Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Legnica

For one person, living is cheaper in Legnica: $1,326 a month against $1,600 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Legnica
Learn more

Legnica Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Legnica

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,326

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Legnica

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,600 in Sofia versus $1,326 in Legnica.

Sofia $1,600
Legnica $1,326

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,490 in Sofia versus $1,971 in Legnica.

Sofia $2,490
Legnica $1,971

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,380 in Sofia versus $2,615 in Legnica.

Sofia $3,380
Legnica $2,615

Living in Sofia is roughly 21% more expensive than in Legnica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Legnica is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$9.37 zł 36.42

81.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$25.58 zł 99.4

166.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$8.54 zł 33.17

36.07%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$2.97 zł 11.53

15.49%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$2.02 zł 7.84

15.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$1.00 zł 3.87

83.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$3.10 zł 12.06

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$3.93 zł 15.28

12.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$0.85 zł 3.31

131.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$1.04 zł 4.03

43.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.20 zł 4.65

94.17%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$2.99 zł 11.63

47.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$10.56 zł 41.03

9.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$6.84 zł 26.57

29.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$7.26 zł 28.21

141.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.18 zł 4.58

82.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$1.65 zł 6.42

25.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.15 zł 8.34

-10.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$2.93 zł 11.40

45.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$0.82 zł 3.19

25.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$0.89 zł 3.45

-1.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$1.05 zł 4.06

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.51 zł 1.96

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$4.53 zł 17.58

-6.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$6.60 zł 25.64

19.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$0.77 zł 3.01

53.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$1.77 zł 6.87

6.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.08 zł 4.20

-13.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

$45.46 zł 177

-37.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.52 zł 5.91

10.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.53 zł 2.07

81.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

$9.43 zł 36.65

62.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$1.65 zł 6.42

7.27%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$30.3K zł 117.9K

0.51%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$26.9K zł 104.6K

-6.83%

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

$157 BGN 273

$316 zł 1,228

-50.28%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$8.67 zł 33.69

143.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$12.81 zł 49.76

19.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$31.13 zł 121

49.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

$21.64 zł 84.1

29.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$6.24 zł 24.23

60.90%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$304 zł 1,181

154.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

$8,909 zł 34.6K

40.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$74.0 zł 287

19.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$40.42 zł 157

2.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$87.6 zł 340

21.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$97.0 zł 377

9.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$493 zł 1,916

56.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$387 zł 1,505

55.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$993 zł 3,857

57.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$819 zł 3,183

26.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$2,932 zł 11.4K

55.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$2,220 zł 8,626

42.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

$1,326 zł 5,152

31.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.87

-57.93%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Legnica: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

Legnica

$387 29.2% 35.7% $215

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

Legnica

$198 14.9% 32.1% $93

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

Legnica

$172 12.9% 32.5% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

Legnica

$337 25.4% 74.4% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Legnica

$135 10.2% 12.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Legnica

$44 3.3% 34.4% $23

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Legnica

$54 4.1% 40.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $770 in Sofia and $493 in Legnica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 31% 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: $68.0 in Sofia vs $26.00 in Legnica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $198 per month, with Legnica cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Legnica

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

23:56 11:56 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

97,958

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Legnica 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Legnica

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 Legnica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Legnica is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Sofia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $770 in Sofia versus $493 in Legnica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,600 per month in Sofia versus $1,326 in Legnica – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Legnica runs roughly 61% less than in Sofia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,326 in Legnica versus $1,600 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Legnica but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Legnica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Legnica is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sofia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Legnica 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 Legnica 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.