Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Erfurt

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $2,189 in Erfurt, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Erfurt
Learn more

Erfurt Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Erfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,189

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Erfurt

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $2,189 in Erfurt, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Erfurt $2,189

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $3,241 in Erfurt, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Erfurt $3,241

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $4,293 in Erfurt, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Erfurt $4,293

Sofia is about 27% cheaper than Erfurt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sofia and Erfurt sit above the global median – Sofia by 19%, Erfurt by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$15.18 €13.54

12.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$66.6 €59.4

0.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$11.34 €10.12

3.79%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$3.46 €3.09

-1.16%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$4.25 €3.79

-43.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$8.01 €7.15

-76.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$4.59 €4.09

-27.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$5.18 €4.62

-12.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.35 €1.21

42.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$2.10 €1.88

-28.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$3.32 €2.96

-33.43%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.30 €2.95

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$14.05 €12.54

-17.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$10.46 €9.34

-15.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$17.76 €15.85

-4.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$3.43 €3.06

-36.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$2.05 €1.83

-0.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$3.54 €3.16

-48.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$3.98 €3.55

7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$2.17 €1.94

-52.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.39 €1.24

-33.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.64 €1.47

-26.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.91 €0.81

1.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$9.53 €8.51

-54.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$6.82 €6.09

7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.08 €0.96

9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.54 €1.37

21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$3.28 €2.92

-73.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$69.5 €62.0

-59.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$5.23 €4.67

-66.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$4.04 €3.61

-76.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$45.25 €40.38

-65.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$2.06 €1.84

-13.11%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$32.8K €29.3K

-8.61%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$38.4K €34.3K

-31.41%

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

$156 BGN 273

$676 €604

-76.94%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$27.61 €24.64

-23.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$34.74 €31.00

-54.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$39.89 €35.60

17.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$29.34 €26.18

-5.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$15.26 €13.62

-34.34%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$454 €405

68.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$92.5 €82.5

-2.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$31.26 €27.90

30.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$122 €109

-12.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$114 €102

-8.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$745 €665

6.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$539 €481

12.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$1,628 €1,453

-4.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$1,115 €995

-4.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$4,619 €4,122

-5.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$2,417 €2,157

34.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$3,022 €2,697

-42.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.95

-26.84%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Erfurt: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Erfurt

$539 24.3% 11.3% $69

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Erfurt

$321 14.5% 11.8% $34

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Erfurt

$279 12.6% 9.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Erfurt

$739 33.3% 283% $546

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Erfurt

$162 7.3% 5.4% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Erfurt

$70 3.2% 5.4% $3.6

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Erfurt

$108 4.9% 183% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $745 in Erfurt. 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 74% higher in Erfurt, 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 $67.0 in Sofia versus $67.0 in Erfurt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $321 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇩🇪 Erfurt

🕒 Local time

10:27 10:27 AM

09:27 9:27 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

215,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Erfurt 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Erfurt

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 Erfurt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Erfurt costs about 38% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $3,283 in Erfurt. 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.

Public transport costs about 147% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $766 per month in Sofia and $454 in Erfurt. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Erfurt at $2,189. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Erfurt it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sofia costs $1,589 versus $2,189 in Erfurt. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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