Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Arzamas

For one person, living is cheaper in Arzamas: $1,142 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Arzamas
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Arzamas Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Arzamas

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Arzamas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sofia and in Arzamas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $1,142 in Arzamas.

Sofia $1,585
Arzamas $1,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $1,785 in Arzamas.

Sofia $2,486
Arzamas $1,785

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $2,429 in Arzamas.

Sofia $3,387
Arzamas $2,429

Living in Sofia is roughly 39% more expensive than in Arzamas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Arzamas is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$11.70 ₽954

41.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$39.60 ₽3,230

70.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$5.97 ₽487

95.64%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$2.83 ₽231

20.49%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$1.23 ₽100

91.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.67 ₽54.5

149.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$2.00 ₽163

99.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$2.73 ₽222

65.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.32 ₽108

46.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.79 ₽64.2

96.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.41 ₽115

66.67%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.85 ₽151

148.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$12.63 ₽1,030

-9.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$5.91 ₽482

46.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$12.82 ₽1,046

35.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$1.97 ₽161

9.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.94 ₽158

2.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$1.92 ₽157

-4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$3.19 ₽260

33.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.85 ₽68.9

22.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.61 ₽49.81

45.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$1.22 ₽99.2

-2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.80 ₽65.5

3.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$3.12 ₽254

41.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$9.27 ₽756

-19.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$1.17 ₽95.7

-0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$2.10 ₽171

-9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.61 ₽49.73

50.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$30.35 ₽2,475

-7.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$2.15 ₽175

-22.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.31 ₽25.16

174.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$6.47 ₽528

156.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.84 ₽68.6

107.14%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$59.9K ₽4.9M

-50.01%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$36.3K ₽3.0M

-31.07%

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

$158 BGN 275

$144 ₽11.8K

9.56%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$6.20 ₽506

243.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$8.40 ₽685

80.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$33.86 ₽2,762

38.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$26.16 ₽2,133

6.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$6.05 ₽494

65.29%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$323 ₽26.3K

152.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$6,246 ₽509.5K

134.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$103 ₽8,414

-15.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$48.23 ₽3,933

-20.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$145 ₽11.9K

-27.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$113 ₽9,205

-5.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$308 ₽25.1K

149.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$316 ₽25.7K

87.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$498 ₽40.6K

207.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$579 ₽47.2K

83.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$2,607 ₽212.6K

73.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$1,510 ₽123.1K

105.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

21.33

-86.45%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Arzamas

$316 27.6% 46.8% $277

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Arzamas

$232 20.3% 19.4% $56

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Arzamas

$169 14.8% 33.5% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Arzamas

$159 13.9% 18.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Arzamas

$184 16.2% 21.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Arzamas

$46 4% 31.2% $21

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Arzamas

$36 3.2% 3.3% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $308 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $40 in Arzamas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $232 per month, with Arzamas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇷🇺 Arzamas

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

103,396

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.56 RUB (100 RUB = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.56 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Arzamas 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Arzamas

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

Sofia vs Arzamas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $1,142 in Arzamas, so Arzamas is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,378 in Sofia and $1,713 in Arzamas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $769 in Sofia versus $308 in Arzamas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,585 per month in Sofia versus $1,142 in Arzamas – Arzamas is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Sofia runs roughly 7% less than in Arzamas. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Arzamas gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.