Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Kalocsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalocsa: $1,242 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Kalocsa
Learn more

Kalocsa Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Kalocsa

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Kalocsa

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,242 in Kalocsa, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Kalocsa $1,242

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $1,921 in Kalocsa, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Kalocsa $1,921

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $2,599 in Kalocsa, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Kalocsa $2,599

Sofia costs about 28% more than Kalocsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Kalocsa is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$12.44 Ft 4,020

35.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$52.9 Ft 17.1K

24.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$9.20 Ft 2,971

23.04%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$2.69 Ft 869

27.51%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$1.95 Ft 629

23.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.17 Ft 378

58.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$3.01 Ft 972

22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.78 Ft 897

64.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.20 Ft 388

68.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.45 Ft 467

7.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.45 Ft 791

-4.90%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.20 Ft 1,035

36.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$11.03 Ft 3,562

6.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$6.42 Ft 2,073

37.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$13.47 Ft 4,352

29.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$2.35 Ft 760

-8.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$2.05 Ft 663

-3.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.10 Ft 679

-8.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$4.05 Ft 1,310

4.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.15 Ft 371

-9.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.27 Ft 410

-33.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.75 Ft 566

-34.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.48 Ft 155

85.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$7.68 Ft 2,481

-45.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$6.27 Ft 2,025

18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.21 Ft 391

-4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.56 Ft 504

18.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.24 Ft 400

-29.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$27.93 Ft 9,025

2.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.97 Ft 961

-43.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.49 Ft 481

-36.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$18.39 Ft 5,942

-16.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.90 Ft 615

-11.05%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$32.6K Ft 10.5M

-8.64%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$36.5K Ft 11.8M

-28.35%

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

$156 BGN 272

$150 Ft 48.5K

4.03%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$32.92 Ft 10.6K

-34.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$27.19 Ft 8,784

-43.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$47.22 Ft 15.3K

-2.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$16.13 Ft 5,213

73.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$7.77 Ft 2,509

31.02%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$246 Ft 79.6K

214.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$8,247 Ft 2.7M

55.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$90.4 Ft 29.2K

-0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$27.99 Ft 9,044

47.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$97.7 Ft 31.6K

7.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$106 Ft 34.3K

0.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$534 Ft 172.4K

46.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$341 Ft 110.1K

75.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$738 Ft 238.4K

105.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$566 Ft 182.8K

82.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$3,239 Ft 1.0M

34.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$2,643 Ft 853.7K

20.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

8.25

-64.97%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kalocsa: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Kalocsa

$341 27.4% 42.9% $256

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Kalocsa

$248 20% 14.7% $43

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Kalocsa

$192 15.5% 24.5% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Kalocsa

$210 16.9% 8.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Kalocsa

$145 11.7% 6.1% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Kalocsa

$63 5.1% 5.6% $3.7

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Kalocsa

$43 3.5% 12.9% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $534 in Kalocsa. 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 $66.0 in Sofia versus $53.0 in Kalocsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $248 – making Kalocsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇭🇺 Kalocsa

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

22:09 10:09 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

14,433

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Kalocsa 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Kalocsa

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 Kalocsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 28% more than Kalocsa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,863 in Kalocsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Sofia and $246 in Kalocsa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kalocsa, where all-in costs run around $1,242, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Kalocsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kalocsa costs $1,242 versus $1,594 in Sofia. 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 Kalocsa. 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.