyustendil vs $2,495 in Sofia, rent included.

Kyustendil $1,230
Sofia $2,495

A family of three spends $1,659 per month in Kyustendil vs $3,381 in Sofia, rent included.

Kyustendil $1,659
Sofia $3,381

Kyustendil is about 50% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kyustendil sits 41% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 BGN 17.96

$16.88 BGN 29.70

-39.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.94 BGN 59.7

$66.5 BGN 117

-48.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 BGN 8.79

$11.59 BGN 20.40

-56.95%

Cappuccino

$1.49 BGN 2.62

$3.52 BGN 6.20

-57.67%

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

$1.07 BGN 1.89

$2.42 BGN 4.25

-55.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 BGN 1.09

$1.77 BGN 3.11

-64.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 BGN 2.04

$3.68 BGN 6.48

-68.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 BGN 2.56

$4.38 BGN 7.70

-66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 BGN 2.84

$1.96 BGN 3.44

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 BGN 1.16

$1.51 BGN 2.65

-56.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.54

$2.20 BGN 3.87

-34.55%

Eggs

$2.24 BGN 3.94

$4.40 BGN 7.75

-49.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.69 BGN 11.78

$11.76 BGN 20.70

-43.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 BGN 7.13

$8.68 BGN 15.28

-53.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 BGN 13.38

$17.37 BGN 30.57

-56.25%

Apples (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.27

$2.13 BGN 3.75

-66.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 BGN 3.02

$2.05 BGN 3.61

-16.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

$1.93 BGN 3.40

-39.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 BGN 2.74

$4.17 BGN 7.34

-62.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 BGN 1.06

$1.08 BGN 1.90

-44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 BGN 0.98

$0.91 BGN 1.60

-39.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.96

$1.18 BGN 2.08

-53.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.03

$0.84 BGN 1.47

-30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 BGN 6.15

$4.18 BGN 7.36

-16.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.93 BGN 6.91

$7.68 BGN 13.51

-48.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$1.17 BGN 2.06

-24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.25

$1.80 BGN 3.17

-60.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.57

$0.87 BGN 1.52

2.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.10 BGN 44.18

$29.06 BGN 51.1

-13.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 BGN 2.26

$1.68 BGN 2.96

-23.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BGN 1.08

$0.87 BGN 1.54

-29.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.61 BGN 20.43

$15.76 BGN 27.74

-26.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 BGN 2.71

$1.73 BGN 3.04

-10.98%

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

$14.0K BGN 24.7K

$29.7K BGN 52.2K

-52.71%

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

$13.1K BGN 23.0K

$25.6K BGN 45.0K

-48.92%

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

$93.6 BGN 165

$161 BGN 283

-41.80%

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

$14.56 BGN 25.63

$21.08 BGN 37.10

-30.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.95 BGN 21.04

$15.19 BGN 26.73

-21.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 BGN 56.9

$48.34 BGN 85.1

-33.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 BGN 30.38

$27.47 BGN 48.35

-37.17%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 BGN 6.91

$10.16 BGN 17.88

-61.32%

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

$114 BGN 201

$785 BGN 1,382

-85.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,286 BGN 4,023

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-82.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.35 BGN 53.4

$89.8 BGN 158

-66.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.03 BGN 33.49

$41.29 BGN 72.7

-53.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.8 BGN 107

$108 BGN 189

-43.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.99 BGN 79.2

$109 BGN 192

-58.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 BGN 591

$789 BGN 1,389

-57.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 BGN 449

$604 BGN 1,063

-57.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 BGN 975

$1,517 BGN 2,670

-63.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 BGN 712

$1,037 BGN 1,825

-60.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,306 BGN 2,298

$4,407 BGN 7,756

-70.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,113 BGN 1,959

$3,137 BGN 5,521

-64.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$642 BGN 1,129

$1,736 BGN 3,056

-63.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

2.89

3.46%

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

Last update for Kyustendil: 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

Kyustendil

$255 31.9%

Sofia

$604 37.5% 137% $349

Groceries & Markets

Kyustendil

$153 19.1%

Sofia

$288 17.9% 88.6% $135

Eating Out

Kyustendil

$130 16.2%

Sofia

$256 15.9% 97% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyustendil

$120 15%

Sofia

$197 12.3% 64.1% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Kyustendil

$70 8.7%

Sofia

$157 9.7% 124% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Kyustendil

$40 5%

Sofia

$69 4.3% 70.9% $28

Getting Around

Kyustendil

$33 4.1%

Sofia

$39 2.4% 16.8% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $336 in Kyustendil 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 in Sofia are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Kyustendil versus $66 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $153 vs $288 – making Kyustendil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Kyustendil

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

Same time as Kyustendil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,640

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Kyustendil vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 101% more than Kyustendil, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,201 per month in Kyustendil and $2,413 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kyustendil, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $336 there versus $789 in Sofia.

Groceries cost about 89% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Kyustendil and $66 in Sofia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $801 in Kyustendil and $1,609 in Sofia. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Kyustendil – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kyustendil. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.