Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Biel

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $2,826 in Biel, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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
137

Cost of Living Index in Biel
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Biel Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Biel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,826

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Biel

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $2,826 in Biel, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Biel $2,826

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $4,452 in Biel, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Biel $4,452

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $6,078 in Biel, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Biel $6,078

Sofia is about 44% cheaper than Biel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Biel sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Biel by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$30.08 CHF 24.77

-43.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$108 CHF 88.9

-39.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$18.28 CHF 15.06

-38.07%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$6.07 CHF 5.00

-43.49%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$5.17 CHF 4.26

-53.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$4.13 CHF 3.40

-55.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$7.77 CHF 6.40

-52.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$4.91 CHF 4.04

-6.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$2.09 CHF 1.72

-3.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$3.78 CHF 3.11

-58.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$3.30 CHF 2.72

-29.39%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$7.19 CHF 5.92

-39.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$21.93 CHF 18.06

-46.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$27.12 CHF 22.34

-67.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$38.83 CHF 31.98

-55.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$3.06 CHF 2.52

-29.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.46 CHF 2.02

-21.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$3.10 CHF 2.55

36.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.47 CHF 1.21

-29.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.81 CHF 1.49

-53.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-43.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$1.05 CHF 0.87

-15.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$10.99 CHF 9.05

-61.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$14.90 CHF 12.28

-49.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$0.92 CHF 0.76

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.77 CHF 1.46

4.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$4.91 CHF 4.04

-82.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$93.3 CHF 76.9

-69.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$7.84 CHF 6.46

-78.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$4.53 CHF 3.73

-79.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$83.0 CHF 68.4

-81.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$2.22 CHF 1.83

-23.87%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$41.7K CHF 34.4K

-28.57%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$34.8K CHF 28.7K

-24.97%

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

$156 BGN 272

$137 CHF 113

13.57%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$35.74 CHF 29.43

-39.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$50.2 CHF 41.30

-69.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$77.2 CHF 63.6

-40.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$21.92 CHF 18.05

-53.56%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$2,620 CHF 2,158

-70.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$37.2K CHF 30.6K

-65.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$108 CHF 89.2

-17.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$40.74 CHF 33.56

1.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$136 CHF 112

-22.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$219 CHF 180

-51.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$1,240 CHF 1,022

-36.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$1,120 CHF 922

-46.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$2,275 CHF 1,874

-33.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$2,035 CHF 1,676

-49.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$9,683 CHF 7,975

-55.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$7,818 CHF 6,439

-59.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$5,516 CHF 4,543

-68.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

1.68

72.02%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Biel: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Biel

$1.1K 39.6% 87.6% $523

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Biel

$538 19% 85.3% $248

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Biel

$454 16.1% 78.3% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Biel

$223 7.9% 15.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Biel

$227 8% 46.9% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Biel

$121 4.3% 82.1% $55

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Biel

$143 5.1% 274% $105

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $1,240 in Biel. 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 218% higher in Biel, 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 $108 in Biel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $538 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇨🇭 Biel

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

00:36 12:36 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

56,378

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Biel 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Biel

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 Biel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Biel is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $4,240 in Biel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 227% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Sofia and $2,620 in Biel. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Biel at $2,826. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Biel it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sofia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Sofia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Biel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.