Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Belgrade

For one person, living costs are similar in Sofia and in Belgrade: $1,594 and $1,554 a month, rent and utilities included.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Belgrade

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,554 in Belgrade, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Belgrade $1,554

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $2,337 in Belgrade, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Belgrade $2,337

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $3,121 in Belgrade, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Belgrade $3,121

Sofia costs about 3% more than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Belgrade sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Belgrade by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$13.15 RSD 1,371

28.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$57.5 RSD 5,999

14.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$13.38 RSD 1,394

-15.40%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.10 RSD 323

10.65%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$2.82 RSD 294

-14.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$2.22 RSD 231

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$3.47 RSD 362

6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$3.96 RSD 412

15.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.38 RSD 144

46.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.13 RSD 118

38.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.66 RSD 277

-12.41%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$2.78 RSD 290

56.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$10.99 RSD 1,146

7.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$6.56 RSD 684

34.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$15.07 RSD 1,571

15.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.66 RSD 173

29.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.79 RSD 186

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.87 RSD 195

3.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$3.03 RSD 315

39.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.92 RSD 96.3

13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.71 RSD 73.8

19.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$0.74 RSD 77.6

55.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.74 RSD 77.2

20.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$4.61 RSD 481

-8.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$8.81 RSD 918

-15.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$0.89 RSD 92.7

29.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.45 RSD 151

27.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$3.02 RSD 315

-44.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.98 RSD 103

-4.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$17.08 RSD 1,780

-10.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.91 RSD 199

-11.52%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$31.0K RSD 3.2M

-3.86%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$24.7K RSD 2.6M

5.97%

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

$156 BGN 272

$220 RSD 23.0K

-29.19%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$24.41 RSD 2,544

-11.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$35.64 RSD 3,715

-57.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$41.20 RSD 4,295

11.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$22.60 RSD 2,356

23.54%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$8.59 RSD 896

18.51%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$424 RSD 44.2K

82.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$11.0K RSD 1.1M

16.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$111 RSD 11.5K

-18.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$47.28 RSD 4,929

-12.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$113 RSD 11.8K

-7.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$157 RSD 16.3K

-31.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$805 RSD 83.9K

-2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$546 RSD 56.9K

9.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$1,452 RSD 151.4K

4.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$931 RSD 97.0K

10.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$5,368 RSD 559.6K

-18.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$3,155 RSD 328.9K

0.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,237 RSD 128.9K

40.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.61

-37.31%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Belgrade

$546 35.2% 8.5% $51

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Belgrade

$241 15.5% 17.2% $50

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Belgrade

$228 14.7% 10.6% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Belgrade

$280 18.1% 45.4% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Belgrade

$192 12.4% 24.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Belgrade

$58 3.8% 12.1% $8.1

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Belgrade

$7.9 * 0.5% 79.3% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $805 in Belgrade. 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 40% 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 $66.0 in Sofia versus $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $241 – making Belgrade the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

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).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

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Sofia Belgrade 330 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 Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $1,554 in Belgrade – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $2,331 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Belgrade, 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 $66.0 in Sofia and $58.0 in Belgrade. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Belgrade, where all-in costs run around $1,554, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Belgrade it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,554 in Belgrade to $1,594 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Belgrade. 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.