Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ourense and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ourense: $1,343 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Ourense, Spain
Sofia, Bulgaria
Ourense
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,343
/mo nomad
Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,609
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,343 in Ourense versus $1,609 in Sofia.

  • Ourense $1,343
  • Sofia $1,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,970 in Ourense versus $2,495 in Sofia.

  • Ourense $1,970
  • Sofia $2,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,597 in Ourense versus $3,381 in Sofia.

  • Ourense $2,597
  • Sofia $3,381

Living in Ourense costs roughly 17% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ourense
Sofia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.61 €12.20
$16.88 BGN 29.70
-19.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.50 €44.35
$66.5 BGN 117
-25.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.01 €8.07
$11.59 BGN 20.40
-22.26%
Cappuccino
$1.81 €1.62
$3.52 BGN 6.20
-48.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 €2.27
$2.42 BGN 4.25
4.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 €1.48
$1.77 BGN 3.11
-6.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.70 €3.32
$3.68 BGN 6.48
0.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57 €3.20
$4.38 BGN 7.70
-18.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ourense
Sofia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.05
$1.96 BGN 3.44
-40.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.51 BGN 2.65
-23.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.37 €1.23
$2.20 BGN 3.87
-37.73%
Eggs
$3.21 €2.88
$4.40 BGN 7.75
-27.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.37 €8.39
$11.76 BGN 20.70
-20.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.41 €6.64
$8.68 BGN 15.28
-14.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.76 €12.33
$17.37 BGN 30.57
-20.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 €1.99
$2.13 BGN 3.75
4.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 €1.83
$2.05 BGN 3.61
-0.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 €1.41
$1.93 BGN 3.40
-18.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$4.17 BGN 7.34
-44.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.08 BGN 1.90
58.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 €1.54
$0.91 BGN 1.60
87.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.18 BGN 2.08
-9.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 €0.44
$0.84 BGN 1.47
-41.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.77 €5.17
$4.18 BGN 7.36
38.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.05
$7.68 BGN 13.51
-26.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 €1.09
$1.17 BGN 2.06
4.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.03
$1.80 BGN 3.17
26.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Ourense
Sofia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.91 €0.81
$0.87 BGN 1.52
4.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.33 €25.38
$29.06 BGN 51.1
-2.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.38 €3.93
$1.68 BGN 2.96
160.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.10 €0.99
$0.87 BGN 1.54
26.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.76 €16.81
$15.76 BGN 27.74
19.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.69 €1.51
$1.73 BGN 3.04
-2.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.5K €22.0K
$29.7K BGN 52.2K
-17.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.5K €24.7K
$25.6K BGN 45.0K
7.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ourense
Sofia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$105 €93.7
$161 BGN 283
-35.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.85 €17.78
$21.08 BGN 37.10
-5.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.84 €24.95
$15.19 BGN 26.73
83.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ourense
Sofia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.97 €36.71
$48.34 BGN 85.1
-15.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.62 €11.31
$27.47 BGN 48.35
-54.06%
Cinema Ticket
$8.42 €7.55
$10.16 BGN 17.88
-17.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ourense
Sofia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$340 €305
$785 BGN 1,382
-56.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,334 €7,468
$12.8K BGN 22.4K
-34.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ourense
Sofia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$100.0 €89.6
$89.8 BGN 158
11.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.89 €32.16
$41.29 BGN 72.7
-13.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.7 €74.1
$108 BGN 189
-23.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.3 €74.6
$109 BGN 192
-23.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ourense
Sofia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$650 €582
$789 BGN 1,389
-17.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$525 €471
$604 BGN 1,063
-13.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$823 €737
$1,517 BGN 2,670
-45.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$711 €637
$1,037 BGN 1,825
-31.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,282 €2,941
$4,407 BGN 7,756
-25.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,166 €1,941
$3,137 BGN 5,521
-30.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ourense
Sofia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,596 €1,430
$1,736 BGN 3,056
-8.05%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.96
2.89
2.42%

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

Last update for Ourense: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ourense
$525
Sofia
$604 15% $79
Groceries & Markets
Ourense
$230
Sofia
$288 25.3% $58
Eating Out
Ourense
$200
Sofia
$256 28% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ourense
$152
Sofia
$197 29.5% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Ourense
$136
Sofia
$157 15.3% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Ourense
$58
Sofia
$69 18.8% $11
Getting Around
Ourense
$42
Sofia
$39 7.8% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $650 in Ourense and $789 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 9% 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: $49 in Ourense vs $66 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $288 per month, with Ourense cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Ourense
🇧🇬 Sofia
🕒 Local time
11:20 11:20 AM
12:20 12:20 PM
1 h ahead of Ourense
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
104,250
1,286,383 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BGN (1 BGN = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ourense Sofia 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ourense
  • 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
Ourense vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ourense and in Sofia?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,343 in Ourense and $1,609 in Sofia, so Ourense is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Ourense. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Ourense and in Sofia?
Rent for a central apartment: $650 in Ourense versus $789 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ourense or Sofia?
All in, you’ll spend $1,343 per month in Ourense versus $1,609 in Sofia – Ourense is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How do commuting costs compare in Ourense and in Sofia?
A monthly transit pass in Ourense runs roughly 3% less than in Sofia. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How far does $2,000 go in Ourense compared to Sofia?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ourense gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Ourense and Sofia?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Ourense or Sofia safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ourense and Sofia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Ourense or Sofia?
Expats usually find Ourense gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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