Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,600 a month against $3,125 in Schaffhausen, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Schaffhausen
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Schaffhausen Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Schaffhausen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,125

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,125 in Schaffhausen versus $1,600 in Sofia.

Schaffhausen $3,125
Sofia $1,600

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,038 in Schaffhausen versus $2,490 in Sofia.

Schaffhausen $5,038
Sofia $2,490

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,951 in Schaffhausen versus $3,380 in Sofia.

Schaffhausen $6,951
Sofia $3,380

Living in Schaffhausen is roughly 95% more expensive than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Schaffhausen 131% above, Sofia 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.70 CHF 24.46

$16.96 BGN 29.51

75.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 101

$68.3 BGN 119

79.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.03 CHF 14.85

$11.62 BGN 20.21

55.16%

Cappuccino

$5.64 CHF 4.65

$3.43 BGN 5.98

64.43%

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

$5.52 CHF 4.55

$2.34 BGN 4.08

135.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.94

$1.83 BGN 3.19

161.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 CHF 6.77

$3.41 BGN 5.93

141.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.47 CHF 6.16

$4.44 BGN 7.73

68.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$1.97 BGN 3.42

9.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 CHF 3.35

$1.49 BGN 2.59

172.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.40

$2.33 BGN 4.05

76.82%

Eggs

$7.94 CHF 6.54

$4.41 BGN 7.68

80.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.10 CHF 23.14

$11.54 BGN 20.08

143.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.57 CHF 25.18

$8.88 BGN 15.44

244.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.49 CHF 34.99

$17.51 BGN 30.46

142.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 CHF 3.17

$2.15 BGN 3.74

79.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$2.07 BGN 3.60

-1.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 CHF 2.65

$1.93 BGN 3.37

66.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 CHF 4.57

$4.25 BGN 7.39

30.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.98

$1.03 BGN 1.79

133.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.77

$0.88 BGN 1.54

143.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 CHF 1.96

$1.19 BGN 2.07

99.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CHF 0.97

$0.89 BGN 1.55

32.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.75 CHF 8.85

$4.23 BGN 7.35

154.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 CHF 10.60

$7.87 BGN 13.69

63.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 CHF 2.40

$1.18 BGN 2.06

146.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 CHF 3.16

$1.89 BGN 3.29

103.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.04 CHF 3.33

$0.93 BGN 1.62

334.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.6 CHF 79.5

$28.30 BGN 49.24

241.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 CHF 4.95

$1.68 BGN 2.93

258.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 CHF 3.07

$0.96 BGN 1.68

287.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.4 CHF 50.5

$15.36 BGN 26.73

299.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.89

$1.77 BGN 3.09

29.94%

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

$43.0K CHF 35.4K

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

41.03%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

57.87%

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

$234 CHF 193

$157 BGN 273

48.95%

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

$31.93 CHF 26.30

$21.12 BGN 36.74

51.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 CHF 51.8

$15.32 BGN 26.65

310.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$107 CHF 88.5

$46.39 BGN 80.7

131.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.27 CHF 38.93

$28.09 BGN 48.87

68.28%

Cinema Ticket

$23.65 CHF 19.48

$10.04 BGN 17.46

135.56%

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

$3,112 CHF 2,563

$775 BGN 1,348

301.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.1K CHF 26.5K

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

156.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$167 CHF 137

$88.1 BGN 153

89.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 CHF 44.73

$41.39 BGN 72.0

31.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$190 CHF 156

$107 BGN 186

77.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 CHF 122

$106 BGN 185

39.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CHF 1,058

$770 BGN 1,340

66.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 CHF 960

$602 BGN 1,048

93.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,705 CHF 2,228

$1,564 BGN 2,721

72.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 CHF 1,946

$1,036 BGN 1,803

127.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,026 CHF 6,610

$4,567 BGN 7,946

75.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,459 CHF 6,967

$3,162 BGN 5,502

167.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,212 CHF 5,940

$1,742 BGN 3,031

314.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.48

2.89

-14.19%

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

Last update for Schaffhausen: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Schaffhausen

$1.2K 37.3%

Sofia

$602 37.6% 48.3% $563

Groceries & Markets

Schaffhausen

$630 20.2%

Sofia

$291 18.2% 53.8% $339

Eating Out

Schaffhausen

$457 14.6%

Sofia

$254 15.9% 44.3% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Schaffhausen

$329 10.5%

Sofia

$194 12.1% 41.1% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Schaffhausen

$252 8.1%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 38.8% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Schaffhausen

$155 5%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 57.1% $88

Getting Around

Schaffhausen

$137 4.4%

Sofia

$39 2.4% 71.9% $99

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,285 in Schaffhausen and $770 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaffhausen pays 314% 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: $123 in Schaffhausen vs $68.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $630 vs $291 per month, with Sofia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Schaffhausen

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

23:23 11:23 PM

00:23 12:23 AM

1 h ahead of Schaffhausen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,927

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Schaffhausen Sofia 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Schaffhausen
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

Schaffhausen vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Schaffhausen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sofia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 314% higher in Schaffhausen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,285 in Schaffhausen versus $770 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in Schaffhausen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sofia – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $123 in Schaffhausen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,600 in Sofia versus $3,125 in Schaffhausen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Schaffhausen. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sofia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,600 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sofia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Schaffhausen and Sofia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sofia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Schaffhausen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.