Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Drammen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $2,644 in Drammen, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Drammen
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Drammen Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Drammen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Drammen

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $2,644 in Drammen, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Drammen $2,644

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $3,996 in Drammen, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Drammen $3,996

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $5,349 in Drammen, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Drammen $5,349

Sofia is about 40% cheaper than Drammen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Drammen sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Drammen by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$21.14 NOK 199

-20.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$124 NOK 1,170

-47.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$10.71 NOK 101

5.70%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$5.04 NOK 47.44

-31.94%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$3.94 NOK 37.13

-38.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.99 NOK 18.71

-7.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$11.22 NOK 106

-67.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$6.98 NOK 65.7

-34.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$2.48 NOK 23.30

-18.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$4.19 NOK 39.48

-62.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$4.73 NOK 44.52

-50.74%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$4.64 NOK 43.71

-6.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$13.55 NOK 128

-13.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$15.24 NOK 143

-42.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$30.80 NOK 290

-43.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$3.23 NOK 30.42

-33.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$2.71 NOK 25.47

-26.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$3.37 NOK 31.71

-42.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$5.81 NOK 54.7

-27.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$2.61 NOK 24.61

-60.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$2.89 NOK 27.23

-70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$3.03 NOK 28.51

-62.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$2.35 NOK 22.14

-62.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$16.74 NOK 158

-74.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$15.55 NOK 146

-52.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$3.36 NOK 31.58

-65.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$4.15 NOK 39.11

-55.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$3.37 NOK 31.68

-74.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$91.5 NOK 862

-68.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$11.86 NOK 112

-85.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.81 NOK 17.07

-48.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$69.4 NOK 653

-77.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$2.27 NOK 21.35

-25.55%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$45.6K NOK 429.1K

-34.62%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$45.1K NOK 424.8K

-42.09%

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

$156 BGN 272

$261 NOK 2,459

-40.26%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$33.66 NOK 317

-35.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$53.0 NOK 499

-71.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$78.6 NOK 740

-41.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$17.96 NOK 169

-43.32%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$236 NOK 2,225

227.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$15.5K NOK 145.5K

-17.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$98.9 NOK 931

-9.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$59.2 NOK 557

-30.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$131 NOK 1,233

-19.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$150 NOK 1,414

-28.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$1,346 NOK 12.7K

-41.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$1,004 NOK 9,447

-40.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$2,043 NOK 19.2K

-25.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$1,560 NOK 14.7K

-33.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$10.4K NOK 97.5K

-57.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$6,335 NOK 59.6K

-49.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$3,627 NOK 34.1K

-52.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.54

-36.34%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Drammen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Drammen

$1K 38% 68.2% $407

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Drammen

$499 18.9% 71.6% $208

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Drammen

$356 13.5% 39.5% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Drammen

$348 13.2% 80.4% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Drammen

$198 7.5% 28% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Drammen

$114 4.3% 72.3% $48

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Drammen

$126 4.8% 228% $88

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $1,346 in Drammen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 109% higher in Drammen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Sofia versus $124 in Drammen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $499 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇳🇴 Drammen

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

18:12 6:12 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

104,625

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR 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).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Drammen 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Drammen

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 Drammen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $2,644 in Drammen – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $3,965 in Drammen. 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.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Sofia and $236 in Drammen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 72% more in Drammen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Drammen at $2,644. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Drammen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,594 in Sofia to $2,644 in Drammen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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