Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Kolin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $2,268 in Kolin, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kolin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Kolin
Learn more

Kolin Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Kolin

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$2,268

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Kolin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $2,268 in Kolin.

Sofia $1,594
Kolin $2,268

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $3,091 in Kolin.

Sofia $2,478
Kolin $3,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $3,913 in Kolin.

Sofia $3,361
Kolin $3,913

Living in Sofia costs roughly 30% less than in Kolin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Kolin 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.52

$11.34 Kč 246

48.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$51.3 Kč 1,115

28.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.80

$8.93 Kč 194

26.76%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 6.01

$3.01 Kč 65.4

13.95%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.22

$2.01 Kč 43.70

19.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.73 Kč 37.64

6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.48

$2.07 Kč 44.98

78.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 8.02

$2.72 Kč 59.1

68.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.53

$1.08 Kč 23.45

87.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.74

$1.66 Kč 36.12

-6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.07

$2.98 Kč 64.8

-21.81%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.63

$3.85 Kč 83.7

13.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.59

$13.88 Kč 301

-15.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.46

$9.86 Kč 214

-10.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.56

$15.93 Kč 346

9.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.76

$2.09 Kč 45.38

2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.46

$1.70 Kč 37.00

16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.39

$2.23 Kč 48.54

-13.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.42

$3.40 Kč 73.9

24.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.81

$1.23 Kč 26.69

-15.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$1.22 Kč 26.43

-30.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.02

$1.58 Kč 34.31

-27.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.57

$0.78 Kč 16.84

14.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.37

$6.97 Kč 151

-39.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 13.05

$7.05 Kč 153

5.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.02

$1.04 Kč 22.51

10.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.25

$1.75 Kč 37.91

5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$2.76 Kč 60.0

-68.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.93

$22.62 Kč 491

26.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

$2.05 Kč 44.45

-18.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.64

$1.34 Kč 29.16

-29.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.86

$13.96 Kč 303

9.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.96

$1.83 Kč 39.86

-7.65%

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

$29.8K BGN 52.1K

$25.6K Kč 556.4K

16.34%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.7K

$29.8K Kč 648.1K

-12.39%

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

$156 BGN 273

$273 Kč 5,927

-42.79%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.74

$17.04 Kč 370

26.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.66

$16.45 Kč 357

-7.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.6

$125 Kč 2,715

-63.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.86

$35.92 Kč 780

-22.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.82

$11.64 Kč 253

-12.54%

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

$774 BGN 1,355

$322 Kč 7,000

140.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$10.6K Kč 230.7K

20.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$80.1 Kč 1,740

12.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.3

$42.52 Kč 924

-2.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 184

$86.3 Kč 1,875

21.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$108 Kč 2,352

-1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,370

$1,283 Kč 27.9K

-38.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,044

$1,160 Kč 25.2K

-48.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,653

$1,786 Kč 38.8K

-15.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,803

$1,552 Kč 33.7K

-33.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,612

$7,655 Kč 166.3K

-43.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,560

$5,862 Kč 127.4K

-45.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,037

$1,334 Kč 29.0K

30.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.8

-39.79%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kolin: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Kolin

$1.2K 51.1% 94.3% $563

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Kolin

$285 12.6% 2% $5.9

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Kolin

$184 8.1% 27.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Kolin

$306 13.5% 58.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Kolin

$143 6.3% 7.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Kolin

$148 6.5% 123% $82

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Kolin

$42 1.9% 10.5% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $1,283 in Kolin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Sofia vs $51.0 in Kolin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $285 per month, with Kolin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇨🇿 Kolin

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

17:24 5:24 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

30,826

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

100 CZK = 4.6 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 21.73 CZK (100 CZK = 4.6 USD). 1 EUR = 24.33 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Kolin 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Kolin

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 Kolin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% 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 $1,283 in Kolin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kolin pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Sofia – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $51.0 in Kolin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,594 in Sofia versus $2,268 in Kolin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Kolin. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sofia is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kolin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Kolin 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 Sofia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Kolin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.