Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostia and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $1,756 in Ostia, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Ostia
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Ostia Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Ostia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,756

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,756 per month in Ostia vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Ostia $1,756
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $2,594 per month in Ostia vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Ostia $2,594
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $3,432 per month in Ostia vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Ostia $3,432
Sofia $3,361

Ostia costs about 10% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ostia and Sofia sit above the global median – Ostia by 30%, Sofia by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.51 €14.69

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-2.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.7

$65.8 BGN 115

0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.10

$11.32 BGN 19.69

0.35%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €2.00

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-34.40%

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

$2.33 €2.07

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-3.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.06

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 €4.86

$3.70 BGN 6.44

47.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.27

$4.58 BGN 7.97

4.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.48

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.56 BGN 2.72

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.33 BGN 4.05

28.76%

Eggs

$4.54 €4.04

$4.36 BGN 7.59

4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.92 €13.27

$11.76 BGN 20.47

26.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.49 €11.11

$8.83 BGN 15.37

41.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.61 €17.44

$17.46 BGN 30.38

12.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 €2.30

$2.15 BGN 3.74

20.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$1.98 BGN 3.44

4.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.07

$1.93 BGN 3.37

20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.11

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-43.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.04 BGN 1.80

38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 €1.42

$0.85 BGN 1.48

88.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.15 BGN 2.00

14.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.46

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-42.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 €5.90

$4.21 BGN 7.33

57.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 €4.82

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-27.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.15 BGN 2.01

35.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.22

$1.85 BGN 3.23

35.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.47

$0.87 BGN 1.51

89.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.01 €34.70

$28.53 BGN 49.65

36.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 €3.93

$1.68 BGN 2.93

163.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 €1.11

$0.94 BGN 1.63

31.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.16 €20.60

$15.35 BGN 26.70

50.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.69 BGN 2.94

27.22%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

18.37%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

35.50%

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

$197 €175

$156 BGN 272

25.98%

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

$9.61 €8.55

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-55.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.13 €27.69

$15.24 BGN 26.51

104.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 €49.93

$46.08 BGN 80.2

21.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 €9.96

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-59.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.07 €9.85

$10.18 BGN 17.72

8.74%

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

$449 €400

$774 BGN 1,347

-41.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,805 €7,832

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-31.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 €64.2

$89.9 BGN 157

-19.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.65 €32.60

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-11.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 €75.2

$105 BGN 183

-19.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$107 BGN 186

16.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 €759

$783 BGN 1,362

8.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 €599

$597 BGN 1,038

12.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 €1,005

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-25.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$990 €881

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-3.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,992 €1,772

$1,735 BGN 3,019

14.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

2.89

21.11%

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

Last update for Ostia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ostia

$673 38.3%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 11.3% $76

Groceries & Markets

Ostia

$324 18.4%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 10.2% $33

Eating Out

Ostia

$244 13.9%

Sofia

$255 16% 4.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ostia

$237 13.5%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 18.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Ostia

$143 8.2%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 7.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ostia

$78 4.5%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 15.1% $12

Getting Around

Ostia

$56 3.2%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 31.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $853 in Ostia 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 15% higher in Ostia, 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 $66.0 in Ostia versus $66.0 in Sofia. Groceries tell a different story – $324 in Ostia vs $290 in Sofia – so Sofia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Ostia

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

05:39 5:39 AM

1 h ahead of Ostia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,400

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

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Between locations

Ostia Sofia 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ostia
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

Ostia vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ostia is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,634 per month in Ostia 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 $449 per month in Ostia 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 11% more in Ostia, 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 Ostia at $1,756. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ostia 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, Ostia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.