Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Jihlava

For one person, living is cheaper in Jihlava: $1,385 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Jihlava
Learn more

Jihlava Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Jihlava

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,385

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Jihlava

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,385 in Jihlava.

Sofia $1,594
Jihlava $1,385

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $1,927 in Jihlava.

Sofia $2,478
Jihlava $1,927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $2,470 in Jihlava.

Sofia $3,361
Jihlava $2,470

Living in Sofia is roughly 15% more expensive than in Jihlava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Jihlava 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$7.41 Kč 160

127.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$27.39 Kč 592

140.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$7.70 Kč 166

47.01%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$2.55 Kč 55.1

34.51%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$1.40 Kč 30.24

72.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.24 Kč 26.92

49.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$1.59 Kč 34.32

132.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.01 Kč 43.38

127.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.03 Kč 22.32

96.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.08 Kč 23.29

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.09 Kč 45.29

11.48%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$2.76 Kč 59.7

57.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$9.29 Kč 201

26.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$8.16 Kč 176

8.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$9.86 Kč 213

77.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.21 Kč 26.10

77.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.52 Kč 32.81

30.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.03 Kč 43.85

-4.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$2.54 Kč 54.9

66.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.88 Kč 19.06

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.02 Kč 22.07

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.46 Kč 31.66

-21.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.70 Kč 15.19

27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$6.91 Kč 150

-39.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$6.13 Kč 133

21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$0.83 Kč 17.96

38.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.70 Kč 36.81

8.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.04 Kč 22.47

-16.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$21.99 Kč 476

29.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.31 Kč 28.40

28.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.43 Kč 31.02

-34.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$13.49 Kč 292

13.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.81 Kč 39.04

-6.63%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$31.1K Kč 672.6K

-4.18%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$30.6K Kč 661.1K

-14.51%

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

$156 BGN 272

$236 Kč 5,098

-33.78%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$26.89 Kč 582

-19.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$19.28 Kč 417

-20.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$53.0 Kč 1,146

-13.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$17.72 Kč 383

57.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$9.02 Kč 195

12.86%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$275 Kč 5,951

181.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$2,750 Kč 59.5K

365.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$74.5 Kč 1,611

20.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$32.63 Kč 706

26.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$90.7 Kč 1,962

15.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$117 Kč 2,521

-8.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$550 Kč 11.9K

42.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$507 Kč 11.0K

17.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$720 Kč 15.6K

110.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$710 Kč 15.4K

45.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$4,050 Kč 87.6K

7.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$3,399 Kč 73.5K

-6.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,564 Kč 33.8K

10.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

5.44

-46.88%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Jihlava: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Jihlava

$507 36.6% 15.1% $90

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Jihlava

$213 15.4% 26.5% $77

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Jihlava

$135 9.8% 46.8% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Jihlava

$282 20.4% 46.1% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Jihlava

$142 10.2% 8.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Jihlava

$71 5.1% 6.9% $4.6

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Jihlava

$35 2.5% 9.8% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $550 in Jihlava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 11% 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: $66.0 in Sofia vs $27.00 in Jihlava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $213 per month, with Jihlava cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇨🇿 Jihlava

🕒 Local time

17:54 5:54 PM

16:54 4:54 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

50,132

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Jihlava 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Jihlava

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 Jihlava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia and Jihlava differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,594 vs $1,385 including rent). Jihlava is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $783 in Sofia versus $550 in Jihlava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Jihlava – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,594 per month in Sofia versus $1,385 in Jihlava – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,385 in Jihlava versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jihlava but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Jihlava the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Jihlava 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 Jihlava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.