Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lublin and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Lublin: $1,455 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Sofia despite lower rent and utilities.

71

Cost of Living Index in Lublin
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Lublin Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Lublin

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,455

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,455 per month in Lublin vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Lublin $1,455
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $2,045 per month in Lublin vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Lublin $2,045
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $2,634 per month in Lublin vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Lublin $2,634
Sofia $3,324

Lublin is about 8% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lublin and Sofia sit above the global median – Lublin by 9%, Sofia by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.09 zł 35.54

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-46.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.05 zł 153

$66.9 BGN 117

-41.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 zł 30.80

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-33.05%

Cappuccino

$2.99 zł 11.70

$3.42 BGN 5.99

-12.57%

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

$1.95 zł 7.64

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-19.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 zł 5.98

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 zł 10.62

$3.33 BGN 5.83

-18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 zł 12.70

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-28.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 zł 3.86

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-48.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 zł 5.14

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-13.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 zł 6.01

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-30.32%

Eggs

$3.43 zł 13.39

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 zł 34.48

$11.56 BGN 20.22

-23.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 zł 24.51

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-28.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 zł 43.11

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-35.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 zł 4.54

$2.17 BGN 3.79

-46.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 zł 6.71

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-15.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.88

$1.84 BGN 3.22

-4.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 zł 9.81

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-41.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 zł 3.36

$1.03 BGN 1.80

-16.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 zł 4.10

$0.93 BGN 1.62

12.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 zł 5.49

$1.20 BGN 2.11

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 zł 2.66

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.68 zł 22.19

$4.30 BGN 7.53

32.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.53 zł 25.52

$7.33 BGN 12.83

-10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.32

$1.18 BGN 2.06

-6.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 zł 6.64

$1.87 BGN 3.28

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 zł 3.61

$0.87 BGN 1.52

5.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.12 zł 122

$28.14 BGN 49.24

10.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 zł 7.94

$1.74 BGN 3.04

16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 zł 3.10

$0.96 BGN 1.68

-17.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 zł 40.17

$15.54 BGN 27.19

-33.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 zł 6.28

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-10.06%

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

$30.6K zł 119.8K

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

2.19%

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

$26.8K zł 104.9K

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

1.83%

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

$297 zł 1,161

$156 BGN 273

90.50%

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

$9.81 zł 38.36

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-53.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.90 zł 70.0

$15.64 BGN 27.37

14.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.33 zł 122

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-33.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.65 zł 92.4

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-14.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 zł 31.86

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-18.66%

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

$510 zł 1,994

$766 BGN 1,341

-33.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,257 zł 20.5K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-58.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.9 zł 324

$89.7 BGN 157

-7.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 zł 162

$40.88 BGN 71.5

1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 zł 357

$106 BGN 186

-13.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 zł 403

$105 BGN 183

-1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 zł 2,761

$796 BGN 1,393

-11.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 zł 2,113

$607 BGN 1,063

-10.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 zł 3,248

$1,563 BGN 2,735

-46.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 zł 3,007

$1,060 BGN 1,855

-27.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,577 zł 14.0K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

-17.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,291 zł 8,957

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-29.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,458 zł 5,697

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-16.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.02

2.89

142.91%

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

Last update for Lublin: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lublin

$541 36.7%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 12.3% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lublin

$325 22%

Sofia

$193 12% 40.6% $132

Groceries & Markets

Lublin

$210 14.2%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 36.9% $77

Eating Out

Lublin

$166 11.3%

Sofia

$256 16% 53.9% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Lublin

$143 9.7%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 7.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Lublin

$48 3.2%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 40.2% $19

Getting Around

Lublin

$41 2.8%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 6.5% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $706 in Lublin versus $796 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 19% 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 $39.00 in Lublin versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $287 – making Lublin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Lublin

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

1 h ahead of Lublin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

337,788

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lublin Sofia 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lublin
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

Lublin vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 9% more than Lublin, 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 $2,183 per month in Lublin and $2,384 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lublin, 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 $1,455 in Lublin and $1,589 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 9%.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Lublin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lublin, where all-in costs run around $1,455, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Lublin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lublin costs $1,455 versus $1,589 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 Lublin. 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.