Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Bielsko-biala

For one person, living is cheaper in Bielsko-biala: $1,480 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Sofia despite lower rent and utilities.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Bielsko-biala
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Bielsko-biala Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Bielsko-biala

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Bielsko-biala

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 Bielsko-biala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,480 in Bielsko-biala.

Sofia $1,594
Bielsko-biala $1,480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $2,131 in Bielsko-biala.

Sofia $2,478
Bielsko-biala $2,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $2,782 in Bielsko-biala.

Sofia $3,361
Bielsko-biala $2,782

Living in Sofia is roughly 8% more expensive than in Bielsko-biala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Bielsko-biala 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$9.45 zł 36.70

78.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$45.98 zł 179

43.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$8.95 zł 34.76

26.48%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.61 zł 14.03

-4.99%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$2.21 zł 8.60

9.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.36 zł 5.27

36.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$3.77 zł 14.66

-1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$3.79 zł 14.73

20.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.04 zł 4.03

94.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.11 zł 4.30

40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.39 zł 5.40

67.63%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$2.87 zł 11.16

51.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$8.22 zł 31.95

43.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.86 zł 22.77

50.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$9.75 zł 37.88

79.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.17 zł 4.56

83.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.61 zł 6.25

22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.11 zł 8.19

-8.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$1.94 zł 7.53

118.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.80 zł 3.10

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.79 zł 3.07

7.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.04 zł 4.03

10.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.62 zł 2.41

43.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$4.91 zł 19.09

-14.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$6.33 zł 24.61

17.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.10 zł 4.29

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.65 zł 6.41

12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.25 zł 4.85

-30.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$36.33 zł 141

-21.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.51 zł 5.85

11.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.54 zł 2.09

74.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$9.36 zł 36.38

64.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.66 zł 6.46

1.81%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$30.8K zł 119.7K

-3.27%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$25.6K zł 99.5K

2.01%

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

$156 BGN 272

$291 zł 1,132

-46.45%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$8.48 zł 32.95

154.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$16.92 zł 65.8

-9.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$40.85 zł 159

12.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$44.81 zł 174

-37.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$7.08 zł 27.51

43.79%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$286 zł 1,111

170.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$2,529 zł 9,825

406.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$72.8 zł 283

23.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$40.10 zł 156

2.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$88.2 zł 343

19.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$95.2 zł 370

12.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$605 zł 2,351

29.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$551 zł 2,139

8.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$1,700 zł 6,606

-10.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$864 zł 3,355

19.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$2,428 zł 9,433

79.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$1,942 zł 7,545

63.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,435 zł 5,574

20.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.87

-57.93%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bielsko-biala: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Bielsko-biala

$551 37.2% 7.7% $46

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Bielsko-biala

$192 13% 33.8% $98

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Bielsko-biala

$186 12.6% 26.8% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Bielsko-biala

$317 21.4% 64.3% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Bielsko-biala

$133 9% 13.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Bielsko-biala

$55 3.7% 17.2% $11

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Bielsko-biala

$46 3.1% 18.6% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $605 in Bielsko-biala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Sofia vs $46.00 in Bielsko-biala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $192 per month, with Bielsko-biala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Bielsko-biala

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

15:04 3:04 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

169,756

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Bielsko-biala 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Bielsko-biala

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 Bielsko-biala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia and Bielsko-biala differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,594 vs $1,480 including rent). Bielsko-biala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Sofia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $783 in Sofia versus $605 in Bielsko-biala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bielsko-biala runs roughly 27% less than in Sofia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $774 in Sofia versus $286 in Bielsko-biala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,480 in Bielsko-biala versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bielsko-biala but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Bielsko-biala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Bielsko-biala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bielsko-biala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.