Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leeuwarden and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $2,569 in Leeuwarden, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
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Leeuwarden Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,569

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,569 per month in Leeuwarden vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Leeuwarden $2,569
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $3,793 per month in Leeuwarden vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Leeuwarden $3,793
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $5,018 per month in Leeuwarden vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Leeuwarden $5,018
Sofia $3,361

Leeuwarden costs about 61% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Leeuwarden and Sofia sit above the global median – Leeuwarden by 90%, Sofia by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.90 €19.48

$16.87 BGN 29.35

29.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €101

$65.8 BGN 115

72.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.35 €13.66

$11.32 BGN 19.69

35.60%

Cappuccino

$3.85 €3.42

$3.43 BGN 5.98

12.24%

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

$3.64 €3.24

$2.41 BGN 4.19

51.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.61

$1.85 BGN 3.22

58.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.99

$3.70 BGN 6.44

81.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 €4.66

$4.58 BGN 7.97

14.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-42.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.56 BGN 2.72

19.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.33 BGN 4.05

3.86%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.79

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-2.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 €11.19

$11.76 BGN 20.47

6.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.26 €12.69

$8.83 BGN 15.37

61.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.76 €14.02

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-9.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.15 BGN 3.74

6.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.20

$1.98 BGN 3.44

25.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-1.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 €4.55

$4.24 BGN 7.37

20.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.04 BGN 1.80

69.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.69

$0.85 BGN 1.48

124.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.15 BGN 2.00

1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$0.89 BGN 1.56

8.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.98 €12.44

$4.21 BGN 7.33

232.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 €6.40

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.15 BGN 2.01

60.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-6.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 €3.02

$0.87 BGN 1.51

290.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 €114

$28.53 BGN 49.65

351.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 €7.83

$1.68 BGN 2.93

424.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.83 €3.41

$0.94 BGN 1.63

307.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.76 €44.27

$15.35 BGN 26.70

224.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 €2.18

$1.69 BGN 2.94

44.97%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

40.06%

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

$39.2K €34.9K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

50.05%

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

$365 €325

$156 BGN 272

134.10%

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

$43.62 €38.80

$21.56 BGN 37.52

102.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.88 €40.81

$15.24 BGN 26.51

201.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 €33.01

$46.08 BGN 80.2

-19.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 €16.34

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-34.20%

Cinema Ticket

$16.79 €14.93

$10.18 BGN 17.72

64.93%

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

$1,330 €1,183

$774 BGN 1,347

71.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K €20.2K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

77.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €101

$89.9 BGN 157

26.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.36 €35.01

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-4.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 €115

$105 BGN 183

22.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €120

$107 BGN 186

26.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 €1,228

$783 BGN 1,362

76.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 €909

$597 BGN 1,038

71.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,779 €3,361

$1,516 BGN 2,638

149.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 €1,407

$1,030 BGN 1,792

53.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,620 €3,220

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-16.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,276 €2,914

$3,177 BGN 5,528

3.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,004 €2,672

$1,735 BGN 3,019

73.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

2.89

51.56%

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

Last update for Leeuwarden: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.8%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 41.6% $425

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leeuwarden

$455 17.7%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 57.6% $262

Eating Out

Leeuwarden

$338 13.2%

Sofia

$255 16% 24.6% $83

Groceries & Markets

Leeuwarden

$325 12.7%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 10.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Leeuwarden

$188 7.3%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 17.7% $33

Getting Around

Leeuwarden

$170 6.6%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 77.5% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Leeuwarden

$71 2.8%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 6% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,380 in Leeuwarden 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 73% higher in Leeuwarden, 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 $113 in Leeuwarden versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $290 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

12:07 12:07 PM

1 h ahead of Leeuwarden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,992

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Leeuwarden Sofia 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Leeuwarden
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

Leeuwarden vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leeuwarden costs about 61% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,853 per month in Leeuwarden 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 Sofia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,330 per month in Leeuwarden and $774 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Leeuwarden, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Leeuwarden at $2,569. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leeuwarden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sofia costs $1,594 versus $2,569 in Leeuwarden. 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 Sofia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Leeuwarden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.