Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Heviz

For one person, living is cheaper in Heviz: $1,367 a month against $1,600 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Heviz
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Heviz Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Heviz

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,367

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Heviz

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

A single person spends $1,600 per month in Sofia vs $1,367 in Heviz, rent included.

Sofia $1,600
Heviz $1,367

A couple spends around $2,490 per month in Sofia vs $2,100 in Heviz, rent included.

Sofia $2,490
Heviz $2,100

A family of three spends $3,380 per month in Sofia vs $2,833 in Heviz, rent included.

Sofia $3,380
Heviz $2,833

Sofia costs about 17% more than Heviz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sofia and Heviz sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Heviz by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$12.18 Ft 3,934

39.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$60.1 Ft 19.4K

13.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$10.23 Ft 3,305

13.59%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.29 Ft 1,064

4.26%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$2.07 Ft 668

13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$1.88 Ft 607

-2.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$3.74 Ft 1,207

-8.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$3.58 Ft 1,157

24.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$1.15 Ft 372

71.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$1.83 Ft 591

-18.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.49 Ft 805

-6.43%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$3.82 Ft 1,235

15.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$11.22 Ft 3,624

2.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$6.76 Ft 2,185

31.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$14.81 Ft 4,783

18.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.89 Ft 611

13.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$2.05 Ft 663

0.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.28 Ft 738

-15.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$3.90 Ft 1,259

8.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$1.04 Ft 337

-0.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$1.04 Ft 335

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$1.58 Ft 510

-24.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.67 Ft 216

32.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$8.05 Ft 2,600

-47.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$6.08 Ft 1,964

29.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.28 Ft 415

-7.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$2.13 Ft 687

-11.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.20 Ft 388

-22.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

$26.20 Ft 8,463

8.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$3.39 Ft 1,096

-50.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.33 Ft 429

-27.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

$20.54 Ft 6,638

-25.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$1.88 Ft 608

-5.85%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$28.9K Ft 9.4M

5.35%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$33.1K Ft 10.7M

-24.14%

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

$157 BGN 273

$172 Ft 55.7K

-8.88%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$23.68 Ft 7,651

-10.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$23.87 Ft 7,713

-35.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$47.33 Ft 15.3K

-1.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

$18.49 Ft 5,973

51.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$9.50 Ft 3,070

5.68%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$245 Ft 79.0K

216.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

$7,676 Ft 2.5M

63.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$102 Ft 32.8K

-13.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$43.18 Ft 13.9K

-4.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$110 Ft 35.7K

-3.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$117 Ft 37.7K

-8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$520 Ft 168.0K

48.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$404 Ft 130.4K

49.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$743 Ft 240.2K

110.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$652 Ft 210.5K

59.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$3,037 Ft 981.3K

50.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$2,648 Ft 855.6K

19.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.45

-55.19%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Heviz: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

Heviz

$404 29.5% 33% $199

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

Heviz

$260 19% 10.7% $31

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

Heviz

$209 15.3% 17.7% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

Heviz

$220 16.1% 13.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Heviz

$167 12.2% 8.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Heviz

$66 4.9% 0.2% $0.1

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Heviz

$41 3% 6.5% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $770 in Sofia versus $520 in Heviz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Sofia versus $60.0 in Heviz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $260 – making Heviz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇭🇺 Heviz

🕒 Local time

12:35 12:35 PM

11:35 11:35 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

4,500

💱 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 24, 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 24, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Heviz 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Heviz

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 Heviz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,400 per month in Sofia and $2,051 in Heviz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,600 in Sofia and $1,367 in Heviz. That's a gap of about 17%.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Heviz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Heviz, where all-in costs run around $1,367, than in Sofia at $1,600. In Heviz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Heviz – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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