Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Prague and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $2,097 in Prague, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Prague outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

100

Cost of Living Index in Prague
Learn more

Prague Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Prague

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$2,097

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,097 per month in Prague vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Prague $2,097
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $2,952 per month in Prague vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Prague $2,952
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $3,807 per month in Prague vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Prague $3,807
Sofia $3,324

Prague costs about 32% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Prague and Sofia sit above the global median – Prague by 56%, Sofia by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 Kč 233

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-37.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 Kč 1,089

$66.9 BGN 117

-25.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 Kč 222

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-13.17%

Cappuccino

$3.69 Kč 80.1

$3.42 BGN 5.99

7.89%

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

$2.03 Kč 44.01

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-16.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 Kč 30.98

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-23.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 Kč 68.1

$3.33 BGN 5.83

-6.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 Kč 68.6

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-30.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 Kč 22.83

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-45.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 Kč 36.29

$1.51 BGN 2.64

10.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 Kč 51.7

$2.21 BGN 3.88

7.69%

Eggs

$3.85 Kč 83.6

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 Kč 255

$11.56 BGN 20.22

1.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 Kč 185

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-3.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 Kč 304

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-17.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 Kč 42.58

$2.17 BGN 3.79

-9.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 Kč 39.62

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-10.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 Kč 46.64

$1.84 BGN 3.22

16.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 Kč 82.3

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-11.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 Kč 22.49

$1.03 BGN 1.80

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 Kč 21.98

$0.93 BGN 1.62

8.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Kč 33.91

$1.20 BGN 2.11

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Kč 17.09

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-14.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.74 Kč 168

$4.30 BGN 7.53

80.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.90 Kč 150

$7.33 BGN 12.83

-5.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Kč 26.90

$1.18 BGN 2.06

5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 Kč 43.09

$1.87 BGN 3.28

5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 Kč 38.57

$0.87 BGN 1.52

103.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.92 Kč 476

$28.14 BGN 49.24

-22.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 Kč 59.3

$1.74 BGN 3.04

56.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 Kč 35.61

$0.96 BGN 1.68

70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.09 Kč 415

$15.54 BGN 27.19

22.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Kč 41.98

$1.79 BGN 3.14

7.82%

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

$30.7K Kč 666.1K

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

2.23%

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

$33.4K Kč 725.6K

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

26.62%

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

$288 Kč 6,254

$156 BGN 273

84.51%

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

$23.65 Kč 514

$21.21 BGN 37.11

11.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.67 Kč 471

$15.64 BGN 27.37

38.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.2 Kč 1,483

$46.76 BGN 81.8

45.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 Kč 383

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-36.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 Kč 285

$10.02 BGN 17.53

30.84%

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

$1,065 Kč 23.1K

$766 BGN 1,341

38.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K Kč 403.0K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

45.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 Kč 2,036

$89.7 BGN 157

4.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.70 Kč 1,015

$40.88 BGN 71.5

14.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 Kč 2,468

$106 BGN 186

7.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 Kč 2,798

$105 BGN 183

23.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 Kč 23.9K

$796 BGN 1,393

38.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 Kč 21.2K

$607 BGN 1,063

60.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,211 Kč 48.0K

$1,563 BGN 2,735

41.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 Kč 33.2K

$1,060 BGN 1,855

44.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,333 Kč 202.8K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

114.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,007 Kč 152.3K

$3,250 BGN 5,688

115.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 Kč 51.3K

$1,740 BGN 3,044

35.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.75

2.89

64.36%

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

Last update for Prague: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Prague

$975 47%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 37.7% $368

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Prague

$333 16%

Sofia

$193 12% 42.1% $140

Groceries & Markets

Prague

$265 12.8%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 8.5% $22

Eating Out

Prague

$196 9.5%

Sofia

$256 16% 30.3% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Prague

$172 8.3%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 10.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Prague

$94 4.6%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 29.3% $28

Getting Around

Prague

$40 1.9%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 4.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,100 in Prague 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 36% higher in Prague, 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 $50.0 in Prague versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $265 vs $287 – making Prague the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇿 Prague

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

02:53 2:53 AM

03:53 3:53 AM

1 h ahead of Prague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,251,933 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 CZK = 4.6 USD

100 CZK = 4.1 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to CZK – Czech Koruna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇿 Czech Koruna (Kč)

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 21.73 CZK (100 CZK = 4.6 USD). 1 EUR = 24.38 CZK (100 CZK = 4.1 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 CZK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Prague Sofia 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Prague
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

Prague vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,097 in Prague, $1,589 in Sofia – roughly 32% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,145 per month in Prague 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 Sofia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,065 per month in Prague and $766 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Prague at $2,097. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Prague it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Prague has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,589 in Sofia to $2,097 in Prague. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Prague makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.