Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pula and Sofia

For one person, living costs are similar in Pula and in Sofia: $1,577 and $1,594 a month, rent and utilities included.

76

Cost of Living Index in Pula
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Pula Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Pula

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,577

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,577 per month in Pula vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Pula $1,577
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $2,504 per month in Pula vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Pula $2,504
Sofia $2,478

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

Pula $3,432
Sofia $3,361

Pula is about 1% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Pula and Sofia sit above the global median – Pula by 17%, Sofia by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.57 €13.01

$16.87 BGN 29.52

-13.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.9

$65.8 BGN 115

0.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 €7.94

$11.32 BGN 19.80

-21.47%

Cappuccino

$2.48 €2.22

$3.43 BGN 6.01

-27.70%

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

$2.98 €2.66

$2.41 BGN 4.22

23.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.85 BGN 3.23

14.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 €2.94

$3.70 BGN 6.48

-11.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.88

$4.58 BGN 8.02

-5.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.05

$2.02 BGN 3.53

-41.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 €1.60

$1.56 BGN 2.74

14.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 €2.85

$2.33 BGN 4.07

37.34%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.48

$4.36 BGN 7.63

-10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 €9.54

$11.76 BGN 20.59

-9.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.67 €9.53

$8.83 BGN 15.46

20.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 €16.50

$17.46 BGN 30.56

5.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.15 BGN 3.76

-11.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$1.98 BGN 3.46

-5.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.93 BGN 3.39

9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$4.24 BGN 7.42

-39.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.04 BGN 1.81

25.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.85 BGN 1.49

52.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.15 BGN 2.02

13.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$0.89 BGN 1.57

35.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.54 €4.95

$4.21 BGN 7.37

31.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 €6.96

$7.46 BGN 13.05

4.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$1.15 BGN 2.02

64.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.13

$1.85 BGN 3.25

28.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 €1.95

$0.87 BGN 1.52

150.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.87 €30.24

$28.53 BGN 49.93

18.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 €3.01

$1.68 BGN 2.95

101.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.94

$0.94 BGN 1.64

131.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.65 €19.33

$15.35 BGN 26.86

41.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.69 BGN 2.96

5.33%

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

$26.0K €23.3K

$29.8K BGN 52.1K

-12.59%

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

$26.9K €24.0K

$26.1K BGN 45.7K

2.92%

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

$156 €139

$156 BGN 273

-0.33%

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

$22.06 €19.70

$21.56 BGN 37.74

2.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.22 €35.92

$15.24 BGN 26.66

163.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.30 €44.03

$46.08 BGN 80.6

6.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.54 €33.53

$27.92 BGN 48.86

34.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 €9.74

$10.18 BGN 17.82

7.17%

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

$237 €212

$774 BGN 1,355

-69.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,769 €2,473

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-78.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €102

$89.9 BGN 157

27.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.58 €31.77

$41.29 BGN 72.3

-13.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 €128

$105 BGN 184

36.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €118

$107 BGN 187

24.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 €596

$783 BGN 1,370

-14.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 €467

$597 BGN 1,044

-12.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,163

$1,516 BGN 2,653

-14.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 €896

$1,030 BGN 1,803

-2.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 €3,854

$4,350 BGN 7,612

-0.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,539 €3,160

$3,177 BGN 5,560

11.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,520 €1,357

$1,735 BGN 3,037

-12.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

2.89

22.49%

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

Last update for Pula: 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

Pula

$523 33.2%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 14.1% $74

Groceries & Markets

Pula

$297 18.8%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 2.2% $6.5

Eating Out

Pula

$219 13.9%

Sofia

$255 16% 16.6% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pula

$218 13.8%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 11.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Pula

$192 12.2%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 19.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Pula

$71 4.5%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 6.6% $4.7

Getting Around

Pula

$57 3.6%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 32.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $667 in Pula 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 14% higher in Sofia, 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 Pula versus $66.0 in Sofia. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Pula vs $290 in Sofia – so Sofia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Pula

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

10:02 10:02 AM

11:02 11:02 AM

1 h ahead of Pula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,220

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pula Sofia 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pula
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

Pula vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,577 in Pula, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,365 per month in Pula 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 Pula, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $237 per month in Pula and $774 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Sofia – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pula, where all-in costs run around $1,577, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Pula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,577 in Pula to $1,594 in Sofia. 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 Pula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.