Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $1,777 in Lund, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Lund
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Lund Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Lund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,777

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,777 in Lund versus $1,589 in Sofia.

Lund $1,777
Sofia $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,922 in Lund versus $2,456 in Sofia.

Lund $2,922
Sofia $2,456

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,067 in Lund versus $3,324 in Sofia.

Lund $4,067
Sofia $3,324

Living in Lund is roughly 12% more expensive than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 33% above, Sofia 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.72 SEK 127

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-25.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 SEK 909

$66.9 BGN 117

35.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 SEK 117

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-0.42%

Cappuccino

$4.60 SEK 46.01

$3.42 BGN 5.99

34.50%

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

$2.79 SEK 27.88

$2.42 BGN 4.23

15.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.65

$1.86 BGN 3.26

11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 SEK 81.7

$3.33 BGN 5.83

145.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 SEK 67.9

$4.53 BGN 7.92

49.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SEK 16.28

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-15.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SEK 25.47

$1.51 BGN 2.64

68.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 SEK 33.74

$2.21 BGN 3.88

52.94%

Eggs

$4.57 SEK 45.63

$4.40 BGN 7.69

3.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 SEK 125

$11.56 BGN 20.22

8.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.84 SEK 118

$8.79 BGN 15.38

34.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 SEK 153

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-9.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 SEK 30.63

$2.17 BGN 3.79

41.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 SEK 25.82

$2.04 BGN 3.57

26.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 28.26

$1.84 BGN 3.22

53.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 SEK 46.78

$4.29 BGN 7.51

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 SEK 16.98

$1.03 BGN 1.80

65.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 SEK 14.25

$0.93 BGN 1.62

53.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 25.50

$1.20 BGN 2.11

112.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 SEK 15.20

$0.92 BGN 1.62

65.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 SEK 81.0

$4.30 BGN 7.53

88.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 SEK 111

$7.33 BGN 12.83

52.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 18.50

$1.18 BGN 2.06

56.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SEK 27.27

$1.87 BGN 3.28

45.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 SEK 32.79

$0.87 BGN 1.52

277.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 SEK 632

$28.14 BGN 49.24

124.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 SEK 50.7

$1.74 BGN 3.04

191.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 SEK 11.02

$0.96 BGN 1.68

14.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.40 SEK 414

$15.54 BGN 27.19

166.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.97

$1.79 BGN 3.14

0.56%

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

$33.1K SEK 331.0K

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

10.47%

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

$32.8K SEK 328.1K

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

24.50%

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

$76.4 SEK 764

$156 BGN 273

-51.01%

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

$28.05 SEK 280

$21.21 BGN 37.11

32.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.33 SEK 413

$15.64 BGN 27.37

164.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.07 SEK 381

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-18.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.39 SEK 274

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-1.26%

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 SEK 151

$10.02 BGN 17.53

50.80%

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

$157 SEK 1,571

$766 BGN 1,341

-79.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 SEK 785

$89.7 BGN 157

-12.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 SEK 566

$40.88 BGN 71.5

38.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 SEK 976

$106 BGN 186

-7.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 SEK 1,213

$105 BGN 183

16.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 SEK 8,255

$796 BGN 1,393

3.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 SEK 6,716

$607 BGN 1,063

10.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 SEK 17.0K

$1,563 BGN 2,735

8.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 SEK 13.6K

$1,060 BGN 1,855

28.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,116 SEK 61.1K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

40.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,597 SEK 35.9K

$3,250 BGN 5,688

10.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,871 SEK 28.7K

$1,740 BGN 3,044

65.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

2.89

4.84%

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

Last update for Lund: 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

Lund

$672 38.3%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 9.6% $65

Groceries & Markets

Lund

$355 20.3%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 19.1% $68

Eating Out

Lund

$266 15.2%

Sofia

$256 16% 3.8% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Lund

$159 9.1%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 3.7% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lund

$146 8.3%

Sofia

$193 12% 32.3% $47

Getting Around

Lund

$87 5%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 56.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Lund

$68 3.9%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 2.2% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $826 in Lund and $796 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 65% 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: $91.0 in Lund vs $67.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $287 per month, with Sofia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lund

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

08:17 8:17 AM

1 h ahead of Lund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,800

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 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 SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lund Sofia 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lund
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

Lund vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Lund. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sofia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 65% higher in Lund, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $826 in Lund versus $796 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,777 per month in Lund versus $1,589 in Sofia – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sofia runs roughly 125% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,589 in Sofia versus $1,777 in Lund, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Lund. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sofia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,589 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sofia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lund 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 Sofia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.