Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Gomel

For one person, living is cheaper in Gomel: $730 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Gomel
Learn more

Gomel Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Gomel

🇧🇾 Belarus

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Gomel

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $730 in Gomel, rent included.

Sofia $1,585
Gomel $730

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $1,106 in Gomel, rent included.

Sofia $2,486
Gomel $1,106

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $1,482 in Gomel, rent included.

Sofia $3,387
Gomel $1,482

Sofia costs about 117% more than Gomel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Gomel is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$6.60 BYN 19.61

151.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$30.06 BYN 89.3

125.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$4.47 BYN 13.27

161.30%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$1.60 BYN 4.75

113.12%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.59 BYN 1.76

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.35 BYN 1.05

377.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$1.21 BYN 3.61

229.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$2.57 BYN 7.64

76.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$0.76 BYN 2.26

155.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.58 BYN 1.74

167.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.17 BYN 3.47

100.85%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.38 BYN 4.10

233.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$6.77 BYN 20.11

69.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$4.32 BYN 12.84

100.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$6.50 BYN 19.29

166.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$1.30 BYN 3.86

65.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.89 BYN 5.60

4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$1.84 BYN 5.45

-0.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$1.75 BYN 5.19

144.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.43 BYN 1.26

141.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.65 BYN 1.92

36.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$1.03 BYN 3.06

15.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.48 BYN 1.43

72.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$2.09 BYN 6.20

110.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$7.90 BYN 23.46

-6.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$1.60 BYN 4.75

-27.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$2.12 BYN 6.29

-10.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.33 BYN 0.97

178.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$13.71 BYN 40.72

105.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$0.68 BYN 2.03

145.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.51 BYN 1.51

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$15.76 BYN 46.82

5.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.89 BYN 2.63

95.51%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$20.0K BYN 59.3K

50.00%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$20.1K BYN 59.8K

24.32%

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

$158 BGN 275

$71.1 BYN 211

122.12%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$7.50 BYN 22.28

183.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$11.83 BYN 35.12

27.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$37.64 BYN 112

24.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$24.49 BYN 72.7

13.60%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$3.43 BYN 10.17

191.55%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$341 BYN 1,012

139.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$10.4K BYN 30.8K

41.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$45.82 BYN 136

90.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$49.07 BYN 146

-21.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$90.1 BYN 268

17.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$108 BYN 321

-0.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$238 BYN 706

223.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$185 BYN 550

220.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$303 BYN 900

404.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$224 BYN 665

374.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$1,057 BYN 3,138

328.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$779 BYN 2,315

298.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$507 BYN 1,507

250.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

-80.73%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Gomel: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Gomel

$185 25.4% 68.8% $408

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Gomel

$159 21.9% 44.6% $128

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Gomel

$100 13.8% 60.4% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Gomel

$90 12.4% 53.5% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Gomel

$132 18.1% 13.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Gomel

$44 6.1% 33.4% $22

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Gomel

$18 2.5% 51.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Sofia versus $238 in Gomel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sofia are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia versus $30 in Gomel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $159 – making Gomel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇾 Gomel

🕒 Local time

20:48 8:48 PM

21:48 9:48 PM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

535,693

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Belarusian Ruble BYN Br

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BYN = 0.337 USD

1 BYN = 0.3 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BYN, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Belarusian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.97 BYN (1 BYN = 0.337 USD). 1 EUR = 3.34 BYN (1 BYN = 0.3 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Gomel 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Gomel

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 Gomel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 117%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,378 per month in Sofia and $1,095 in Gomel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gomel, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $238 there versus $769 in Sofia.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Gomel. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $815 per month in Sofia and $341 in Gomel. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Gomel, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Gomel it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Gomel. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.