Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Belgrade

For one person, living costs are similar in Sofia and in Belgrade: $1,589 and $1,538 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

$1,589

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/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 $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $1,538 in Belgrade, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Belgrade $1,538

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $2,321 in Belgrade, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Belgrade $2,321

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $3,105 in Belgrade, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Belgrade $3,105

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 19%, Belgrade by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$13.33 RSD 1,392

28.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$58.4 RSD 6,099

14.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$13.58 RSD 1,417

-13.33%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$3.13 RSD 327

9.27%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$2.77 RSD 289

-12.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$2.27 RSD 237

-18.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$3.75 RSD 391

-11.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$4.38 RSD 457

3.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.40 RSD 146

37.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.17 RSD 122

29.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$2.71 RSD 283

-18.45%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$2.78 RSD 290

58.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$11.36 RSD 1,186

1.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$7.01 RSD 732

25.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$15.72 RSD 1,641

7.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$1.66 RSD 173

30.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.81 RSD 189

12.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$1.83 RSD 191

0.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$3.13 RSD 327

37.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.88 RSD 91.5

17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$0.67 RSD 70.5

38.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$0.81 RSD 84.6

48.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.68 RSD 71.1

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$4.78 RSD 500

-10.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$8.54 RSD 891

-14.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$0.94 RSD 97.9

25.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.44 RSD 151

29.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$3.09 RSD 323

-43.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.02 RSD 107

-5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$17.18 RSD 1,793

-9.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.87 RSD 196

-4.28%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

-2.48%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

8.65%

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

$156 BGN 273

$218 RSD 22.7K

-28.35%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$25.24 RSD 2,635

-15.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$35.35 RSD 3,691

-55.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$41.77 RSD 4,361

11.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$22.80 RSD 2,380

21.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$8.47 RSD 884

18.30%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$426 RSD 44.5K

79.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

12.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$111 RSD 11.6K

-19.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$45.99 RSD 4,802

-11.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$119 RSD 12.4K

-10.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$154 RSD 16.1K

-32.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$821 RSD 85.8K

-3.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$561 RSD 58.5K

8.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$1,511 RSD 157.8K

3.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$942 RSD 98.3K

12.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$5,312 RSD 554.6K

-17.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$3,165 RSD 330.4K

2.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$1,228 RSD 128.2K

41.69%

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 3, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Belgrade

$561 35.5% 7.7% $47

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Belgrade

$246 15.6% 14.3% $41

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Belgrade

$233 14.7% 9.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Belgrade

$278 17.6% 44.3% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Belgrade

$194 12.3% 26.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Belgrade

$59 3.7% 12.1% $8.1

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5% 78.5% $30

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 $821 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 42% 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 $58.0 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $246 – making Belgrade the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

05:53 5:53 AM

04:53 4:53 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 = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.54 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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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: $1,589 in Sofia, $1,538 in Belgrade – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $2,307 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 $67.0 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 17% 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 $1,538, than in Sofia at $1,589. 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 $1,538 in Belgrade to $1,589 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.