Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Gradac

For one person, living costs are similar in Sofia and in Gradac: $1,589 and $1,553 a month, rent and utilities included.

Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,589
/mo nomad
Gradac
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,553
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Gradac

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $1,553 in Gradac, rent included.

  • Sofia $1,589
  • Gradac $1,553

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $2,381 in Gradac, rent included.

  • Sofia $2,456
  • Gradac $2,381

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $3,209 in Gradac, rent included.

  • Sofia $3,324
  • Gradac $3,209

Sofia costs about 2% more than Gradac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Sofia and Gradac sit above the global median – Sofia by 19%, Gradac by 16%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sofia
Gradac
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.10 BGN 29.93
$13.71 €12.23
24.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.9 BGN 117
$61.6 €54.9
8.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.77 BGN 20.59
$18.51 €16.52
-36.41%
Cappuccino
$3.42 BGN 5.99
$2.57 €2.29
33.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 BGN 4.23
$2.98 €2.66
-18.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 BGN 3.26
$2.20 €1.97
-15.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.33 BGN 5.83
$3.73 €3.33
-10.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 BGN 7.92
$8.14 €7.26
-44.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sofia
Gradac
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 BGN 3.36
$1.24 €1.11
54.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.51 BGN 2.64
$1.64 €1.46
-7.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.21 BGN 3.88
$2.94 €2.63
-24.83%
Eggs
$4.40 BGN 7.69
$3.97 €3.55
10.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.56 BGN 20.22
$11.57 €10.32
-0.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.79 BGN 15.38
$9.60 €8.57
-8.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 BGN 29.71
$12.30 €10.97
37.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 BGN 3.79
$1.96 €1.75
10.71%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 BGN 3.57
$1.38 €1.23
47.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.84 BGN 3.22
$1.86 €1.66
-1.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.29 BGN 7.51
$2.68 €2.39
60.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.03 BGN 1.80
$1.35 €1.20
-23.70%
Onion (1kg)
$0.93 BGN 1.62
$1.17 €1.04
-20.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 BGN 2.11
$1.10 €0.99
9.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 BGN 1.62
$1.23 €1.09
-25.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 BGN 7.53
$10.88 €9.71
-60.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.33 BGN 12.83
$7.92 €7.07
-7.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 BGN 2.06
$1.63 €1.45
-27.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 BGN 3.28
$2.26 €2.02
-17.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Sofia
Gradac
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 BGN 1.52
$1.71 €1.53
-49.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.14 BGN 49.24
$42.71 €38.12
-34.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.74 BGN 3.04
$3.48 €3.11
-50.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.96 BGN 1.68
$1.42 €1.26
-32.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.54 BGN 27.19
$15.05 €13.43
3.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 BGN 3.14
$1.85 €1.65
-3.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0K BGN 52.5K
$26.6K €23.7K
12.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K BGN 46.1K
$24.9K €22.3K
5.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
Gradac
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$156 BGN 273
$182 €162
-14.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.21 BGN 37.11
$22.64 €20.21
-6.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.64 BGN 27.37
$39.97 €35.67
-60.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
Gradac
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.76 BGN 81.8
$52.7 €47.05
-11.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.74 BGN 48.54
$14.04 €12.53
97.58%
Cinema Ticket
$10.02 BGN 17.53
$8.85 €7.90
13.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sofia
Gradac
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$766 BGN 1,341
$427 €381
79.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K BGN 22.4K
$8,649 €7,718
47.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
Gradac
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.7 BGN 157
$98.0 €87.5
-8.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.88 BGN 71.5
$39.72 €35.45
2.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 BGN 186
$107 €95.0
-0.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 BGN 183
$98.3 €87.7
6.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sofia
Gradac
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$796 BGN 1,393
$674 €602
18.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$607 BGN 1,063
$529 €472
14.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,563 BGN 2,735
$1,207 €1,077
29.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,060 BGN 1,855
$860 €768
23.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,357 BGN 7,626
$3,753 €3,349
16.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,250 BGN 5,688
$2,690 €2,400
20.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sofia
Gradac
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,740 BGN 3,044
$1,636 €1,460
6.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.89
3.65
-20.82%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Gradac: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$607
Gradac
$529 13% $79
Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$287
Gradac
$269 6.4% $18
Eating Out
Sofia
$256
Gradac
$252 1.7% $4.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$193
Gradac
$244 26.7% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$154
Gradac
$154 0.4% $0.5
Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$67
Gradac
$70 5.4% $3.6
Getting Around
Sofia
$38
Gradac
$60 57.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $674 in Gradac. 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 6% 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 $62.0 in Gradac. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $269 – making Gradac the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Sofia
🇭🇷 Gradac
🕒 Local time
08:18 8:18 AM
07:18 7:18 AM
1 h behind Sofia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,286,383 Capital
3,300
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

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 = 0.509 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sofia Gradac 490 km
From you
  • Sofia
  • Gradac

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 Gradac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sofia or Gradac?
Sofia costs about 2% more than Gradac, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Sofia and in Gradac?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $2,329 in Gradac. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Sofia or Gradac?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Gradac, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Sofia or in Gradac?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Sofia and in Gradac?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Sofia and $62.0 in Gradac. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Sofia or in Gradac?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Gradac, where all-in costs run around $1,553, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Gradac it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Sofia or Gradac?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Gradac costs $1,553 versus $1,589 in Sofia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Sofia compared to Gradac?
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.
Should I move to Sofia or to Gradac?
If budget matters most, go with Gradac. 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.

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