Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Elblag

For one person, living is cheaper in Elblag: $1,455 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Sofia despite lower rent and utilities.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Elblag
Learn more

Elblag Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Elblag

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,455

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Elblag

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,455 in Elblag.

Sofia $1,594
Elblag $1,455

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $2,027 in Elblag.

Sofia $2,478
Elblag $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $2,599 in Elblag.

Sofia $3,361
Elblag $2,599

Living in Sofia is roughly 10% more expensive than in Elblag, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Elblag 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$12.17 zł 47.29

38.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$27.38 zł 106

140.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$7.34 zł 28.54

54.22%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.35 zł 13.03

2.39%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$2.10 zł 8.16

14.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.71 zł 6.63

8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$3.03 zł 11.78

22.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$3.73 zł 14.50

22.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.04 zł 4.04

94.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.66 zł 6.44

-6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$0.95 zł 3.69

145.26%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.79 zł 14.72

15.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$8.96 zł 34.81

31.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$6.83 zł 26.53

29.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$11.50 zł 44.68

51.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.34 zł 5.22

60.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.67 zł 6.48

18.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.60 zł 6.20

20.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$3.08 zł 11.98

37.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.79 zł 3.09

31.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.32 zł 5.13

-35.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.10 zł 4.27

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.50 zł 1.93

78.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$4.13 zł 16.04

1.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$6.31 zł 24.52

18.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$0.49 zł 1.91

134.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.41 zł 5.47

31.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.03 zł 4.01

-15.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$24.01 zł 93.3

18.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.14 zł 8.33

-21.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.78 zł 3.04

20.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$9.86 zł 38.29

55.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.54 zł 5.98

9.74%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$30.7K zł 119.4K

-3.05%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$24.9K zł 96.6K

5.15%

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

$156 BGN 272

$285 zł 1,108

-45.28%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$7.79 zł 30.27

176.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$13.79 zł 53.6

10.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$41.85 zł 163

10.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$22.09 zł 85.8

26.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$5.23 zł 20.30

94.65%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$323 zł 1,255

139.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$1,954 zł 7,593

555.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$80.9 zł 314

11.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$36.97 zł 144

11.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$88.1 zł 342

19.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$98.5 zł 383

8.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$602 zł 2,339

30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$514 zł 1,995

16.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$857 zł 3,331

76.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$738 zł 2,868

39.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$2,191 zł 8,514

98.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$2,243 zł 8,714

41.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,299 zł 5,048

33.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.89

-58.06%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Elblag: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Elblag

$514 35.3% 13.9% $83

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Elblag

$213 14.7% 26.6% $77

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Elblag

$197 13.6% 22.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Elblag

$307 21.1% 59.1% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Elblag

$137 9.4% 11.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Elblag

$52 3.6% 21.3% $14

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Elblag

$34 2.4% 10.9% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $602 in Elblag. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 34% 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: $66.0 in Sofia vs $27.00 in Elblag for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $213 per month, with Elblag cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Elblag

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

03:09 3:09 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

122,899

💱 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 Elblag 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Elblag

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 Elblag: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elblag is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $783 in Sofia versus $602 in Elblag. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Elblag – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,455 in Elblag versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elblag but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Elblag the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Elblag is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sofia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Elblag 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 Elblag gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.