Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Kardzhali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kardzhali: $651 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Kardzhali
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Kardzhali Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Kardzhali

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Kardzhali

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

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Sofia vs $651 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Sofia $1,609
Kardzhali $651

A couple spends around $2,495 per month in Sofia vs $1,068 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Sofia $2,495
Kardzhali $1,068

A family of three spends $3,381 per month in Sofia vs $1,484 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Sofia $3,381
Kardzhali $1,484

Sofia costs about 147% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Kardzhali is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.70

$11.02 BGN 19.40

53.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 117

$23.11 BGN 40.68

187.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.40

$8.87 BGN 15.61

30.67%

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.20

$1.12 BGN 1.97

214.29%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.25

$1.06 BGN 1.86

128.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.11

$0.74 BGN 1.30

139.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.48

$1.59 BGN 2.79

131.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.70

$1.33 BGN 2.34

229.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.44

$1.69 BGN 2.98

15.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.65

$0.72 BGN 1.26

109.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.87

$1.51 BGN 2.65

45.70%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.75

$2.83 BGN 4.98

55.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.70

$10.21 BGN 17.97

15.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.28

$5.53 BGN 9.74

56.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.57

$6.58 BGN 11.59

163.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.75

$0.84 BGN 1.47

153.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.61

$1.97 BGN 3.46

4.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.40

$1.87 BGN 3.30

3.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.34

$2.20 BGN 3.88

89.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.90

$0.69 BGN 1.22

56.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.60

$1.31 BGN 2.30

-30.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.08

$0.67 BGN 1.18

76.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$0.75 BGN 1.32

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.36

$3.56 BGN 6.26

17.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.51

$4.38 BGN 7.71

75.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.06

$1.00 BGN 1.76

17.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.17

$1.41 BGN 2.49

27.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.55 BGN 0.96

58.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 51.1

$11.11 BGN 19.55

161.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.96

$1.71 BGN 3.01

-1.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.54

$0.71 BGN 1.24

22.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.74

$5.44 BGN 9.57

189.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.04

$1.62 BGN 2.86

6.79%

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

$29.7K BGN 52.2K

$30.2K BGN 53.2K

-1.92%

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

$25.6K BGN 45.0K

$24.0K BGN 42.3K

6.38%

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

$161 BGN 283

$61.4 BGN 108

162.00%

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

$21.08 BGN 37.10

$5.56 BGN 9.79

279.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.73

$7.88 BGN 13.88

92.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 85.1

$22.90 BGN 40.31

111.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.35

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.88

$8.76 BGN 15.42

15.98%

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

$785 BGN 1,382

$230 BGN 404

242.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$14.6K BGN 25.8K

-12.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 158

$22.89 BGN 40.28

292.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.7

$12.69 BGN 22.34

225.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 189

$46.21 BGN 81.3

132.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 192

$74.9 BGN 132

45.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,389

$115 BGN 202

586.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,063

$114 BGN 200

431.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,670

$232 BGN 408

553.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,825

$274 BGN 481

279.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 BGN 7,756

$1,141 BGN 2,009

286.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 BGN 5,521

$855 BGN 1,505

266.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,056

$1,287 BGN 2,264

34.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.25

-11.08%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kardzhali: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Kardzhali

$114 17.5% 81.2% $490

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Kardzhali

$187 28.7% 35.1% $101

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Kardzhali

$146 22.4% 43% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Kardzhali

$75 11.5% 62% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Kardzhali

$71 10.8% 55% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Kardzhali

$40 6.2% 41.1% $28

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Kardzhali

$19 2.9% 52% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $789 in Sofia versus $115 in Kardzhali. 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 35% higher in Sofia, 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 in Sofia versus $23 in Kardzhali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $187 – making Kardzhali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇬 Kardzhali

🕒 Local time

22:26 10:26 PM

Same time as Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

49,421

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sofia Kardzhali 210 km

From you

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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 Kardzhali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 147% more than Kardzhali, 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 $2,413 per month in Sofia and $976 in Kardzhali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kardzhali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $115 there versus $789 in Sofia.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,609 in Sofia and $651 in Kardzhali. That makes Kardzhali about 60% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Kardzhali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kardzhali, where all-in costs run around $651, than in Sofia at $1,609. In Kardzhali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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