Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Gliwice

For one person, living is cheaper in Gliwice: $1,315 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Gliwice
Learn more

Gliwice Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Gliwice

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Gliwice

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $1,315 in Gliwice, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Gliwice $1,315

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $1,934 in Gliwice, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Gliwice $1,934

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $2,553 in Gliwice, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Gliwice $2,553

Sofia costs about 21% more than Gliwice, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sofia sits 19% above the global median, while Gliwice is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$12.94 zł 50.6

32.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$40.22 zł 157

66.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$9.14 zł 35.72

28.77%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$2.89 zł 11.30

18.34%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$1.13 zł 4.43

114.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$1.63 zł 6.39

14.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$2.87 zł 11.23

16.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$3.04 zł 11.90

49.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.04 zł 4.06

84.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.32 zł 5.18

14.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.81 zł 7.07

22.10%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$2.88 zł 11.26

52.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$7.82 zł 30.56

47.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$6.36 zł 24.86

38.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$9.70 zł 37.90

74.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$0.99 zł 3.86

119.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.89 zł 7.39

7.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$1.61 zł 6.29

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$2.61 zł 10.22

64.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.88 zł 3.46

17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.13 zł 4.41

-17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.40 zł 5.47

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.66 zł 2.58

39.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$4.89 zł 19.10

-12.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$7.58 zł 29.64

-3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.04 zł 4.07

13.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.52 zł 5.96

23.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.06 zł 4.16

-17.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$30.50 zł 119

-7.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$1.99 zł 7.79

-12.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.61 zł 2.39

57.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$10.12 zł 39.54

53.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.71 zł 6.69

4.68%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$31.4K zł 122.8K

-4.59%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$26.7K zł 104.2K

-1.10%

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

$156 BGN 273

$226 zł 885

-31.12%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$14.00 zł 54.7

51.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$16.00 zł 62.5

-2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$26.64 zł 104

75.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$16.20 zł 63.3

71.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$6.27 zł 24.51

59.81%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$333 zł 1,302

130.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$97.1 zł 380

-7.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$44.25 zł 173

-7.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$66.1 zł 258

60.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$75.4 zł 295

38.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$516 zł 2,017

54.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$472 zł 1,845

28.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$861 zł 3,367

81.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$728 zł 2,845

45.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$2,431 zł 9,500

79.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$1,782 zł 6,965

82.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$1,354 zł 5,294

28.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

7.23

-60.03%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Gliwice: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Gliwice

$472 35.3% 22.3% $135

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Gliwice

$204 15.3% 28.9% $83

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Gliwice

$197 14.8% 23% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Gliwice

$256 19.2% 33% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Gliwice

$127 9.5% 17.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Gliwice

$39 2.9% 41.3% $28

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Gliwice

$40 3% 4.3% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $516 in Gliwice. 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 28% 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 $67.0 in Sofia versus $40.00 in Gliwice. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $204 – making Gliwice the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Gliwice

🕒 Local time

13:56 1:56 PM

12:56 12:56 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

185,450

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Gliwice 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Gliwice

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 Gliwice: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $1,972 in Gliwice. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gliwice, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Sofia and $40.00 in Gliwice. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Sofia and $1,315 in Gliwice. That's a gap of about 21%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gliwice, where all-in costs run around $1,315, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Gliwice it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gliwice – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Gliwice. 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.