Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Krakow

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $1,811 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Krakow outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
Learn more

Krakow Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Krakow

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Sofia versus $1,811 in Krakow.

Sofia $1,589
Krakow $1,811

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,456 in Sofia versus $2,597 in Krakow.

Sofia $2,456
Krakow $2,597

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Sofia versus $3,383 in Krakow.

Sofia $3,324
Krakow $3,383

Living in Sofia costs roughly 12% less than in Krakow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 19% above, Krakow 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$11.89 zł 46.38

43.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$50.2 zł 196

33.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$9.96 zł 38.86

18.17%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$4.12 zł 16.06

-16.99%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$2.57 zł 10.04

-5.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$2.44 zł 9.51

-23.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$4.57 zł 17.85

-27.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$4.56 zł 17.81

-0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.06 zł 4.12

81.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.47 zł 5.73

2.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.69 zł 6.61

30.77%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.95 zł 15.40

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$9.31 zł 36.31

24.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$7.75 zł 30.24

13.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$13.20 zł 51.5

28.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$1.34 zł 5.22

61.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.69 zł 6.61

20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$1.76 zł 6.85

4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$3.06 zł 11.93

40.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.92 zł 3.61

11.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$0.98 zł 3.82

-5.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.23 zł 4.80

-2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.80 zł 3.13

15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$6.22 zł 24.29

-30.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$6.30 zł 24.57

16.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.18 zł 4.62

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.77 zł 6.89

5.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.50 zł 5.85

-42.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$33.54 zł 131

-16.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$2.28 zł 8.89

-23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.99 zł 3.88

-3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$12.22 zł 47.70

27.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.69 zł 6.61

5.92%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$30.4K zł 118.8K

-1.53%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$28.9K zł 112.7K

-8.74%

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

$156 BGN 273

$333 zł 1,299

-53.16%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$8.71 zł 33.98

143.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$17.32 zł 67.6

-9.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$45.70 zł 178

2.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$25.11 zł 98.0

10.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$8.69 zł 33.90

15.30%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$463 zł 1,805

65.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$9,594 zł 37.4K

33.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$99.1 zł 387

-9.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$40.31 zł 157

1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$90.3 zł 352

17.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$119 zł 464

-11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$946 zł 3,692

-15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$717 zł 2,800

-15.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$1,440 zł 5,620

8.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$1,136 zł 4,432

-6.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$5,602 zł 21.9K

-22.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$3,540 zł 13.8K

-8.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$1,855 zł 7,238

-6.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.62

-56.34%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Krakow: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Krakow

$717 39.8% 18.1% $110

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Krakow

$235 13% 18.4% $53

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Krakow

$226 12.6% 11.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Krakow

$359 19.9% 86.2% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Krakow

$157 8.7% 2.1% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Krakow

$63 3.5% 5.6% $3.7

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Krakow

$47 2.6% 22.6% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Sofia and $946 in Krakow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krakow pays 7% 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 $50.0 in Krakow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $235 per month, with Krakow cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Krakow

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

12:03 12:03 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

806,201

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 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 = 0.51 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.9 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Krakow 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Krakow

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 Krakow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Krakow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sofia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Krakow. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $796 in Sofia versus $946 in Krakow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Krakow pay roughly 23% 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 $67.0 versus $50.0 in Krakow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,589 in Sofia versus $1,811 in Krakow, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Krakow. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sofia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,589 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sofia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Krakow 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 14% less than in Krakow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.