Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Castelo Branco

For one person, living is cheaper in Castelo Branco: $1,100 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Castelo Branco
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Castelo Branco Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Castelo Branco

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Castelo Branco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco.

Sofia $1,594
Castelo Branco $1,100

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $1,666 in Castelo Branco.

Sofia $2,478
Castelo Branco $1,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $2,233 in Castelo Branco.

Sofia $3,361
Castelo Branco $2,233

Living in Sofia is roughly 45% more expensive than in Castelo Branco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Castelo Branco is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$11.29 €10.05

49.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$39.12 €34.80

68.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$9.62 €8.56

17.67%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$1.25 €1.11

174.40%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$1.41 €1.25

70.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.26 €1.12

46.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$1.09 €0.97

239.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.20 €1.96

108.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.17 €1.04

72.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.30 €1.16

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.45 €1.29

60.69%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.87 €3.44

12.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$8.76 €7.79

34.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.80 €5.16

52.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$8.58 €7.63

103.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$2.11 €1.88

1.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.31 €1.17

51.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.75 €1.56

10.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$2.30 €2.05

84.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.65 €1.47

-36.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.45 €1.29

-41.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.14 €1.02

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.81 €0.72

9.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$5.97 €5.31

-29.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$3.39 €3.01

120.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.17 €1.04

-1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.95 €1.73

-5.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.25 €1.11

-30.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$22.20 €19.75

28.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.25 €2.00

-25.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.74 €0.66

27.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$16.67 €14.83

-7.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$2.04 €1.82

-17.16%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$33.5K €29.8K

-11.07%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$40.5K €36.0K

-35.44%

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

$156 BGN 272

$120 €106

30.45%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$19.03 €16.92

13.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$31.99 €28.45

-52.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$39.32 €34.97

17.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$6.70 €5.96

51.94%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$678 €603

14.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$16.9K €15.1K

-24.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$78.7 €70.0

14.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$44.71 €39.77

-7.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$82.1 €73.0

28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$67.6 €60.2

57.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$458 €407

70.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$363 €323

64.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$796 €708

90.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$605 €538

70.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$1,574 €1,400

176.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$1,322 €1,176

140.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,617 €1,438

7.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.85

-24.94%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Castelo Branco: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Castelo Branco

$363 33% 39.2% $234

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Castelo Branco

$203 18.4% 30.2% $88

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Castelo Branco

$155 14.1% 39.3% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Castelo Branco

$171 15.5% 11.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Castelo Branco

$123 11.2% 20.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Castelo Branco

$53 4.8% 20.7% $14

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Castelo Branco

$33 3% 13.5% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $458 in Castelo Branco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia 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: $66.0 in Sofia vs $39.00 in Castelo Branco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $203 per month, with Castelo Branco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇹 Castelo Branco

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

15:24 3:24 PM

2 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

52,291

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Castelo Branco 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Castelo Branco

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 Castelo Branco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelo Branco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% 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 $458 in Castelo Branco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,594 per month in Sofia versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelo Branco runs roughly 29% less than in Sofia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Castelo Branco but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Castelo Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Sofia and Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.