Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Kyustendil

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyustendil: $801 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Kyustendil
Learn more

Kyustendil Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Kyustendil

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$801

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Kyustendil

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

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Sofia vs $801 in Kyustendil, rent included.

Sofia $1,609
Kyustendil $801

A couple spends around $2,495 per month in Sofia vs $1,230 in Kyustendil, rent included.

Sofia $2,495
Kyustendil $1,230

A family of three spends $3,381 per month in Sofia vs $1,659 in Kyustendil, rent included.

Sofia $3,381
Kyustendil $1,659

Sofia costs about 101% more than Kyustendil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Kyustendil is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.70

$10.20 BGN 17.96

65.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 117

$33.94 BGN 59.7

95.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.40

$4.99 BGN 8.79

132.26%

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.20

$1.49 BGN 2.62

136.24%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.25

$1.07 BGN 1.89

126.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.11

$0.62 BGN 1.09

185.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.48

$1.16 BGN 2.04

217.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.70

$1.46 BGN 2.56

200.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.44

$1.61 BGN 2.84

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.65

$0.66 BGN 1.16

128.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.87

$1.44 BGN 2.54

52.78%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.75

$2.24 BGN 3.94

96.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.70

$6.69 BGN 11.78

75.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.28

$4.05 BGN 7.13

114.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.57

$7.60 BGN 13.38

128.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.75

$0.72 BGN 1.27

195.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.61

$1.72 BGN 3.02

19.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.40

$1.16 BGN 2.03

66.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.34

$1.56 BGN 2.74

167.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.90

$0.60 BGN 1.06

80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.60

$0.55 BGN 0.98

65.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.08

$0.55 BGN 0.96

114.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$0.58 BGN 1.03

44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.36

$3.50 BGN 6.15

19.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.51

$3.93 BGN 6.91

95.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.06

$0.88 BGN 1.54

32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.17

$0.71 BGN 1.25

153.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.89 BGN 1.57

-2.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 51.1

$25.10 BGN 44.18

15.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.96

$1.28 BGN 2.26

31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.54

$0.61 BGN 1.08

42.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.74

$11.61 BGN 20.43

35.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.04

$1.54 BGN 2.71

12.34%

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

$29.7K BGN 52.2K

$14.0K BGN 24.7K

111.45%

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

$25.6K BGN 45.0K

$13.1K BGN 23.0K

95.76%

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

$161 BGN 283

$93.6 BGN 165

71.83%

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

$21.08 BGN 37.10

$14.56 BGN 25.63

44.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.73

$11.95 BGN 21.04

27.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 85.1

$32.33 BGN 56.9

49.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.35

$17.26 BGN 30.38

59.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.88

$3.93 BGN 6.91

158.52%

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

$785 BGN 1,382

$114 BGN 201

588.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$2,286 BGN 4,023

457.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 158

$30.35 BGN 53.4

195.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.7

$19.03 BGN 33.49

116.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 189

$60.8 BGN 107

76.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 192

$44.99 BGN 79.2

142.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,389

$336 BGN 591

135.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,063

$255 BGN 449

136.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,670

$554 BGN 975

173.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,825

$405 BGN 712

156.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 BGN 7,756

$1,306 BGN 2,298

237.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 BGN 5,521

$1,113 BGN 1,959

181.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,056

$642 BGN 1,129

170.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

2.99

-3.34%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kyustendil: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Kyustendil

$255 31.9% 57.8% $349

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Kyustendil

$153 19.1% 47% $135

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Kyustendil

$130 16.2% 49.2% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Kyustendil

$120 15% 39.1% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Kyustendil

$70 8.7% 55.4% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Kyustendil

$40 5% 41.5% $28

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Kyustendil

$33 4.1% 14.4% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $789 in Sofia versus $336 in Kyustendil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sofia are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Sofia versus $34 in Kyustendil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $153 – making Kyustendil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇬 Kyustendil

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

Same time as Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

47,640

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Sofia Kyustendil 70 km

From you

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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 Kyustendil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 101% more than Kyustendil, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,413 per month in Sofia and $1,201 in Kyustendil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kyustendil, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $336 there versus $789 in Sofia.

Groceries cost about 89% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Sofia and $34 in Kyustendil. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,609 in Sofia and $801 in Kyustendil. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Kyustendil – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kyustendil. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.