Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Kolomna

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolomna: $1,252 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sofia, Bulgaria
Kolomna, Russia
Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,585
/mo nomad
Kolomna
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,252
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Kolomna

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $1,252 in Kolomna.

  • Sofia $1,585
  • Kolomna $1,252

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $2,004 in Kolomna.

  • Sofia $2,486
  • Kolomna $2,004

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $2,757 in Kolomna.

  • Sofia $3,387
  • Kolomna $2,757

Living in Sofia is roughly 27% more expensive than in Kolomna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Kolomna is 7% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sofia
Kolomna
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.57 BGN 28.84
$12.34 ₽1,007
34.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.7 BGN 118
$61.4 ₽5,010
10.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.68 BGN 20.33
$7.40 ₽604
57.84%
Cappuccino
$3.41 BGN 5.93
$3.74 ₽305
-8.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 BGN 4.11
$1.72 ₽140
37.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 BGN 2.91
$0.90 ₽73.6
85.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.99 BGN 6.94
$1.80 ₽146
121.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 BGN 7.88
$4.88 ₽398
-7.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sofia
Kolomna
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 BGN 3.38
$1.20 ₽98.1
61.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 BGN 2.70
$0.96 ₽78.3
61.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 BGN 4.09
$1.76 ₽144
33.52%
Eggs
$4.60 BGN 8.00
$1.45 ₽118
217.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.47 BGN 19.96
$14.07 ₽1,148
-18.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.65 BGN 15.04
$7.00 ₽571
23.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.34 BGN 30.17
$14.57 ₽1,189
19.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 BGN 3.73
$2.09 ₽170
2.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 BGN 3.45
$1.82 ₽148
8.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 BGN 3.18
$1.99 ₽162
-8.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.27 BGN 7.43
$3.90 ₽318
9.49%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 BGN 1.82
$0.96 ₽78.4
8.33%
Onion (1kg)
$0.89 BGN 1.54
$0.70 ₽57.3
27.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 BGN 2.06
$1.63 ₽133
-26.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 BGN 1.45
$0.93 ₽75.6
-10.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 BGN 7.66
$3.43 ₽280
28.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.42 BGN 12.91
$12.24 ₽998
-39.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 BGN 2.01
$1.20 ₽97.5
-3.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 BGN 3.30
$2.61 ₽213
-27.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Sofia
Kolomna
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.92 BGN 1.60
$0.53 ₽43.15
73.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.11 BGN 48.91
$24.40 ₽1,990
15.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.67 BGN 2.90
$3.61 ₽294
-53.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 BGN 1.49
$0.33 ₽27.01
157.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.59 BGN 28.87
$6.08 ₽496
172.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 BGN 3.03
$0.92 ₽75.1
89.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K BGN 52.1K
$43.0K ₽3.5M
-30.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K BGN 43.5K
$39.2K ₽3.2M
-36.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
Kolomna
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 BGN 275
$159 ₽13.0K
-0.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.27 BGN 37.01
$8.68 ₽708
145.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.12 BGN 26.30
$9.56 ₽780
58.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
Kolomna
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.85 BGN 81.5
$40.37 ₽3,292
16.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.82 BGN 48.41
$21.56 ₽1,758
29.04%
Cinema Ticket
$10.00 BGN 17.39
$9.48 ₽773
5.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sofia
Kolomna
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$815 BGN 1,419
$351 ₽28.6K
132.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K BGN 25.5K
$6,436 ₽525.0K
127.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
Kolomna
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.1 BGN 152
$102 ₽8,341
-14.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.28 BGN 66.6
$67.0 ₽5,466
-42.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 BGN 184
$145 ₽11.8K
-27.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 BGN 187
$182 ₽14.8K
-41.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sofia
Kolomna
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$769 BGN 1,338
$421 ₽34.3K
82.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$593 BGN 1,032
$303 ₽24.7K
95.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,530 BGN 2,662
$907 ₽74.0K
68.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,061 BGN 1,846
$564 ₽46.0K
87.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,526 BGN 7,875
$2,249 ₽183.5K
101.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,109 BGN 5,410
$1,543 ₽125.9K
101.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sofia
Kolomna
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,780 BGN 3,098
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.89
19.36
-85.07%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kolomna: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$593
Kolomna
$303 48.9% $290
Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$288
Kolomna
$262 9% $26
Eating Out
Sofia
$254
Kolomna
$195 23.1% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$194
Kolomna
$177 8.8% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$152
Kolomna
$223 46.6% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$67
Kolomna
$59 11.3% $7.5
Getting Around
Sofia
$38
Kolomna
$32 15.7% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $421 in Kolomna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $61 in Kolomna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $262 per month, with Kolomna cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Sofia
🇷🇺 Kolomna
🕒 Local time
10:18 10:18 AM
11:18 11:18 AM
1 h ahead of Sofia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,286,383 Capital
138,693
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.56 RUB (100 RUB = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.6 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sofia Kolomna 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sofia
  • Kolomna

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 Kolomna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sofia and in Kolomna?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $1,252 in Kolomna, so Kolomna is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Sofia compared to Kolomna?
You’d need roughly $2,378 in Sofia and $1,877 in Kolomna to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Sofia and in Kolomna?
Rent for a central apartment: $769 in Sofia versus $421 in Kolomna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sofia or Kolomna?
All in, you’ll spend $1,585 per month in Sofia versus $1,252 in Kolomna – Kolomna is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How do commuting costs compare in Sofia and in Kolomna?
A monthly transit pass in Kolomna runs roughly 13% less than in Sofia. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How far does $2,000 go in Sofia compared to Kolomna?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Kolomna gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Sofia and Kolomna?
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.
Where should expats move: Sofia or Kolomna?
Expats usually find Kolomna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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