Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $1,816 in Olsztyn, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Olsztyn outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
Learn more

Olsztyn Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,816

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,816 in Olsztyn versus $1,594 in Sofia.

Olsztyn $1,816
Sofia $1,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,678 in Olsztyn versus $2,478 in Sofia.

Olsztyn $2,678
Sofia $2,478

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Olsztyn versus $3,361 in Sofia.

Olsztyn $3,540
Sofia $3,361

Living in Olsztyn is roughly 14% more expensive than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Olsztyn 34% above, Sofia 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.84 zł 49.88

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-23.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 zł 196

$65.8 BGN 115

-23.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 zł 34.67

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-21.20%

Cappuccino

$3.31 zł 12.85

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-3.50%

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

$2.51 zł 9.75

$2.41 BGN 4.19

4.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 zł 7.26

$1.85 BGN 3.22

1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 zł 11.59

$3.70 BGN 6.44

-19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 zł 15.18

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-14.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 zł 4.09

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-48.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 zł 4.90

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-19.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 zł 5.52

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-39.06%

Eggs

$3.85 zł 14.95

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-11.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 zł 37.77

$11.76 BGN 20.47

-17.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.34 zł 28.51

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-16.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.04 zł 58.5

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-13.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 zł 4.77

$2.15 BGN 3.74

-42.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 zł 6.25

$1.98 BGN 3.44

-18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 zł 6.99

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-6.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 zł 13.32

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-19.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 zł 3.78

$1.04 BGN 1.80

-6.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.54

$0.85 BGN 1.48

37.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 zł 5.32

$1.15 BGN 2.00

19.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 zł 2.64

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-23.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 zł 21.32

$4.21 BGN 7.33

30.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 zł 28.84

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 zł 4.39

$1.15 BGN 2.01

-1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 zł 6.00

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-16.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 zł 4.07

$0.87 BGN 1.51

20.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.79 zł 100

$28.53 BGN 49.65

-9.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 zł 8.09

$1.68 BGN 2.93

23.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 zł 2.88

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-21.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 zł 39.67

$15.35 BGN 26.70

-33.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 zł 6.43

$1.69 BGN 2.94

-1.78%

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

$31.4K zł 121.9K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

5.27%

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

$29.5K zł 114.4K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

12.68%

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

$329 zł 1,277

$156 BGN 272

110.58%

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

$10.17 zł 39.53

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-52.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.00 zł 73.8

$15.24 BGN 26.51

24.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 zł 197

$46.08 BGN 80.2

9.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.47 zł 87.3

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-19.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 zł 35.42

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-10.41%

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

$378 zł 1,467

$774 BGN 1,347

-51.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K zł 53.4K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

7.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 zł 399

$89.9 BGN 157

14.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.59 zł 189

$41.29 BGN 71.8

17.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 zł 402

$105 BGN 183

-1.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 zł 406

$107 BGN 186

-2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 zł 3,900

$783 BGN 1,362

28.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 zł 2,892

$597 BGN 1,038

24.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 zł 6,546

$1,516 BGN 2,638

11.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 zł 5,221

$1,030 BGN 1,792

30.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,690 zł 14.3K

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-15.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,548 zł 9,898

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-19.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,374 zł 5,338

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-20.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.52

2.89

160.21%

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

Last update for Olsztyn: 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

Olsztyn

$744 41%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 19.8% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olsztyn

$358 19.7%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 46.1% $165

Groceries & Markets

Olsztyn

$238 13.1%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 22.2% $53

Eating Out

Olsztyn

$209 11.5%

Sofia

$255 16% 21.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Olsztyn

$162 8.9%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 4.5% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Olsztyn

$69 3.8%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 3.5% $2.4

Getting Around

Olsztyn

$36 2%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 7.3% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,004 in Olsztyn and $783 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Olsztyn vs $66.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $290 per month, with Olsztyn cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

18:00 6:00 PM

1 h ahead of Olsztyn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,675

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Olsztyn Sofia 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Olsztyn
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

Olsztyn vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and leisure. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Sofia. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,004 in Olsztyn versus $783 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Olsztyn pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Sofia – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $50.0 in Olsztyn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,816 in Olsztyn, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Olsztyn. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sofia is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Olsztyn, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Olsztyn 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 14% less than in Olsztyn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.