Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Katowice

For one person, living is cheaper in Katowice: $1,435 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Sofia despite lower rent and utilities.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Katowice
Learn more

Katowice Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Katowice

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Katowice

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Sofia versus $1,435 in Katowice.

Sofia $1,589
Katowice $1,435

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,456 in Sofia versus $2,043 in Katowice.

Sofia $2,456
Katowice $2,043

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Sofia versus $2,651 in Katowice.

Sofia $3,324
Katowice $2,651

Living in Sofia is roughly 11% more expensive than in Katowice, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 19% above, Katowice 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$10.38 zł 40.57

64.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$34.99 zł 137

91.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$9.13 zł 35.67

28.92%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$3.54 zł 13.82

-3.39%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$2.69 zł 10.52

-10.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$2.51 zł 9.79

-25.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$3.55 zł 13.89

-6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$4.56 zł 17.84

-0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$0.90 zł 3.51

113.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.26 zł 4.94

19.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.44 zł 5.63

53.47%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.27 zł 12.78

34.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$8.03 zł 31.38

43.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$5.38 zł 21.02

63.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$13.43 zł 52.5

26.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$1.09 zł 4.25

99.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.39 zł 5.43

46.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$1.41 zł 5.52

30.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$2.61 zł 10.22

64.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.90 zł 3.54

14.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$0.82 zł 3.22

13.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.25 zł 4.90

-4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.60 zł 2.35

53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$5.78 zł 22.57

-25.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$6.44 zł 25.18

13.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.00 zł 3.91

18.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.65 zł 6.45

13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.15 zł 4.49

-24.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$30.63 zł 120

-8.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$1.74 zł 6.81

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.71 zł 2.77

35.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$10.63 zł 41.53

46.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.71 zł 6.70

4.68%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$31.3K zł 122.5K

-4.33%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$26.7K zł 104.3K

-1.23%

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

$156 BGN 273

$270 zł 1,054

-42.16%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$7.82 zł 30.58

171.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$17.29 zł 67.6

-9.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$30.73 zł 120

52.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$17.84 zł 69.7

55.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$7.36 zł 28.76

36.14%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$563 zł 2,199

36.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$12.2K zł 47.8K

4.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$68.5 zł 268

30.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$30.92 zł 121

32.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$91.0 zł 356

16.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$92.4 zł 361

13.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$700 zł 2,735

13.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$519 zł 2,029

17.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$1,000 zł 3,908

56.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$820 zł 3,205

29.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$2,876 zł 11.2K

51.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$1,906 zł 7,449

70.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$1,686 zł 6,591

3.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

7.19

-59.81%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Katowice: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Katowice

$519 36.3% 14.5% $88

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Katowice

$202 14.1% 29.7% $85

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Katowice

$201 14% 21.7% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Katowice

$295 20.6% 52.9% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Katowice

$127 8.9% 17.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Katowice

$45 3.2% 32% $21

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Katowice

$41 2.8% 6.2% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Sofia and $700 in Katowice. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 3% 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: $67.0 in Sofia vs $35.00 in Katowice for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $202 per month, with Katowice cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Katowice

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

08:59 8:59 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

286,960

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Katowice 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Katowice

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 Katowice: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia and Katowice differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $1,435 including rent). Katowice is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $796 in Sofia versus $700 in Katowice. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $766 in Sofia versus $563 in Katowice. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,435 in Katowice versus $1,589 in Sofia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Katowice but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Katowice 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 Katowice 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 Katowice gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.