Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Haskovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Haskovo: $858 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Haskovo
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Haskovo Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Haskovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Haskovo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,609 in Sofia versus $858 in Haskovo.

Sofia $1,609
Haskovo $858

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,495 in Sofia versus $1,400 in Haskovo.

Sofia $2,495
Haskovo $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,381 in Sofia versus $1,942 in Haskovo.

Sofia $3,381
Haskovo $1,942

Living in Sofia is roughly 88% more expensive than in Haskovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Haskovo is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.53

$9.53 BGN 16.67

77.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 116

$45.57 BGN 79.7

45.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.29

$9.80 BGN 17.15

18.27%

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.17

$2.02 BGN 3.54

74.26%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$1.23 BGN 2.15

96.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$1.03 BGN 1.80

71.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.44

$1.27 BGN 2.23

189.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.66

$4.45 BGN 7.79

-1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.42

$1.58 BGN 2.77

24.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$0.69 BGN 1.20

118.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.85

$1.65 BGN 2.88

33.33%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.71

$3.21 BGN 5.62

37.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.59

$11.80 BGN 20.65

-0.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.19

$7.37 BGN 12.89

17.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.40

$8.27 BGN 14.48

110.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.73

$1.55 BGN 2.71

37.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.59

$1.89 BGN 3.30

8.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.38

$1.48 BGN 2.59

30.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.30

$1.85 BGN 3.24

125.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.89

$0.77 BGN 1.34

40.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

$0.90 BGN 1.58

1.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.07

$0.79 BGN 1.39

49.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$0.69 BGN 1.20

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.32

$4.14 BGN 7.25

0.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.43

$7.76 BGN 13.57

-1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.05

$0.78 BGN 1.37

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.16

$1.69 BGN 2.96

6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.71 BGN 1.24

22.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 50.9

$23.32 BGN 40.82

24.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.94

$1.17 BGN 2.04

43.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.53

$0.72 BGN 1.25

20.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.58

$13.30 BGN 23.27

18.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.02

$1.61 BGN 2.82

7.45%

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

$29.7K BGN 51.9K

$30.4K BGN 53.2K

-2.43%

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

$25.6K BGN 44.8K

$23.1K BGN 40.4K

10.93%

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

$161 BGN 282

$92.6 BGN 162

73.65%

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

$21.08 BGN 36.89

$13.08 BGN 22.89

61.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.58

$9.46 BGN 16.55

60.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 84.6

$54.1 BGN 94.7

-10.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.07

$28.93 BGN 50.6

-5.05%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.78

$8.12 BGN 14.22

25.12%

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

$785 BGN 1,374

$798 BGN 1,396

-1.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$2,289 BGN 4,006

457.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 157

$46.12 BGN 80.7

94.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.3

$40.43 BGN 70.8

2.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 188

$77.0 BGN 135

39.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 191

$83.2 BGN 146

31.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,381

$230 BGN 403

243.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,057

$164 BGN 287

267.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,654

$369 BGN 645

311.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,814

$299 BGN 523

246.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 BGN 7,712

$1,200 BGN 2,099

267.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 BGN 5,490

$966 BGN 1,691

224.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,038

$1,098 BGN 1,921

58.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Haskovo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Haskovo

$164 19.2% 72.8% $440

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Haskovo

$212 24.7% 26.5% $76

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Haskovo

$154 18% 39.8% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Haskovo

$115 13.4% 41.6% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Haskovo

$111 13% 29.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Haskovo

$70 8.2% 2.4% $1.7

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Haskovo

$31 3.6% 19.9% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Sofia and $230 in Haskovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 58% 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 in Sofia vs $46 in Haskovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $212 per month, with Haskovo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇬 Haskovo

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

Same time as Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

76,587

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sofia Haskovo 200 km

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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 47% 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 58% 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: $789 in Sofia versus $230 in Haskovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% 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 $46 versus $66 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Haskovo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Haskovo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Haskovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.