Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Békéscsaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Békéscsaba: $1,117 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Békéscsaba
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Békéscsaba Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Békéscsaba

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Békéscsaba

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 Békéscsaba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $1,117 in Békéscsaba, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Békéscsaba $1,117

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $1,626 in Békéscsaba, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Békéscsaba $1,626

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $2,136 in Békéscsaba, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Békéscsaba $2,136

Sofia costs about 42% more than Békéscsaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 19% above the global median, while Békéscsaba is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$8.90 Ft 2,895

92.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$44.10 Ft 14.3K

51.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$5.52 Ft 1,795

113.22%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$2.08 Ft 677

64.42%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$1.34 Ft 436

80.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$0.91 Ft 296

104.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$1.06 Ft 344

214.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$1.21 Ft 393

274.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.15 Ft 373

66.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.49 Ft 486

1.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$2.16 Ft 704

2.31%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.27 Ft 1,065

34.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$10.02 Ft 3,260

15.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$6.80 Ft 2,212

29.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$14.57 Ft 4,739

16.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$1.91 Ft 623

13.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$2.05 Ft 666

-0.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$1.50 Ft 489

22.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$2.71 Ft 883

58.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.93 Ft 302

10.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.02 Ft 333

-8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.10 Ft 357

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.48 Ft 157

91.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$8.12 Ft 2,641

-47.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$3.14 Ft 1,021

133.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.05 Ft 342

12.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$2.11 Ft 685

-11.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.24 Ft 402

-29.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$2.81 Ft 914

-38.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.37 Ft 447

-29.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$6.15 Ft 2,000

152.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.82 Ft 592

-1.65%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

2.37%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$33.6K Ft 10.9M

-21.58%

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

$156 BGN 273

$175 Ft 56.9K

-10.87%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$23.75 Ft 7,728

-10.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$20.97 Ft 6,823

-25.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$33.80 Ft 11.0K

38.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$9.23 Ft 3,004

8.56%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$549 Ft 178.5K

39.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-23.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$99.5 Ft 32.4K

-9.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$30.60 Ft 9,955

33.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$61.4 Ft 20.0K

72.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$120 Ft 39.0K

-12.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$408 Ft 132.9K

94.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$336 Ft 109.2K

80.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$555 Ft 180.7K

181.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$420 Ft 136.7K

152.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$1,542 Ft 501.8K

182.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$1,169 Ft 380.2K

178.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$1,359 Ft 442.2K

27.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.43

-55.05%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Békéscsaba: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Békéscsaba

$336 30% 44.7% $272

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Békéscsaba

$228 20.4% 20.6% $59

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Békéscsaba

$129 11.6% 49.5% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Békéscsaba

$220 19.6% 14% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Békéscsaba

$140 12.5% 8.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Békéscsaba

$52 4.7% 21.8% $15

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Békéscsaba

$15 * 1.3% 61.7% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $408 in Békéscsaba. 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 28% 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 $67.0 in Sofia versus $44.00 in Békéscsaba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $228 – making Békéscsaba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇭🇺 Békéscsaba

🕒 Local time

23:00 11:00 PM

22:00 10:00 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

54,460

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Sofia Békéscsaba 480 km

From you

Sofia
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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

Sofia vs Békéscsaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 42% more than Békéscsaba, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $1,676 in Békéscsaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Békéscsaba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Sofia and $44.00 in Békéscsaba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Békéscsaba, where all-in costs run around $1,117, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Békéscsaba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Békéscsaba costs $1,117 versus $1,589 in Sofia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Békéscsaba. 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.