Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Lomza

For one person, living is cheaper in Lomza: $1,483 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Sofia despite lower rent and utilities.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Lomza
Learn more

Lomza Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Lomza

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Lomza

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,483 in Lomza.

Sofia $1,594
Lomza $1,483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $2,144 in Lomza.

Sofia $2,478
Lomza $2,144

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $2,805 in Lomza.

Sofia $3,361
Lomza $2,805

Living in Sofia is roughly 8% more expensive than in Lomza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Lomza 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$9.52 zł 37.00

77.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$46.51 zł 181

41.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$9.00 zł 34.98

25.78%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.66 zł 14.22

-6.28%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$2.64 zł 10.25

-8.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$2.76 zł 10.73

-32.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$4.71 zł 18.28

-21.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$5.05 zł 19.61

-9.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.03 zł 3.98

96.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.07 zł 4.15

45.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.39 zł 5.39

67.63%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.42 zł 13.29

27.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$10.65 zł 41.39

10.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$6.81 zł 26.44

29.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$11.64 zł 45.24

50.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.18 zł 4.60

82.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.61 zł 6.27

22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.36 zł 9.15

-18.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$3.00 zł 11.66

41.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.79 zł 3.06

31.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.88 zł 3.42

-3.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.38 zł 5.34

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.59 zł 2.28

50.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$5.82 zł 22.63

-27.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$6.66 zł 25.88

12.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.10 zł 4.29

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.68 zł 6.51

10.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.12 zł 4.34

-22.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$29.42 zł 114

-3.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.59 zł 6.17

5.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.59 zł 2.28

59.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$9.37 zł 36.39

63.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.60 zł 6.23

5.62%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$30.1K zł 116.8K

-0.91%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$26.9K zł 104.6K

-2.94%

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

$156 BGN 272

$316 zł 1,227

-50.60%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$8.65 zł 33.59

149.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$17.11 zł 66.5

-10.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$32.54 zł 126

41.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$23.27 zł 90.4

19.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$8.12 zł 31.54

25.37%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$509 zł 1,978

52.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$10.3K zł 40.1K

24.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$74.7 zł 290

20.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$40.74 zł 158

1.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$90.1 zł 350

16.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$95.7 zł 372

11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$608 zł 2,363

28.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$496 zł 1,927

20.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$969 zł 3,766

56.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$809 zł 3,142

27.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$2,957 zł 11.5K

47.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$2,539 zł 9,864

25.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

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 13, 2026

Last update for Lomza: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Lomza

$496 33.5% 16.9% $101

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Lomza

$220 14.8% 24.3% $71

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Lomza

$202 13.7% 20.6% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Lomza

$342 23% 77.2% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Lomza

$136 9.1% 12.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Lomza

$49 3.3% 26.6% $18

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Lomza

$38 2.6% 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $608 in Lomza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Sofia vs $47.00 in Lomza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $220 per month, with Lomza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Lomza

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

03:51 3:51 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

62,711

💱 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

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Between locations

Sofia Lomza 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Lomza

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 Lomza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lomza is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,391 in Sofia and $2,224 in Lomza to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $783 in Sofia versus $608 in Lomza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lomza runs roughly 3% less than in Sofia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $774 in Sofia versus $509 in Lomza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,483 in Lomza versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lomza but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Lomza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lomza 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 Lomza 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 Lomza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.