Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Cesano Maderno

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $1,899 in Cesano Maderno, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Cesano Maderno
Learn more

Cesano Maderno Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Cesano Maderno

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Cesano Maderno

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,899 in Cesano Maderno, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Cesano Maderno $1,899

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $2,929 in Cesano Maderno, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Cesano Maderno $2,929

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $3,959 in Cesano Maderno, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Cesano Maderno $3,959

Sofia is about 16% cheaper than Cesano Maderno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Cesano Maderno sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Cesano Maderno by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$22.37 €19.90

-24.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$90.9 €80.8

-27.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$13.65 €12.14

-17.07%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$2.14 €1.91

60.28%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$3.56 €3.17

-32.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.69 €1.51

9.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$6.77 €6.02

-45.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$6.53 €5.81

-29.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.75 €1.55

15.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$2.67 €2.38

-41.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$3.51 €3.12

-33.62%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$4.92 €4.37

-11.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$23.03 €20.48

-48.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$12.68 €11.27

-30.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$22.35 €19.88

-21.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$2.86 €2.54

-24.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$2.31 €2.05

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.94 €2.62

-34.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$3.36 €2.99

26.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$2.40 €2.13

-56.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$2.05 €1.82

-58.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.74 €1.55

-33.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.57 €0.50

56.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$7.35 €6.54

-42.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$8.94 €7.95

-16.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.69 €1.50

-31.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.65 €1.46

12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.61 €1.44

-45.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$43.66 €38.83

-34.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$5.52 €4.91

-69.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.71 €1.52

-45.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$38.51 €34.25

-60.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$2.15 €1.91

-21.40%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$36.8K €32.7K

-19.07%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$34.5K €30.6K

-24.14%

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

$156 BGN 272

$244 €217

-36.10%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$11.05 €9.82

95.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$32.77 €29.14

-53.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$55.5 €49.38

-17.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$26.88 €23.90

3.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$11.06 €9.84

-7.96%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$694 €617

11.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$7,092 €6,308

80.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$100 €89.3

-10.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$50.2 €44.61

-17.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$114 €102

-8.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$163 €145

-34.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$623 €554

25.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$574 €510

4.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$982 €874

54.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$908 €808

13.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$3,132 €2,786

38.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$1,962 €1,745

61.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.18

-9.12%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cesano Maderno: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Cesano Maderno

$574 30.2% 3.9% $23

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Cesano Maderno

$389 20.5% 33.9% $98

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Cesano Maderno

$314 16.5% 23.1% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Cesano Maderno

$288 15.2% 49.3% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Cesano Maderno

$193 10.2% 24.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Cesano Maderno

$78 4.1% 16.8% $11

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Cesano Maderno

$64 3.4% 67.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $623 in Cesano Maderno. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Sofia versus $91.0 in Cesano Maderno. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $389 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇮🇹 Cesano Maderno

🕒 Local time

19:22 7:22 PM

18:22 6:22 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

33,094

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Cesano Maderno 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Cesano Maderno

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 Cesano Maderno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cesano Maderno costs about 19% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $2,848 in Cesano Maderno. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,594 in Sofia and $1,899 in Cesano Maderno. That's a gap of about 19%.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Cesano Maderno at $1,899. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cesano Maderno it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sofia costs $1,594 versus $1,899 in Cesano Maderno. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Cesano Maderno makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.