Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Krotoszyn

For one person, living is cheaper in Krotoszyn: $1,375 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,594
/mo nomad
Krotoszyn
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,375
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Krotoszyn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,375 in Krotoszyn.

  • Sofia $1,594
  • Krotoszyn $1,375

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $2,132 in Krotoszyn.

  • Sofia $2,478
  • Krotoszyn $2,132

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $2,889 in Krotoszyn.

  • Sofia $3,361
  • Krotoszyn $2,889

Living in Sofia is roughly 16% more expensive than in Krotoszyn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Krotoszyn 2% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sofia
Krotoszyn
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.87 BGN 29.35
$12.01 zł 46.67
40.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 BGN 115
$62.8 zł 244
4.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.32 BGN 19.69
$7.45 zł 28.96
51.95%
Cappuccino
$3.43 BGN 5.98
$3.48 zł 13.52
-1.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 BGN 4.19
$2.16 zł 8.40
11.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 BGN 3.22
$1.61 zł 6.27
14.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.70 BGN 6.44
$3.84 zł 14.93
-3.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.58 BGN 7.97
$3.78 zł 14.70
21.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sofia
Krotoszyn
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 BGN 3.51
$0.96 zł 3.73
110.42%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 BGN 2.72
$1.51 zł 5.85
3.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.33 BGN 4.05
$0.94 zł 3.65
147.87%
Eggs
$4.36 BGN 7.59
$3.07 zł 11.92
42.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.76 BGN 20.47
$6.79 zł 26.38
73.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.83 BGN 15.37
$5.64 zł 21.91
56.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.46 BGN 30.38
$9.04 zł 35.12
93.14%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 BGN 3.74
$0.92 zł 3.58
133.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 BGN 3.44
$1.66 zł 6.47
19.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.93 BGN 3.37
$1.58 zł 6.15
22.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.24 BGN 7.37
$3.13 zł 12.14
35.46%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 BGN 1.80
$0.97 zł 3.78
7.22%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 BGN 1.48
$1.32 zł 5.12
-35.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 BGN 2.00
$1.15 zł 4.48
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 BGN 1.56
$0.65 zł 2.53
36.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.21 BGN 7.33
$5.74 zł 22.28
-26.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.46 BGN 12.98
$5.00 zł 19.44
49.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 BGN 2.01
$1.01 zł 3.94
13.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 BGN 3.23
$1.41 zł 5.48
31.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Sofia
Krotoszyn
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 BGN 1.51
$1.08 zł 4.21
-19.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.53 BGN 49.65
$32.61 zł 127
-12.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.68 BGN 2.93
$2.11 zł 8.19
-20.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.94 BGN 1.63
$0.77 zł 3.00
22.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.35 BGN 26.70
$10.20 zł 39.61
50.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.69 BGN 2.94
$1.61 zł 6.27
4.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K BGN 51.9K
$29.9K zł 116.0K
-0.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K BGN 45.5K
$28.1K zł 109.1K
-6.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
Krotoszyn
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$156 BGN 272
$287 zł 1,114
-45.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.56 BGN 37.52
$8.21 zł 31.91
162.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.24 BGN 26.51
$18.74 zł 72.8
-18.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
Krotoszyn
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.08 BGN 80.2
$40.87 zł 159
12.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.92 BGN 48.58
$19.98 zł 77.6
39.74%
Cinema Ticket
$10.18 BGN 17.72
$7.30 zł 28.36
39.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sofia
Krotoszyn
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$774 BGN 1,347
$324 zł 1,257
139.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K BGN 22.3K
$5,068 zł 19.7K
152.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
Krotoszyn
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.9 BGN 157
$81.7 zł 318
10.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.29 BGN 71.8
$35.87 zł 139
15.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 BGN 183
$86.7 zł 337
21.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 BGN 186
$98.6 zł 383
8.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sofia
Krotoszyn
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$783 BGN 1,362
$634 zł 2,463
23.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$597 BGN 1,038
$436 zł 1,692
37.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,516 BGN 2,638
$888 zł 3,451
70.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,030 BGN 1,792
$881 zł 3,423
16.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,350 BGN 7,568
$2,492 zł 9,681
74.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,177 BGN 5,528
$1,928 zł 7,489
64.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sofia
Krotoszyn
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,735 BGN 3,019
$974 zł 3,786
78.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.89
6.89
-58.06%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Krotoszyn: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$597
Krotoszyn
$436 27% $161
Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$290
Krotoszyn
$189 35% $102
Eating Out
Sofia
$255
Krotoszyn
$202 20.7% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$193
Krotoszyn
$314 62.6% $121
Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$154
Krotoszyn
$136 11.7% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$66
Krotoszyn
$55 16.5% $11
Getting Around
Sofia
$38
Krotoszyn
$43 11.8% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $634 in Krotoszyn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 78% 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: $66.0 in Sofia vs $63.0 in Krotoszyn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $189 per month, with Krotoszyn cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Sofia
🇵🇱 Krotoszyn
🕒 Local time
22:16 10:16 PM
21:16 9:16 PM
1 h behind Sofia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,286,383 Capital
28,580
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sofia Krotoszyn 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sofia
  • Krotoszyn

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 Krotoszyn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sofia and in Krotoszyn?
Sofia and Krotoszyn differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,594 vs $1,375 including rent). Krotoszyn is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Sofia or Krotoszyn?
Average pay runs 78% higher in Sofia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Sofia and in Krotoszyn?
Rent for a central apartment: $783 in Sofia versus $634 in Krotoszyn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sofia or Krotoszyn?
All in, you'll spend $1,594 per month in Sofia versus $1,375 in Krotoszyn – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Sofia and in Krotoszyn?
A monthly transit pass in Krotoszyn runs roughly 14% less than in Sofia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,375 in Krotoszyn versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Krotoszyn but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Krotoszyn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sofia and Krotoszyn?
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.
Is Sofia or Krotoszyn safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sofia and Krotoszyn are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Sofia or Krotoszyn?
Expats usually find Krotoszyn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Sofia vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?