Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Dobrich

For one person, living is cheaper in Dobrich: $596 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Dobrich
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Dobrich Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Dobrich

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Dobrich

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,609 in Sofia versus $596 in Dobrich.

Sofia $1,609
Dobrich $596

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,495 in Sofia versus $984 in Dobrich.

Sofia $2,495
Dobrich $984

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,381 in Sofia versus $1,372 in Dobrich.

Sofia $3,381
Dobrich $1,372

Living in Sofia is roughly 170% more expensive than in Dobrich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Dobrich is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.70

$6.93 BGN 12.19

143.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 117

$28.09 BGN 49.44

136.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.40

$11.53 BGN 20.30

0.52%

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.20

$1.73 BGN 3.05

103.47%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.25

$0.89 BGN 1.57

171.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.11

$0.53 BGN 0.92

233.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.48

$1.96 BGN 3.45

87.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.70

$2.80 BGN 4.93

56.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.44

$1.70 BGN 2.99

15.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.65

$0.84 BGN 1.48

79.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.87

$2.09 BGN 3.67

5.26%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.75

$3.16 BGN 5.57

39.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.70

$6.28 BGN 11.05

87.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.28

$8.88 BGN 15.63

-2.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.57

$11.51 BGN 20.25

50.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.75

$2.26 BGN 3.98

-5.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.61

$1.97 BGN 3.46

4.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.40

$2.12 BGN 3.74

-8.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.34

$2.47 BGN 4.34

68.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.90

$1.17 BGN 2.06

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.60

$1.43 BGN 2.52

-36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.08

$0.94 BGN 1.66

25.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$0.51 BGN 0.91

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.36

$3.20 BGN 5.62

30.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.51

$6.98 BGN 12.29

10.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.06

$0.93 BGN 1.63

25.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.17

$1.87 BGN 3.29

-3.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-5.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 51.1

$22.18 BGN 39.03

31.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.96

$1.71 BGN 3.01

-1.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.54

$0.71 BGN 1.25

22.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.74

$11.90 BGN 20.94

32.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.04

$1.52 BGN 2.67

13.82%

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

$29.7K BGN 52.2K

-0.07%

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

$25.6K BGN 45.0K

$22.1K BGN 38.9K

15.64%

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

$161 BGN 283

$51.2 BGN 90.2

213.95%

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

$21.08 BGN 37.10

$14.48 BGN 25.48

45.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.73

$11.68 BGN 20.56

30.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 85.1

$25.38 BGN 44.68

90.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.35

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.88

$4.61 BGN 8.12

120.39%

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

$785 BGN 1,382

$232 BGN 409

238.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$15.0K BGN 26.4K

-14.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 158

$58.5 BGN 103

53.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.7

$29.26 BGN 51.5

41.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 189

$70.6 BGN 124

52.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 192

$51.2 BGN 90.1

113.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,389

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,063

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,670

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,825

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 BGN 7,756

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 BGN 5,521

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,056

$1,016 BGN 1,788

70.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.25

-11.08%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Dobrich: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Dobrich

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Dobrich

$227 38% 21.3% $61

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Dobrich

$132 22.1% 48.5% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Dobrich

$77 13% 60.7% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Dobrich

$94 15.8% 39.8% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Dobrich

$35 5.8% 49.6% $34

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Dobrich

$31 5.2% 19.3% $7.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Sofia pays 71% 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 in Sofia vs $28 in Dobrich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $227 per month, with Dobrich cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇬 Dobrich

🕒 Local time

16:53 4:53 PM

Same time as Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

89,627

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sofia Dobrich 380 km

From you

Sofia
Dobrich

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 Dobrich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia and Dobrich differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($1,609 vs $596 including rent). Dobrich is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Sofia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you’ll spend $1,609 per month in Sofia versus $596 in Dobrich – a 170% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dobrich runs roughly 24% less than in Sofia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $596 in Dobrich versus $1,609 in Sofia, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Dobrich but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Dobrich 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 Dobrich are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Dobrich wins on affordability, Sofia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.