Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Karlovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlovo: $785 a month against $1,600 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Karlovo
Learn more

Karlovo Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Karlovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Karlovo

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

A single person spends $1,600 per month in Sofia vs $785 in Karlovo, rent included.

Sofia $1,600
Karlovo $785

A couple spends around $2,490 per month in Sofia vs $1,263 in Karlovo, rent included.

Sofia $2,490
Karlovo $1,263

A family of three spends $3,380 per month in Sofia vs $1,742 in Karlovo, rent included.

Sofia $3,380
Karlovo $1,742

Sofia costs about 104% more than Karlovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Karlovo is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$7.09 BGN 12.34

139.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$33.57 BGN 58.4

103.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$8.66 BGN 15.07

34.18%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$1.45 BGN 2.53

136.55%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$1.03 BGN 1.79

127.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$0.74 BGN 1.28

147.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$1.96 BGN 3.41

73.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$1.75 BGN 3.04

153.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$1.17 BGN 2.04

68.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$0.84 BGN 1.47

77.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.87 BGN 3.25

24.60%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$3.27 BGN 5.69

34.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$9.92 BGN 17.26

16.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$8.31 BGN 14.45

6.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$5.86 BGN 10.20

198.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.26 BGN 2.19

70.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$1.96 BGN 3.41

5.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.13 BGN 3.70

-9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$2.11 BGN 3.68

101.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$0.48 BGN 0.84

114.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$0.90 BGN 1.56

-2.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$0.99 BGN 1.71

20.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.77 BGN 1.34

15.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$3.24 BGN 5.64

30.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$6.69 BGN 11.64

17.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$0.99 BGN 1.72

19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.11 BGN 1.93

-16.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

$23.67 BGN 41.18

19.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.17 BGN 2.03

43.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.71 BGN 1.23

35.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

$11.78 BGN 20.50

30.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$1.40 BGN 2.43

26.43%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$30.0K BGN 52.2K

1.67%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$22.3K BGN 38.8K

12.37%

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

$157 BGN 273

$104 BGN 180

51.50%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$14.45 BGN 25.13

46.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$11.91 BGN 20.72

28.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$29.57 BGN 51.5

56.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

$17.35 BGN 30.18

61.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$5.57 BGN 9.69

80.25%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$226 BGN 393

243.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

$5,755 BGN 10.0K

117.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$28.50 BGN 49.60

209.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$11.54 BGN 20.08

258.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$56.9 BGN 99.0

87.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$45.99 BGN 80.0

131.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$335 BGN 583

129.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$191 BGN 332

215.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$534 BGN 929

192.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$403 BGN 701

157.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$1,320 BGN 2,297

245.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$1,083 BGN 1,885

191.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

$448 BGN 779

289.06%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Karlovo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

Karlovo

$191 24.3% 68.3% $411

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

Karlovo

$205 26.2% 29.4% $86

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

Karlovo

$121 15.4% 52.6% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

Karlovo

$130 16.6% 32.8% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Karlovo

$64 8.2% 58.3% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Karlovo

$41 5.2% 38.7% $26

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Karlovo

$33 4.2% 14.8% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $770 in Sofia versus $335 in Karlovo. 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 289% 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 $68.0 in Sofia versus $34.00 in Karlovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $205 – making Karlovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇬 Karlovo

🕒 Local time

19:54 7:54 PM

Same time as Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

23,919

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Karlovo 120 km

From you

Sofia
Karlovo

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 Karlovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 104%, 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 $1,177 in Karlovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 20% less in Karlovo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $775 per month in Sofia and $226 in Karlovo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Karlovo, where all-in costs run around $785, than in Sofia at $1,600. In Karlovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karlovo – 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 Karlovo. 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.