Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Bochnia

For one person, living is cheaper in Bochnia: $1,435 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Sofia despite lower rent and utilities.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Bochnia
Learn more

Bochnia Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Bochnia

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Bochnia

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,435 in Bochnia, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Bochnia $1,435

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $2,029 in Bochnia, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Bochnia $2,029

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $2,623 in Bochnia, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Bochnia $2,623

Sofia costs about 11% more than Bochnia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Bochnia sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Bochnia by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$10.12 zł 39.30

66.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$33.71 zł 131

95.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$10.09 zł 39.20

12.19%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.86 zł 15.01

-11.14%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$2.13 zł 8.28

13.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.29 zł 5.01

43.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$3.72 zł 14.45

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$3.90 zł 15.15

17.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.04 zł 4.05

94.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.03 zł 4.00

51.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.68 zł 6.52

38.69%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$2.74 zł 10.64

59.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$4.53 zł 17.59

159.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$3.79 zł 14.74

132.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$9.90 zł 38.46

76.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.04 zł 4.05

106.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.79 zł 6.95

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.82 zł 7.08

6.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$1.89 zł 7.34

124.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.13 zł 4.38

-7.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.74 zł 2.87

14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.03 zł 4.01

11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.49 zł 1.89

81.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$5.08 zł 19.75

-17.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$6.18 zł 24.02

20.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.22 zł 4.73

-5.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.67 zł 6.48

10.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.09 zł 4.22

-20.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$30.52 zł 119

-6.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.34 zł 9.07

-28.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.00 zł 3.90

-6.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$10.07 zł 39.11

52.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.57 zł 6.10

7.64%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$31.4K zł 122.2K

-5.24%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$26.0K zł 101.2K

0.38%

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

$156 BGN 272

$298 zł 1,157

-47.60%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$9.40 zł 36.53

129.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$12.68 zł 49.27

20.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$36.25 zł 141

27.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$23.16 zł 90.0

20.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$6.80 zł 26.43

49.71%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$288 zł 1,117

169.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$2,439 zł 9,477

424.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$76.8 zł 298

17.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$50.3 zł 196

-17.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$70.5 zł 274

49.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$127 zł 494

-16.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$602 zł 2,339

29.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$509 zł 1,979

17.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$993 zł 3,858

52.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$804 zł 3,122

28.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$2,853 zł 11.1K

52.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$2,253 zł 8,751

41.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,296 zł 5,036

33.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

-42.20%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bochnia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Bochnia

$509 35.5% 14.7% $88

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Bochnia

$170 11.8% 41.5% $121

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Bochnia

$198 13.8% 22.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Bochnia

$320 22.3% 65.9% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Bochnia

$146 10.2% 5.4% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Bochnia

$50 3.5% 25% $17

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Bochnia

$42 2.9% 10% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $602 in Bochnia. 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 34% 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 $34.00 in Bochnia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $170 – making Bochnia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Bochnia

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

10:27 10:27 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

29,405

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Bochnia 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Bochnia

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 Bochnia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 11%, 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 $2,152 in Bochnia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bochnia, 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 $34.00 in Bochnia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,594 in Sofia and $1,435 in Bochnia. That's a gap of about 11%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bochnia, where all-in costs run around $1,435, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Bochnia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bochnia – 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 Bochnia. 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.