Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Brno

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $1,880 in Brno, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brno outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Brno
Learn more

Brno Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Brno

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Brno

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Sofia versus $1,880 in Brno.

Sofia $1,589
Brno $1,880

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,456 in Sofia versus $2,627 in Brno.

Sofia $2,456
Brno $2,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Sofia versus $3,373 in Brno.

Sofia $3,324
Brno $3,373

Living in Sofia costs roughly 15% less than in Brno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 19% above, Brno 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$9.32 Kč 203

83.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$45.93 Kč 998

45.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$9.15 Kč 199

28.63%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$3.61 Kč 78.4

-5.26%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$1.73 Kč 37.51

39.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$1.29 Kč 28.08

44.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$2.69 Kč 58.6

23.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$2.81 Kč 61.2

61.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.13 Kč 24.48

69.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.39 Kč 30.23

8.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$2.34 Kč 50.8

-5.56%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.60 Kč 78.2

22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$12.81 Kč 278

-9.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$9.14 Kč 199

-3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$16.61 Kč 361

2.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$1.80 Kč 39.10

20.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.76 Kč 38.33

15.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$2.13 Kč 46.34

-13.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$3.25 Kč 70.6

32.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$1.05 Kč 22.91

-1.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.06 Kč 22.94

-12.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.56 Kč 33.88

-23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.72 Kč 15.55

27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$7.47 Kč 162

-42.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$6.96 Kč 151

5.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$0.90 Kč 19.45

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.63 Kč 35.36

14.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.18 Kč 25.59

-26.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$24.78 Kč 539

13.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$2.83 Kč 61.5

-38.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.89 Kč 41.05

-49.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$16.71 Kč 363

-7.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.89 Kč 40.98

-5.29%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$31.7K Kč 688.8K

-5.40%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$29.7K Kč 645.1K

-11.17%

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

$156 BGN 273

$296 Kč 6,442

-47.39%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$22.10 Kč 480

-4.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$19.27 Kč 419

-18.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$53.7 Kč 1,167

-12.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$12.92 Kč 281

114.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$12.78 Kč 278

-21.60%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$727 Kč 15.8K

5.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$11.8K Kč 255.6K

8.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$84.0 Kč 1,824

6.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$37.32 Kč 811

9.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$101 Kč 2,188

5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$122 Kč 2,649

-14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$954 Kč 20.7K

-16.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$809 Kč 17.6K

-24.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$1,518 Kč 33.0K

2.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$1,191 Kč 25.9K

-10.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$6,265 Kč 136.2K

-30.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$5,258 Kč 114.3K

-38.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$1,862 Kč 40.5K

-6.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.65

-37.85%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Brno: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Brno

$809 43.3% 33.2% $201

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Brno

$269 14.4% 6.4% $18

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Brno

$176 9.5% 31.1% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Brno

$338 18.1% 75.2% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Brno

$155 8.3% 0.7% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Brno

$79 4.2% 18.7% $12

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Brno

$42 2.2% 9.5% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Sofia and $954 in Brno. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brno pays 7% 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: $67.0 in Sofia vs $46.00 in Brno for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $269 per month, with Brno cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇨🇿 Brno

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

08:59 8:59 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

380,127

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

100 CZK = 4.6 USD

100 CZK = 4.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, 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).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 21.73 CZK (100 CZK = 4.6 USD). 1 EUR = 24.38 CZK (100 CZK = 4.1 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Brno 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Brno

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 Brno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and transport. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Brno. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $796 in Sofia versus $954 in Brno. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sofia – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $46.00 in Brno. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Sofia versus $1,880 in Brno – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,589 in Sofia versus $1,880 in Brno, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Brno. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sofia is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Brno, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Brno 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 Sofia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Brno. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.