Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Gracanica

For one person, living is cheaper in Gracanica: $966 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Gracanica
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Gracanica Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Gracanica

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$966

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Gracanica

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $966 in Gracanica.

Sofia $1,594
Gracanica $966

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $1,463 in Gracanica.

Sofia $2,478
Gracanica $1,463

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $1,959 in Gracanica.

Sofia $3,361
Gracanica $1,959

Living in Sofia is roughly 65% more expensive than in Gracanica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Gracanica is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$6.84 BAM 11.89

146.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$36.51 BAM 63.5

80.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$6.67 BAM 11.59

69.72%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$1.65 BAM 2.86

107.88%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$1.89 BAM 3.29

27.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.18 BAM 2.06

56.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$2.34 BAM 4.06

58.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.26 BAM 3.92

102.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.40 BAM 2.44

44.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.45 BAM 2.52

7.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.45 BAM 4.26

-4.90%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.17 BAM 5.51

37.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$10.31 BAM 17.92

14.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$7.26 BAM 12.62

21.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$14.39 BAM 25.02

21.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.11 BAM 1.94

93.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.66 BAM 2.88

19.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.49 BAM 2.59

29.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$1.68 BAM 2.92

152.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.05 BAM 1.83

-0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.10 BAM 1.91

-22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.11 BAM 1.94

3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.99 BAM 1.72

-10.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$3.83 BAM 6.66

9.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$8.64 BAM 15.02

-13.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.16 BAM 2.01

-0.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.26 BAM 2.19

46.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.14 BAM 1.98

-23.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.68 BAM 2.93

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.12 BAM 1.95

-16.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$10.39 BAM 18.07

47.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.56 BAM 2.72

8.33%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$30.9K BAM 53.7K

-3.56%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$21.5K BAM 37.3K

21.73%

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

$156 BGN 272

$91.3 BAM 159

70.99%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$18.13 BAM 31.53

18.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$28.70 BAM 49.91

-46.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$34.84 BAM 60.6

32.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$5.57 BAM 9.68

82.76%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$134 BAM 233

476.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$3,880 BAM 6,747

230.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$59.4 BAM 103

51.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$32.28 BAM 56.1

27.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$94.4 BAM 164

11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$130 BAM 227

-18.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$364 BAM 633

114.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$266 BAM 463

124.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$443 BAM 770

242.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$389 BAM 676

164.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$2,717 BAM 4,724

60.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$1,879 BAM 3,267

69.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$561 BAM 976

209.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.3

-32.79%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gracanica: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Gracanica

$266 27.6% 55.4% $331

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Gracanica

$238 24.7% 17.9% $52

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Gracanica

$123 12.7% 51.7% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Gracanica

$138 14.3% 28.4% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Gracanica

$142 14.8% 7.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Gracanica

$46 4.8% 30.8% $20

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Gracanica

$12 * 1.2% 69.1% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $364 in Gracanica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 209% 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: $66.0 in Sofia vs $37.00 in Gracanica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $238 per month, with Gracanica cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇦 Gracanica

🕒 Local time

08:47 8:47 AM

07:47 7:47 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

12,882

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, 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).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

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Sofia Gracanica 460 km

From you

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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 Gracanica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gracanica is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 209% higher in Sofia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $783 in Sofia versus $364 in Gracanica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $774 in Sofia versus $134 in Gracanica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gracanica – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $966 in Gracanica versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gracanica but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Gracanica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gracanica is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sofia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Gracanica 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 Gracanica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.