Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliven and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sliven: $779 a month against $1,600 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Sliven
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Sliven Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Sliven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$779

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $779 in Sliven versus $1,600 in Sofia.

Sliven $779
Sofia $1,600

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,232 in Sliven versus $2,490 in Sofia.

Sliven $1,232
Sofia $2,490

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,684 in Sliven versus $3,380 in Sofia.

Sliven $1,684
Sofia $3,380

Living in Sliven costs roughly 51% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sliven is 42% below, Sofia is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 BGN 19.78

$16.96 BGN 29.51

-32.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.06 BGN 61.0

$68.3 BGN 119

-48.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 BGN 17.74

$11.62 BGN 20.21

-12.31%

Cappuccino

$1.79 BGN 3.11

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-47.81%

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

$1.25 BGN 2.17

$2.34 BGN 4.08

-46.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 BGN 1.53

$1.83 BGN 3.19

-51.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 BGN 2.97

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-49.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$4.44 BGN 7.73

-46.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$1.97 BGN 3.42

-21.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 BGN 1.37

$1.49 BGN 2.59

-46.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 BGN 4.49

$2.33 BGN 4.05

10.73%

Eggs

$2.09 BGN 3.63

$4.41 BGN 7.68

-52.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 BGN 14.12

$11.54 BGN 20.08

-29.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 BGN 9.57

$8.88 BGN 15.44

-38.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 BGN 11.61

$17.51 BGN 30.46

-61.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 BGN 2.56

$2.15 BGN 3.74

-31.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.88

$2.07 BGN 3.60

-20.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.52

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-24.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 BGN 3.77

$4.25 BGN 7.39

-49.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 BGN 0.88

$1.03 BGN 1.79

-50.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.53

$0.88 BGN 1.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 BGN 1.77

$1.19 BGN 2.07

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 BGN 0.83

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-46.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 BGN 6.08

$4.23 BGN 7.35

-17.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 BGN 10.68

$7.87 BGN 13.69

-21.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 BGN 1.77

$1.18 BGN 2.06

-14.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 BGN 2.21

$1.89 BGN 3.29

-32.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 BGN 1.22

$0.93 BGN 1.62

-24.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.80 BGN 60.6

$28.30 BGN 49.24

22.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 BGN 1.96

$1.68 BGN 2.93

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$0.96 BGN 1.68

-38.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 BGN 15.16

$15.36 BGN 26.73

-43.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 BGN 2.66

$1.77 BGN 3.09

-13.56%

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

$30.3K BGN 52.7K

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

-0.69%

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

$22.2K BGN 38.6K

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

-11.47%

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

$86.7 BGN 151

$157 BGN 273

-44.81%

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

$20.37 BGN 35.44

$21.12 BGN 36.74

-3.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.44 BGN 16.43

$15.32 BGN 26.65

-38.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.32 BGN 40.58

$46.39 BGN 80.7

-49.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

Cinema Ticket

$5.80 BGN 10.09

$10.04 BGN 17.46

-42.23%

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

$508 BGN 885

$775 BGN 1,348

-34.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,395 BGN 11.1K

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

-49.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 BGN 101

$88.1 BGN 153

-34.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.56 BGN 39.25

$41.39 BGN 72.0

-45.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 BGN 120

$107 BGN 186

-35.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 BGN 107

$106 BGN 185

-42.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 BGN 402

$770 BGN 1,340

-70.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 BGN 253

$602 BGN 1,048

-75.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 BGN 572

$1,564 BGN 2,721

-78.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 BGN 441

$1,036 BGN 1,803

-75.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,147 BGN 1,996

$4,567 BGN 7,946

-74.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$915 BGN 1,593

$3,162 BGN 5,502

-71.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 BGN 2,306

$1,742 BGN 3,031

-23.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.82

2.89

-2.42%

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

Last update for Sliven: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sliven

$181 23.2%

Sofia

$291 18.2% 60.9% $110

Eating Out

Sliven

$165 21.1%

Sofia

$254 15.9% 54.4% $90

Accommodation & Living

Sliven

$146 18.7%

Sofia

$602 37.6% 314% $457

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliven

$117 15%

Sofia

$194 12.1% 66.1% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Sliven

$95 12.2%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 62.1% $59

Getting Around

Sliven

$42 5.4%

Sofia

$39 2.4% 7.6% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Sliven

$35 4.5%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 90.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $231 in Sliven and $770 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 31% 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: $35.00 in Sliven vs $68.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $291 per month, with Sliven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sliven

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

Same time as Sliven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,806

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sliven Sofia 240 km

From you

Sliven
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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

Sliven vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliven is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Sofia. 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: $231 in Sliven versus $770 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $508 in Sliven versus $775 in Sofia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $779 in Sliven versus $1,600 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sliven but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Sliven the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sliven is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sofia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sliven 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 Sliven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.