Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Haugesund

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $2,654 in Haugesund, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Haugesund
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Haugesund Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Haugesund

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Haugesund

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $2,654 in Haugesund, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Haugesund $2,654

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $3,956 in Haugesund, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Haugesund $3,956

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $5,259 in Haugesund, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Haugesund $5,259

Sofia is about 40% cheaper than Haugesund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Haugesund sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Haugesund by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$21.97 NOK 207

-23.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$105 NOK 987

-37.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$14.38 NOK 135

-21.28%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$4.59 NOK 43.19

-25.27%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$5.08 NOK 47.78

-52.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$3.98 NOK 37.48

-53.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$11.63 NOK 109

-68.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$10.31 NOK 97.0

-55.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$2.18 NOK 20.52

-7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$3.80 NOK 35.73

-58.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$3.50 NOK 32.92

-33.43%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$4.79 NOK 45.06

-8.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$11.80 NOK 111

-0.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$15.02 NOK 141

-41.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$33.81 NOK 318

-48.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$3.08 NOK 29.02

-30.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$2.12 NOK 20.00

-6.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$3.44 NOK 32.37

-43.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$4.21 NOK 39.58

0.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$2.42 NOK 22.77

-57.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$3.32 NOK 31.23

-74.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$3.00 NOK 28.20

-61.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$1.83 NOK 17.26

-51.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$17.21 NOK 162

-75.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$14.47 NOK 136

-48.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$3.58 NOK 33.70

-67.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$4.16 NOK 39.17

-55.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$3.56 NOK 33.51

-75.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$67.4 NOK 635

-57.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$12.19 NOK 115

-86.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.79 NOK 16.81

-47.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$56.2 NOK 529

-72.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$2.45 NOK 23.03

-31.02%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$44.3K NOK 417.0K

-32.73%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$43.5K NOK 409.6K

-39.93%

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

$156 BGN 272

$275 NOK 2,591

-43.30%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$32.80 NOK 309

-34.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$55.8 NOK 525

-72.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$49.71 NOK 468

-7.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$36.17 NOK 341

-22.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$16.92 NOK 159

-39.83%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$241 NOK 2,269

221.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$2,918 NOK 27.5K

338.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$97.4 NOK 917

-7.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$53.6 NOK 504

-22.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$87.1 NOK 820

20.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$155 NOK 1,463

-31.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$1,576 NOK 14.8K

-50.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$1,067 NOK 10.0K

-44.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$2,099 NOK 19.8K

-27.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$1,668 NOK 15.7K

-38.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$6,302 NOK 59.3K

-30.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$4,637 NOK 43.6K

-31.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$3,952 NOK 37.2K

-56.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

5.2

-44.42%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Haugesund: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Haugesund

$1.1K 40.2% 78.7% $470

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Haugesund

$471 17.7% 62.1% $180

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Haugesund

$389 14.7% 52.7% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Haugesund

$364 13.7% 88.7% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Haugesund

$177 6.7% 14.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Haugesund

$84 3.2% 25.7% $17

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Haugesund

$103 3.9% 168% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $1,576 in Haugesund. 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 128% higher in Haugesund, 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 $66.0 in Sofia versus $105 in Haugesund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $471 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇳🇴 Haugesund

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

12:10 12:10 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

38,362

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, 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).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sofia Haugesund 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Haugesund

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 Haugesund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haugesund costs about 66% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $3,981 in Haugesund. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sofia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Haugesund, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Sofia and $105 in Haugesund. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Haugesund at $2,654. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Haugesund it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sofia costs $1,594 versus $2,654 in Haugesund. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Sofia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Haugesund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.