Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rostov-on-Don and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Rostov-on-Don: $1,036 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Rostov-on-Don
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Rostov-on-Don Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,036

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,036 in Rostov-on-Don versus $1,585 in Sofia.

Rostov-on-Don $1,036
Sofia $1,585

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,517 in Rostov-on-Don versus $2,486 in Sofia.

Rostov-on-Don $1,517
Sofia $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,998 in Rostov-on-Don versus $3,387 in Sofia.

Rostov-on-Don $1,998
Sofia $3,387

Living in Rostov-on-Don costs roughly 35% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rostov-on-Don is 23% below, Sofia is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.03 ₽900

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-33.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.49 ₽2,079

$67.7 BGN 118

-62.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.99 ₽489

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-48.72%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ₽250

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-9.97%

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

$1.10 ₽89.5

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-53.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₽38.86

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-71.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₽98.0

$3.99 BGN 6.94

-69.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 ₽271

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-26.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 ₽96.6

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-39.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₽55.8

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-56.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ₽100

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-47.66%

Eggs

$1.52 ₽124

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-66.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 ₽793

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-15.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 ₽365

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-48.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 ₽601

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-57.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 ₽118

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-32.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ₽158

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ₽102

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-31.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 ₽188

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-45.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ₽52.0

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 ₽36.05

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-50.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₽83.6

$1.19 BGN 2.06

-13.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₽46.52

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-31.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 ₽226

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-37.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.12 ₽499

$7.42 BGN 12.91

-17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₽68.2

$1.16 BGN 2.01

-27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₽133

$1.90 BGN 3.30

-14.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ₽42.29

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.25 ₽1,896

$28.11 BGN 48.91

-17.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ₽246

$1.67 BGN 2.90

80.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₽17.92

$0.85 BGN 1.49

-74.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 ₽147

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-89.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 ₽67.7

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-52.30%

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

$54.5K ₽4.4M

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

82.13%

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

$41.0K ₽3.3M

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

63.92%

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

$130 ₽10.6K

$158 BGN 275

-17.90%

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

$7.12 ₽581

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-66.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.83 ₽720

$15.12 BGN 26.30

-41.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.23 ₽2,873

$46.85 BGN 81.5

-24.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.17 ₽1,401

$27.82 BGN 48.41

-38.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.25 ₽428

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-47.50%

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

$259 ₽21.1K

$815 BGN 1,419

-68.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,497 ₽448.3K

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

-62.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 ₽4,447

$87.1 BGN 152

-37.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.63 ₽1,519

$38.28 BGN 66.6

-51.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 ₽7,495

$106 BGN 184

-12.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 ₽7,104

$107 BGN 187

-18.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₽36.5K

$769 BGN 1,338

-41.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 ₽30.0K

$593 BGN 1,032

-38.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 ₽50.8K

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-59.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 ₽45.9K

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-46.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,714 ₽221.4K

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-40.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,638 ₽133.6K

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-47.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$904 ₽73.8K

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-49.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.83

2.89

586.16%

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

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rostov-on-Don

$367 35.5%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 61.5% $226

Groceries & Markets

Rostov-on-Don

$172 16.6%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 67.2% $116

Eating Out

Rostov-on-Don

$162 15.6%

Sofia

$254 16% 56.5% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rostov-on-Don

$146 14.1%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 33.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Rostov-on-Don

$113 11%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 34.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Rostov-on-Don

$46 4.4%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 46.2% $21

Getting Around

Rostov-on-Don

$29 2.8%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 28.1% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $447 in Rostov-on-Don and $769 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 97% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Rostov-on-Don vs $68 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $288 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

13:51 1:51 PM

1 h behind Rostov-on-Don

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,114,806

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.56 RUB (100 RUB = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.6 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rostov-on-Don Sofia 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rostov-on-Don
Sofia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rostov-on-Don vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rostov-on-Don wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Rostov-on-Don the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Rostov-on-Don. 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: $447 in Rostov-on-Don versus $769 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rostov-on-Don runs roughly 17% less than in Sofia. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $259 in Rostov-on-Don versus $815 in Sofia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Rostov-on-Don is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rostov-on-Don delivers better value at $1,036 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rostov-on-Don hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rostov-on-Don gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.