Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Budapest

For one person, living costs are similar in Sofia and in Budapest: $1,589 and $1,621 a month, rent and utilities included.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Budapest $3,489

Sofia is about 2% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sofia and Budapest sit above the global median – Sofia by 19%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$13.99 Ft 4,555

22.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

10.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$9.96 Ft 3,244

18.17%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$3.38 Ft 1,102

1.18%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$2.13 Ft 693

13.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$1.87 Ft 609

-0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-11.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$3.57 Ft 1,163

26.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.13 Ft 369

69.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.84 Ft 600

-17.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$2.39 Ft 777

-7.53%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.83 Ft 1,246

14.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$11.33 Ft 3,689

2.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$6.74 Ft 2,194

30.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$14.69 Ft 4,784

15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$1.84 Ft 598

17.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$2.01 Ft 654

1.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$2.36 Ft 767

-22.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$3.77 Ft 1,227

13.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.96 Ft 314

7.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.03 Ft 335

-9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.56 Ft 509

-23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.66 Ft 216

39.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-45.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$6.01 Ft 1,956

21.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.30 Ft 422

-9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$2.08 Ft 677

-10.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.50 Ft 490

-42.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$27.61 Ft 8,991

1.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-47.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.30 Ft 424

-26.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-21.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.81 Ft 591

-1.10%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

2.24%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-22.70%

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

$156 BGN 273

$170 Ft 55.3K

-8.23%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-11.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$23.42 Ft 7,628

-33.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-29.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$19.18 Ft 6,245

44.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$9.52 Ft 3,101

5.25%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$537 Ft 174.8K

42.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-23.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$101 Ft 33.0K

-11.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-4.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$113 Ft 36.7K

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$119 Ft 38.7K

-11.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$805 Ft 262.2K

-1.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$629 Ft 204.9K

-3.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

0.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-9.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-22.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-18.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

7.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.43

-55.05%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 3.6% $22

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 10.3% $30

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 12.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 12.7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 10.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 27.7% $18

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 13.8% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $805 in Budapest. 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 7% higher in Sofia, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Sofia versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

02:23 2:23 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, 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).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Budapest 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $2,432 in Budapest. 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 2% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $766 per month in Sofia and $537 in Budapest. 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 $1,589, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest 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, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.