Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Cieszyn

For one person, living is cheaper in Cieszyn: $1,372 a month against $1,600 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Cieszyn
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Cieszyn Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Cieszyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Cieszyn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,600 in Sofia versus $1,372 in Cieszyn.

Sofia $1,600
Cieszyn $1,372

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,490 in Sofia versus $1,991 in Cieszyn.

Sofia $2,490
Cieszyn $1,991

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,380 in Sofia versus $2,609 in Cieszyn.

Sofia $3,380
Cieszyn $2,609

Living in Sofia is roughly 17% more expensive than in Cieszyn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Cieszyn 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$7.06 zł 27.44

140.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$37.63 zł 146

81.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$9.00 zł 34.96

29.11%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.08 zł 11.99

11.36%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$1.76 zł 6.85

32.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$1.25 zł 4.86

46.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$4.45 zł 17.30

-23.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$3.79 zł 14.74

17.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$0.99 zł 3.85

98.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$1.04 zł 4.05

43.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.72 zł 6.66

35.47%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$2.00 zł 7.76

120.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$9.06 zł 35.19

27.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$7.83 zł 30.43

13.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$13.03 zł 50.6

34.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$0.99 zł 3.86

117.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$1.57 zł 6.10

31.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.75 zł 6.79

10.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$1.24 zł 4.81

242.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$0.73 zł 2.85

41.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$0.79 zł 3.08

11.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$1.20 zł 4.67

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.73 zł 2.83

21.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$5.53 zł 21.49

-23.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$6.20 zł 24.11

26.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$0.99 zł 3.86

19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$1.68 zł 6.54

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.09 zł 4.25

-14.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

$30.34 zł 118

-6.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.26 zł 8.80

-25.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.86 zł 3.33

11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

$12.08 zł 46.92

27.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$1.63 zł 6.34

8.59%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$30.3K zł 117.6K

0.76%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$28.0K zł 108.8K

-10.48%

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

$157 BGN 273

$251 zł 975

-37.40%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$8.53 zł 33.16

147.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$17.24 zł 67.0

-11.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$38.80 zł 151

19.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

$21.66 zł 84.2

29.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$7.64 zł 29.69

31.41%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$151 zł 588

412.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

$9,833 zł 38.2K

27.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$45.08 zł 175

95.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$38.18 zł 148

8.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$88.5 zł 344

20.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$122 zł 473

-12.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$613 zł 2,382

25.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$499 zł 1,938

20.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$998 zł 3,877

56.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$831 zł 3,227

24.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$2,886 zł 11.2K

58.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$2,183 zł 8,482

44.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

$1,440 zł 5,595

20.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.62

-56.34%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cieszyn: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

Cieszyn

$499 36.4% 17.2% $103

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

Cieszyn

$206 15% 29.1% $85

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

Cieszyn

$162 11.8% 36.1% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

Cieszyn

$277 20.2% 43% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Cieszyn

$132 9.6% 14.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Cieszyn

$54 3.9% 18.6% $12

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Cieszyn

$41 3% 7.1% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $770 in Sofia and $613 in Cieszyn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 21% 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: $68.0 in Sofia vs $38.00 in Cieszyn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $206 per month, with Cieszyn cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Cieszyn

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

00:36 12:36 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

33,757

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, 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).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Cieszyn 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Cieszyn

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 Cieszyn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia and Cieszyn differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,600 vs $1,372 including rent). Cieszyn is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $770 in Sofia versus $613 in Cieszyn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cieszyn runs roughly 7% less than in Sofia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $775 in Sofia versus $151 in Cieszyn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,372 in Cieszyn versus $1,600 in Sofia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cieszyn but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Cieszyn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Cieszyn 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 Cieszyn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.