Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Haskovo Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Haskovo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,365 in Sofia versus $857 in Haskovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,143 in Sofia versus $1,393 in Haskovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,922 in Sofia versus $1,929 in Haskovo.

Living in Sofia is roughly 59% more expensive than in Haskovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 2% above, Haskovo is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 BGN 19.51

$10.14 BGN 16.87

15.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.80 BGN 82.8

$40.55 BGN 67.5

22.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 BGN 14.59

$8.65 BGN 14.39

1.39%

Cappuccino

$2.63 BGN 4.38

$2.02 BGN 3.36

30.20%

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

$1.78 BGN 2.96

$1.21 BGN 2.02

47.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 BGN 2.36

$0.66 BGN 1.09

115.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 BGN 4.92

$1.31 BGN 2.18

125.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 BGN 5.43

$3.00 BGN 4.99

9.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 BGN 3.09

$1.62 BGN 2.70

14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 BGN 2.00

$0.71 BGN 1.18

69.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 BGN 3.31

$1.72 BGN 2.87

15.70%

Eggs

$3.96 BGN 6.58

$3.43 BGN 5.71

15.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.18 BGN 20.26

$9.58 BGN 15.93

27.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 BGN 14.51

$7.82 BGN 13.01

11.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 BGN 21.60

$8.37 BGN 13.92

55.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 BGN 3.18

$1.59 BGN 2.64

20.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 BGN 3.27

$1.92 BGN 3.20

2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 BGN 3.31

$1.46 BGN 2.43

36.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 BGN 4.57

$1.88 BGN 3.12

46.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 BGN 1.86

$0.84 BGN 1.40

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 BGN 1.75

$1.23 BGN 2.04

-14.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 1.98

$0.82 BGN 1.37

45.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 BGN 1.10

$0.65 BGN 1.09

1.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 BGN 6.43

$3.66 BGN 6.10

5.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 BGN 12.29

$7.49 BGN 12.46

-1.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 BGN 1.83

$0.86 BGN 1.42

27.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.04

$1.70 BGN 2.83

7.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 BGN 1.63

$0.89 BGN 1.48

10.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.45 BGN 48.99

$23.36 BGN 38.86

26.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 BGN 2.40

$1.15 BGN 1.91

26.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 BGN 1.30

$0.67 BGN 1.11

16.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.34 BGN 23.86

$13.25 BGN 22.04

8.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 BGN 2.62

$1.50 BGN 2.50

4.67%

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

$32.1K BGN 53.3K

$28.7K BGN 47.7K

11.70%

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

$29.0K BGN 48.3K

$24.9K BGN 41.5K

16.49%

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

$150 BGN 249

$93.5 BGN 156

60.11%

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

$17.78 BGN 29.57

$13.18 BGN 21.93

34.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.40 BGN 25.62

$9.55 BGN 15.89

61.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 BGN 73.2

$55.5 BGN 92.4

-20.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 BGN 35.73

$29.24 BGN 48.64

-26.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.61 BGN 15.98

$8.17 BGN 13.59

17.63%

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

$642 BGN 1,068

$239 BGN 398

168.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,298 BGN 15.5K

$2,354 BGN 3,917

294.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 BGN 120

$47.16 BGN 78.5

52.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.78 BGN 59.5

$41.93 BGN 69.8

-14.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 178

$80.1 BGN 133

33.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 BGN 198

$72.2 BGN 120

64.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 BGN 1,156

$235 BGN 391

195.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 BGN 838

$170 BGN 282

196.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 BGN 2,091

$378 BGN 629

232.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 BGN 1,485

$315 BGN 525

183.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,422 BGN 7,356

$1,219 BGN 2,027

262.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 BGN 5,550

$981 BGN 1,632

240.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,674 BGN 2,785

$1,102 BGN 1,832

51.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

4.57

-32.39%

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

Last update for Sofia: July 11, 2026

Last update for Haskovo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Sofia and $235 in Haskovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 52% 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: $50.0 in Sofia vs $41.00 in Haskovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $210 per month, with Haskovo cheaper across the board.

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 Haskovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haskovo wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Haskovo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $695 in Sofia versus $235 in Haskovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Haskovo – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $50.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $857 in Haskovo versus $1,365 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Haskovo but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Haskovo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Haskovo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $857 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Haskovo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Haskovo 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 Haskovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.