Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisse and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $2,540 in Lisse, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Lisse
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Lisse Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Lisse

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,540

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,540 per month in Lisse vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Lisse $2,540
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $3,792 per month in Lisse vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Lisse $3,792
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $5,045 per month in Lisse vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Lisse $5,045
Sofia $3,361

Lisse costs about 59% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lisse and Sofia sit above the global median – Lisse by 88%, Sofia by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.46 €19.98

$16.87 BGN 29.35

33.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.1 €80.2

$65.8 BGN 115

36.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 €9.06

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-9.98%

Cappuccino

$3.67 €3.27

$3.43 BGN 5.98

7.00%

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

$3.34 €2.97

$2.41 BGN 4.19

38.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.48

$1.85 BGN 3.22

50.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 €5.95

$3.70 BGN 6.44

80.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 €3.76

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-7.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.34

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-25.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 €2.06

$1.56 BGN 2.72

48.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.23

$2.33 BGN 4.05

7.30%

Eggs

$4.53 €4.03

$4.36 BGN 7.59

3.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.77 €13.14

$11.76 BGN 20.47

25.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.84 €11.42

$8.83 BGN 15.37

45.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.63 €17.46

$17.46 BGN 30.38

12.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.37

$2.15 BGN 3.74

24.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €2.00

$1.98 BGN 3.44

13.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.93 BGN 3.37

1.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 €3.29

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-12.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.04 BGN 1.80

27.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 €1.18

$0.85 BGN 1.48

55.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.15 BGN 2.00

-2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.83

$0.89 BGN 1.56

5.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.44 €12.85

$4.21 BGN 7.33

242.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 €5.17

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-21.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.15 BGN 2.01

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.85 BGN 3.23

3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 €3.00

$0.87 BGN 1.51

288.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.4 €81.3

$28.53 BGN 49.65

220.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 €4.23

$1.68 BGN 2.93

183.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.34 €2.97

$0.94 BGN 1.63

255.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.18 €29.51

$15.35 BGN 26.70

116.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.53 €2.25

$1.69 BGN 2.94

49.70%

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

$42.0K €37.3K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

40.83%

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

$39.7K €35.4K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

52.08%

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

$279 €248

$156 BGN 272

78.99%

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

$28.42 €25.28

$21.56 BGN 37.52

31.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 €48.21

$15.24 BGN 26.51

255.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.22 €36.66

$46.08 BGN 80.2

-10.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.89 €21.25

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-14.43%

Cinema Ticket

$16.90 €15.03

$10.18 BGN 17.72

66.01%

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

$2,468 €2,195

$774 BGN 1,347

218.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.7K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-6.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.0 €86.3

$89.9 BGN 157

7.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.68 €37.97

$41.29 BGN 71.8

3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.6

$105 BGN 183

1.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €122

$107 BGN 186

28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 €1,269

$783 BGN 1,362

82.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 €1,025

$597 BGN 1,038

92.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 €2,145

$1,516 BGN 2,638

59.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 €1,732

$1,030 BGN 1,792

89.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,445 €4,843

$4,350 BGN 7,568

25.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,884

$3,177 BGN 5,528

37.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

2.89

17.65%

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

Last update for Lisse: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisse

$1.2K 45.4%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 48.2% $555

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisse

$362 14.3%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 46.7% $169

Groceries & Markets

Lisse

$331 13%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 12.3% $41

Eating Out

Lisse

$321 12.6%

Sofia

$255 16% 20.6% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Lisse

$173 6.8%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 10.5% $18

Getting Around

Lisse

$126 5%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 69.6% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Lisse

$75 3%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 11.4% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,426 in Lisse 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Lisse versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $290 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Lisse

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

1 h ahead of Lisse

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,995

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

Lisse Sofia 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisse
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

Lisse vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisse is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,810 per month in Lisse 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 $2,468 per month in Lisse 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 14% more in Lisse, 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 Lisse at $2,540. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisse it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sofia – 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 Sofia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisse makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.