Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $2,042 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Gothenburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Sofia versus $2,042 in Gothenburg.

Sofia $1,589
Gothenburg $2,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,456 in Sofia versus $3,064 in Gothenburg.

Sofia $2,456
Gothenburg $3,064

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Sofia versus $4,086 in Gothenburg.

Sofia $3,324
Gothenburg $4,086

Living in Sofia costs roughly 22% less than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 19% above, Gothenburg 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$12.84 SEK 128

33.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$83.5 SEK 834

-19.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$12.20 SEK 122

-3.52%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$4.81 SEK 48.09

-28.90%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$2.81 SEK 28.09

-13.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$2.25 SEK 22.46

-17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$7.07 SEK 70.7

-52.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$7.29 SEK 72.8

-37.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.65 SEK 16.48

16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$2.81 SEK 28.12

-46.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$3.23 SEK 32.25

-31.58%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.75 SEK 37.44

17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$11.21 SEK 112

3.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$11.49 SEK 115

-23.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$16.27 SEK 163

4.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$2.99 SEK 29.85

-27.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$2.50 SEK 24.98

-18.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$2.98 SEK 29.79

-38.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$4.33 SEK 43.27

-0.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$1.80 SEK 18.03

-42.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.69 SEK 16.86

-44.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.97 SEK 19.66

-39.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$1.57 SEK 15.74

-41.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$8.17 SEK 81.6

-47.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$14.70 SEK 147

-50.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.99 SEK 19.88

-40.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$2.24 SEK 22.41

-16.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$3.59 SEK 35.89

-75.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$86.4 SEK 863

-67.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$6.03 SEK 60.2

-71.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.64 SEK 16.43

-41.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$58.9 SEK 588

-73.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.72 SEK 17.24

4.07%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$32.4K SEK 323.7K

-7.44%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$33.4K SEK 333.7K

-21.03%

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

$156 BGN 273

$101 SEK 1,012

53.94%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$19.36 SEK 193

9.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$33.87 SEK 338

-53.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$34.60 SEK 346

35.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$24.33 SEK 243

14.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$18.36 SEK 183

-45.42%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$223 SEK 2,229

243.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$4,448 SEK 44.5K

187.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$87.0 SEK 869

3.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$33.02 SEK 330

23.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$85.8 SEK 857

23.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$132 SEK 1,323

-20.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$1,035 SEK 10.3K

-23.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$928 SEK 9,273

-34.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$1,768 SEK 17.7K

-11.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$1,386 SEK 13.8K

-23.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$6,117 SEK 61.1K

-28.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$3,377 SEK 33.8K

-3.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$3,444 SEK 34.4K

-49.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.06

-5.56%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Gothenburg

$928 45.4% 52.8% $321

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Gothenburg

$355 17.4% 23.6% $68

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Gothenburg

$267 13.1% 4.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Gothenburg

$155 7.6% 19.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Gothenburg

$152 7.4% 0.9% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Gothenburg

$71 3.5% 6.8% $4.5

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Gothenburg

$115 5.6% 201% $77

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Sofia and $1,035 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 98% 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: $67.0 in Sofia vs $83.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $355 per month, with Sofia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

12:03 12:03 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

607,882

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, 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).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.2 SEK (100 SEK = 8.93 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Gothenburg 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Gothenburg

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 Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sofia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 98% lower in Gothenburg. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $796 in Sofia versus $1,035 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $766 in Sofia versus $223 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,589 in Sofia versus $2,042 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sofia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,589 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sofia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Gothenburg 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 Sofia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.