Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Gevgelija

For one person, living is cheaper in Gevgelija: $782 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Gevgelija
Learn more

Gevgelija Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Gevgelija

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Gevgelija

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $782 in Gevgelija, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Gevgelija $782

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $1,226 in Gevgelija, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Gevgelija $1,226

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $1,670 in Gevgelija, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Gevgelija $1,670

Sofia costs about 104% more than Gevgelija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Gevgelija is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$7.12 MKD 388

136.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$31.15 MKD 1,699

111.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$5.28 MKD 288

114.39%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$1.33 MKD 72.3

157.89%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$0.94 MKD 51.3

156.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.69 MKD 37.73

168.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$1.17 MKD 63.6

216.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$3.02 MKD 165

51.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.23 MKD 66.9

64.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$0.65 MKD 35.19

140.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$0.72 MKD 39.18

223.61%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$2.14 MKD 117

103.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$7.06 MKD 385

66.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.53 MKD 302

59.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$11.01 MKD 601

58.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.11 MKD 60.5

93.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.11 MKD 60.6

78.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.36 MKD 74.1

41.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$1.86 MKD 101

127.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.52 MKD 28.44

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.38 MKD 20.57

123.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$0.35 MKD 19.00

228.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.53 MKD 28.87

67.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$2.40 MKD 131

75.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$3.70 MKD 202

101.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.06 MKD 58.0

8.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.43 MKD 78.0

29.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$0.74 MKD 40.45

17.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$20.23 MKD 1,104

41.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.11 MKD 60.7

51.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.62 MKD 33.56

51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$5.56 MKD 303

176.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.57 MKD 85.6

7.64%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$35.1K MKD 1.9M

-15.13%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$27.1K MKD 1.5M

-3.38%

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

$156 BGN 272

$92.4 MKD 5,038

69.01%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$18.24 MKD 995

18.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$19.08 MKD 1,041

-20.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$23.96 MKD 1,307

92.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$16.12 MKD 879

73.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$5.37 MKD 293

89.57%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$109 MKD 5,949

609.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$5,751 MKD 313.7K

122.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$82.5 MKD 4,498

9.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$36.31 MKD 1,980

13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$54.4 MKD 2,967

93.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$113 MKD 6,149

-5.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$245 MKD 13.4K

219.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$190 MKD 10.3K

214.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$426 MKD 23.2K

256.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$330 MKD 18.0K

211.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$1,725 MKD 94.1K

152.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$1,125 MKD 61.3K

182.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$579 MKD 31.6K

199.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.23

-31.68%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gevgelija: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Gevgelija

$190 24.3% 68.2% $407

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Gevgelija

$165 21.1% 43.3% $126

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Gevgelija

$107 13.7% 58% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Gevgelija

$130 16.6% 32.8% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Gevgelija

$129 16.5% 16.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Gevgelija

$35 4.4% 47.8% $32

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Gevgelija

$27 3.5% 28.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $245 in Gevgelija. 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 200% higher in Sofia, 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 $31.00 in Gevgelija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $165 – making Gevgelija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇲🇰 Gevgelija

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

02:26 2:26 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

20,664

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Sofia Gevgelija 190 km

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Sofia
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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 Gevgelija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 104% more than Gevgelija, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $1,173 in Gevgelija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gevgelija, 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 $109 in Gevgelija. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Gevgelija, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Gevgelija it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Gevgelija costs $782 versus $1,594 in Sofia. 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 Gevgelija. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.