Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Castello de la Plana

Name: Castello de la Plana
Address: Castello de la Plana, ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Castello de la Plana: $1,479 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
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Castello de la Plana
Learn more

Castello de la Plana Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Castello de la Plana

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,479

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Castello de la Plana

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 Castello de la Plana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,479 in Castello de la Plana, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Castello de la Plana $1,479

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $2,142 in Castello de la Plana, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Castello de la Plana $2,142

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $2,805 in Castello de la Plana, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Castello de la Plana $2,805

Sofia costs about 8% more than Castello de la Plana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sofia and Castello de la Plana sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Castello de la Plana by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$14.65 €13.03

15.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$56.2 €49.96

17.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$7.85 €6.98

44.20%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$2.21 €1.97

55.20%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$2.04 €1.82

18.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.35 €1.20

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$3.41 €3.03

8.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$3.42 €3.04

33.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.08 €0.96

87.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.68 €1.49

-7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.61 €1.44

44.72%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$2.99 €2.66

45.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$14.28 €12.70

-17.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$7.98 €7.10

10.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$15.00 €13.34

16.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$2.49 €2.21

-13.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.95 €1.73

1.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.60 €1.42

20.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$2.41 €2.14

75.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.82 €1.62

-42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.93 €1.71

-55.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.22 €1.09

-5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.59 €0.52

50.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$6.67 €5.93

-36.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$5.48 €4.87

36.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.05 €0.93

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$2.16 €1.92

-14.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.32 €1.18

-34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$18.12 €16.12

57.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$3.14 €2.79

-46.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.37 €1.22

-31.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$14.71 €13.08

4.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.76 €1.56

-3.98%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$35.5K €31.5K

-15.96%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$28.9K €25.7K

-9.64%

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

$156 BGN 272

$117 €104

33.46%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$13.20 €11.74

63.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$24.84 €22.09

-38.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$44.87 €39.91

2.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$8.44 €7.51

20.62%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$552 €491

40.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$9,468 €8,422

35.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$63.6 €56.6

41.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$21.56 €19.18

91.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$94.2 €83.8

11.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$104 €92.3

2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$725 €645

7.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$639 €568

-6.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$988 €878

53.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$848 €754

21.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$1,817 €1,616

139.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$1,407 €1,251

125.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,733 €1,542

0.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

2.99

-3.34%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Castello de la Plana: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Castello de la Plana

$639 43.2% 7% $42

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Castello de la Plana

$258 17.4% 11.2% $33

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Castello de la Plana

$205 13.8% 19.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Castello de la Plana

$155 10.5% 19.6% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Castello de la Plana

$127 8.6% 17.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Castello de la Plana

$62 4.2% 7.1% $4.7

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Castello de la Plana

$33 2.3% 12.9% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $725 in Castello de la Plana. 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 0% 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 $56.0 in Castello de la Plana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $258 – making Castello de la Plana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇪🇸 Castello de la Plana

🕒 Local time

15:26 3:26 PM

14:26 2:26 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

176,238

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Castello de la Plana 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Castello de la Plana

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 Castello de la Plana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $1,479 in Castello de la Plana – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $2,219 in Castello de la Plana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 57% less in Castello de la Plana. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Sofia and $552 in Castello de la Plana. 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 Castello de la Plana, where all-in costs run around $1,479, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Castello de la Plana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,479 in Castello de la Plana to $1,594 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Castello de la Plana. 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.