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: $1,633 in Sofia versus $892 in Haskovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,538 in Sofia versus $1,434 in Haskovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,443 in Sofia versus $1,976 in Haskovo.

Living in Sofia is roughly 83% more expensive than in Haskovo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 19% above, Haskovo is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 BGN 29.27

$10.05 BGN 16.71

75.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 BGN 108

$46.43 BGN 77.2

39.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 BGN 20.20

$10.23 BGN 17.01

18.67%

Cappuccino

$3.57 BGN 5.94

$2.11 BGN 3.51

69.19%

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

$2.34 BGN 3.90

$1.23 BGN 2.04

90.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.16

$1.00 BGN 1.66

90.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 BGN 5.83

$1.35 BGN 2.25

159.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 BGN 7.81

$4.67 BGN 7.77

0.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 BGN 3.40

$1.71 BGN 2.85

19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.58

$0.72 BGN 1.19

115.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 BGN 4.01

$1.66 BGN 2.76

45.18%

Eggs

$4.49 BGN 7.48

$3.33 BGN 5.55

34.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 BGN 20.16

$11.74 BGN 19.52

3.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 BGN 15.01

$7.90 BGN 13.15

14.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.55 BGN 29.20

$8.72 BGN 14.50

101.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 BGN 3.71

$1.65 BGN 2.75

35.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 BGN 3.53

$1.97 BGN 3.27

7.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 BGN 3.31

$1.53 BGN 2.55

30.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 BGN 7.02

$1.82 BGN 3.03

131.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 BGN 1.88

$0.85 BGN 1.42

32.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 BGN 1.65

$0.93 BGN 1.55

6.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 BGN 1.95

$0.88 BGN 1.46

32.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.48

$0.65 BGN 1.08

36.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 BGN 7.06

$4.29 BGN 7.14

-1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.36 BGN 12.25

$7.55 BGN 12.56

-2.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 BGN 2.04

$0.79 BGN 1.31

55.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.09

$1.66 BGN 2.77

12.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 BGN 1.60

$0.69 BGN 1.15

39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 BGN 48.68

$23.99 BGN 39.91

21.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 BGN 3.02

$1.16 BGN 1.92

56.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 BGN 1.53

$0.74 BGN 1.23

24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 BGN 26.23

$14.01 BGN 23.31

12.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 BGN 2.86

$1.57 BGN 2.62

9.55%

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

$30.8K BGN 51.2K

$31.5K BGN 52.4K

-2.41%

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

$27.2K BGN 45.2K

$24.5K BGN 40.8K

10.84%

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

$169 BGN 281

$95.2 BGN 158

77.54%

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

$21.50 BGN 35.77

$13.38 BGN 22.26

60.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.18 BGN 25.25

$9.76 BGN 16.24

55.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 BGN 81.2

$55.4 BGN 92.1

-11.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.42 BGN 47.29

$30.08 BGN 50.0

-5.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.54 BGN 17.54

$8.11 BGN 13.48

29.96%

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

$770 BGN 1,280

$770 BGN 1,282

-0.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 21.3K

$2,328 BGN 3,872

450.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 BGN 149

$47.57 BGN 79.1

88.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.04 BGN 73.3

$43.84 BGN 72.9

0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 175

$79.5 BGN 132

32.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 BGN 185

$85.9 BGN 143

29.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 BGN 1,323

$239 BGN 397

232.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,005

$165 BGN 275

265.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 BGN 2,595

$387 BGN 644

302.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 BGN 1,809

$311 BGN 518

249.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,498 BGN 7,483

$1,276 BGN 2,123

252.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,352 BGN 5,577

$1,023 BGN 1,702

227.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,772 BGN 2,948

$1,150 BGN 1,912

54.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

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

Last update for Sofia: September 15, 2026

Last update for Haskovo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $795 in Sofia and $239 in Haskovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 54% 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: $65.0 in Sofia vs $46.00 in Haskovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $219 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 83% 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 54% 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: $795 in Sofia versus $239 in Haskovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% 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 $46.00 versus $65.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $892 in Haskovo versus $1,633 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 $892 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 83% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.