Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Gyongyos

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyongyos: $1,009 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Gyongyos
Learn more

Gyongyos Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Gyongyos

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Gyongyos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,009 in Gyongyos.

Sofia $1,594
Gyongyos $1,009

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $1,637 in Gyongyos.

Sofia $2,478
Gyongyos $1,637

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $2,265 in Gyongyos.

Sofia $3,361
Gyongyos $2,265

Living in Sofia is roughly 58% more expensive than in Gyongyos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Gyongyos is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$8.98 Ft 2,902

87.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$46.69 Ft 15.1K

40.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$9.32 Ft 3,012

21.46%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$2.18 Ft 704

57.34%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$1.50 Ft 484

60.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.10 Ft 356

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$2.26 Ft 730

63.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.18 Ft 704

110.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.14 Ft 369

77.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.35 Ft 437

15.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.71 Ft 553

36.26%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$2.34 Ft 756

86.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$10.71 Ft 3,462

9.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$6.42 Ft 2,075

37.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$12.40 Ft 4,008

40.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.67 Ft 540

28.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.98 Ft 639

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.99 Ft 643

-3.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$3.36 Ft 1,087

26.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.98 Ft 317

6.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.08 Ft 350

-21.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.42 Ft 457

-19.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.51 Ft 166

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$7.46 Ft 2,410

-43.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$5.22 Ft 1,688

42.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.12 Ft 363

2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.45 Ft 467

27.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$0.75 Ft 242

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$18.19 Ft 5,876

56.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$3.08 Ft 997

-45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.08 Ft 349

-12.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$18.58 Ft 6,003

-17.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.80 Ft 582

-6.11%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$26.1K Ft 8.4M

14.33%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$21.6K Ft 7.0M

20.80%

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

$156 BGN 272

$130 Ft 42.0K

19.93%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$21.85 Ft 7,060

-1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$18.48 Ft 5,970

-17.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$34.34 Ft 11.1K

34.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$8.94 Ft 2,888

212.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$6.22 Ft 2,009

63.67%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$247 Ft 79.7K

213.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$6,713 Ft 2.2M

90.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$88.5 Ft 28.6K

1.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$15.38 Ft 4,968

168.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$78.6 Ft 25.4K

33.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$77.9 Ft 25.2K

36.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$418 Ft 135.1K

87.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$270 Ft 87.2K

121.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$586 Ft 189.3K

158.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$585 Ft 189.1K

75.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$3,236 Ft 1.0M

34.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$2,934 Ft 947.9K

8.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$762 Ft 246.2K

127.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.67

-56.67%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gyongyos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Gyongyos

$270 26.7% 54.8% $327

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Gyongyos

$224 22.1% 23.1% $67

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Gyongyos

$152 15.1% 40.3% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Gyongyos

$170 16.9% 11.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Gyongyos

$117 11.6% 24.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Gyongyos

$47 4.6% 29.6% $20

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Gyongyos

$30 2.9% 22.7% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $418 in Gyongyos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 128% 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 $47.00 in Gyongyos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $224 per month, with Gyongyos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇭🇺 Gyongyos

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

00:10 12:10 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

27,645

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

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Sofia Gyongyos 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Gyongyos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gyongyos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 128% 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 $418 in Gyongyos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gyongyos – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,009 in Gyongyos versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gyongyos but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Gyongyos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gyongyos 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 Gyongyos 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 Gyongyos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.