Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Cham

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,600 a month against $3,527 in Cham, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 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
171

Cost of Living Index in Cham
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Cham Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Cham

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Cham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,600 in Sofia versus $3,527 in Cham.

Sofia $1,600
Cham $3,527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,490 in Sofia versus $5,432 in Cham.

Sofia $2,490
Cham $5,432

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,380 in Sofia versus $7,337 in Cham.

Sofia $3,380
Cham $7,337

Living in Sofia costs roughly 55% less than in Cham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Cham 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$30.40 CHF 25.04

-44.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$122 CHF 101

-44.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$18.19 CHF 14.98

-36.12%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$6.17 CHF 5.09

-44.41%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$5.52 CHF 4.55

-57.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$4.81 CHF 3.96

-61.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$8.62 CHF 7.10

-60.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$6.60 CHF 5.44

-32.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-7.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$3.80 CHF 3.13

-60.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$3.86 CHF 3.18

-39.64%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$7.26 CHF 5.98

-39.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$26.70 CHF 21.99

-56.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$28.37 CHF 23.37

-68.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$42.48 CHF 34.98

-58.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$4.22 CHF 3.48

-49.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$2.12 CHF 1.75

-2.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$3.28 CHF 2.70

-41.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$4.59 CHF 3.78

-7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$2.42 CHF 1.99

-57.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-59.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$2.46 CHF 2.03

-51.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$1.16 CHF 0.95

-23.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$10.98 CHF 9.05

-61.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$12.73 CHF 10.48

-38.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$2.78 CHF 2.29

-57.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$3.14 CHF 2.59

-39.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$4.95 CHF 4.08

-81.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

$149 CHF 122

-80.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$5.29 CHF 4.36

-68.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$3.40 CHF 2.80

-71.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

$61.7 CHF 50.8

-75.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-23.71%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

-21.88%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

-35.79%

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

$157 BGN 273

$279 CHF 230

-43.70%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$30.94 CHF 25.48

-31.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$55.9 CHF 46.04

-72.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$90.5 CHF 74.5

-48.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

$49.67 CHF 40.90

-43.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$25.71 CHF 21.18

-60.95%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$1,791 CHF 1,475

-56.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

$32.2K CHF 26.5K

-61.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$143 CHF 118

-38.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$58.7 CHF 48.31

-29.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$168 CHF 138

-36.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$253 CHF 208

-57.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$1,739 CHF 1,432

-55.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$1,475 CHF 1,214

-59.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$2,977 CHF 2,452

-47.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$2,600 CHF 2,142

-60.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$16.9K CHF 13.9K

-72.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$13.3K CHF 10.9K

-76.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

2.07

39.61%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cham: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

Cham

$1.5K 41.8% 145% $872

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

Cham

$604 17.1% 108% $313

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

Cham

$470 13.3% 84.6% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

Cham

$366 10.4% 89% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Cham

$280 7.9% 81.7% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Cham

$142 4% 114% $75

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Cham

$191 5.4% 395% $152

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $770 in Sofia and $1,739 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Sofia vs $122 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $604 per month, with Sofia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇨🇭 Cham

🕒 Local time

22:08 10:08 PM

21:08 9:08 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

17,060

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sofia Cham 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Cham

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 Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,400 in Sofia and $5,290 in Cham to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $770 in Sofia versus $1,739 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $775 in Sofia versus $1,791 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,600 in Sofia versus $3,527 in Cham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Cham. 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 Cham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Cham 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 120% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.