Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and La Rochelle

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,600 a month against $1,838 in La Rochelle, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in La Rochelle
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La Rochelle Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

La Rochelle

🇫🇷 France

$1,838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in La Rochelle

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

A single person spends $1,600 per month in Sofia vs $1,838 in La Rochelle, rent included.

Sofia $1,600
La Rochelle $1,838

A couple spends around $2,490 per month in Sofia vs $2,834 in La Rochelle, rent included.

Sofia $2,490
La Rochelle $2,834

A family of three spends $3,380 per month in Sofia vs $3,829 in La Rochelle, rent included.

Sofia $3,380
La Rochelle $3,829

Sofia is about 13% cheaper than La Rochelle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sofia and La Rochelle sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, La Rochelle by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$22.45 €19.97

-24.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$67.4 €60.0

1.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$14.00 €12.46

-17.00%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.77 €3.35

-9.02%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$2.83 €2.52

-17.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$1.33 €1.19

37.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$7.25 €6.45

-52.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$4.49 €4.00

-1.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$1.42 €1.27

38.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$1.79 €1.59

-16.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.95 €1.73

19.49%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$4.19 €3.72

5.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$19.16 €17.05

-39.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$11.76 €10.46

-24.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$17.84 €15.87

-1.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$3.01 €2.68

-28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$2.31 €2.06

-10.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.74 €2.44

-29.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$3.89 €3.46

9.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$1.86 €1.65

-44.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$1.96 €1.75

-55.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$1.73 €1.54

-31.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.35 €0.31

154.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$14.04 €12.49

-69.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$8.99 €7.99

-12.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$2.31 €2.05

-48.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$2.41 €2.15

-21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.67 €1.48

-44.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

$38.75 €34.47

-26.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$9.13 €8.12

-81.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$2.42 €2.15

-60.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

$31.86 €28.34

-51.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$2.09 €1.86

-15.31%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$36.7K €32.7K

-16.97%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$31.0K €27.5K

-18.99%

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

$157 BGN 273

$135 €120

16.04%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$13.61 €12.11

55.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$32.85 €29.22

-53.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$35.75 €31.80

29.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$8.95 €7.96

12.18%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$571 €508

35.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

$11.2K €9,936

12.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$87.0 €77.4

1.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$39.85 €35.45

3.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$111 €98.9

-3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$146 €130

-27.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$1,070 €951

-28.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$694 €617

-13.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$1,586 €1,410

-1.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$1,199 €1,066

-13.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$6,588 €5,860

-30.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$4,548 €4,045

-30.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

$2,379 €2,116

-26.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.79

-23.75%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for La Rochelle: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

La Rochelle

$694 37.8% 15.2% $92

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

La Rochelle

$341 18.5% 17.1% $50

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

La Rochelle

$329 17.9% 29.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

La Rochelle

$182 9.9% 6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

La Rochelle

$173 9.4% 12.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

La Rochelle

$54 2.9% 19.3% $13

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

La Rochelle

$67 3.6% 72.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $770 in Sofia versus $1,070 in La Rochelle. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in La Rochelle, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Sofia versus $67.0 in La Rochelle. Groceries tell a different story – $291 in Sofia vs $341 in La Rochelle – so Sofia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇫🇷 La Rochelle

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

18:52 6:52 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

78,535

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sofia La Rochelle 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
La Rochelle

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 La Rochelle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Rochelle costs about 15% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,400 per month in Sofia and $2,757 in La Rochelle. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sofia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $775 per month in Sofia and $571 in La Rochelle. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in La Rochelle, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,600, than in La Rochelle at $1,838. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Rochelle it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sofia costs $1,600 versus $1,838 in La Rochelle. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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