Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Lublin

For one person, living is cheaper in Lublin: $1,455 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
71

Cost of Living Index in Lublin
Learn more

Lublin Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Lublin

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,455

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Lublin

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $1,455 in Lublin, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Lublin $1,455

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $2,045 in Lublin, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Lublin $2,045

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $2,634 in Lublin, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Lublin $2,634

Sofia costs about 9% more than Lublin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sofia and Lublin sit above the global median – Sofia by 19%, Lublin by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$9.09 zł 35.54

88.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$39.05 zł 153

71.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$7.88 zł 30.80

49.37%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$2.99 zł 11.70

14.38%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$1.95 zł 7.64

24.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$1.53 zł 5.98

21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$2.72 zł 10.62

22.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$3.25 zł 12.70

39.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$0.99 zł 3.86

93.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.31 zł 5.14

15.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.54 zł 6.01

43.51%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.43 zł 13.39

28.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$8.82 zł 34.48

31.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$6.27 zł 24.51

40.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$11.03 zł 43.11

53.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$1.16 zł 4.54

87.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.72 zł 6.71

18.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$1.76 zł 6.88

4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$2.51 zł 9.81

70.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.86 zł 3.36

19.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.05 zł 4.10

-11.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.40 zł 5.49

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.68 zł 2.66

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$5.68 zł 22.19

-24.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$6.53 zł 25.52

12.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.10 zł 4.32

7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.70 zł 6.64

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.92 zł 3.61

-5.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$31.12 zł 122

-9.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$2.03 zł 7.94

-14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.79 zł 3.10

21.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$10.28 zł 40.17

51.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.61 zł 6.28

11.18%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$30.6K zł 119.8K

-2.14%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$26.8K zł 104.9K

-1.79%

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

$156 BGN 273

$297 zł 1,161

-47.51%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$9.81 zł 38.36

116.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$17.90 zł 70.0

-12.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$31.33 zł 122

49.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$23.65 zł 92.4

17.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$8.15 zł 31.86

22.94%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$510 zł 1,994

50.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$5,257 zł 20.5K

143.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$82.9 zł 324

8.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$41.35 zł 162

-1.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$91.3 zł 357

16.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$103 zł 403

1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$706 zł 2,761

12.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$541 zł 2,113

12.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$831 zł 3,248

88.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$769 zł 3,007

37.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$3,577 zł 14.0K

21.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$2,291 zł 8,957

41.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$1,458 zł 5,697

19.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

7.02

-58.83%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lublin: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Lublin

$541 36.7% 11% $67

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Lublin

$210 14.2% 26.9% $77

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Lublin

$166 11.3% 35% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Lublin

$325 22% 68.5% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Lublin

$143 9.7% 6.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Lublin

$48 3.2% 28.7% $19

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Lublin

$41 2.8% 6.9% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $706 in Lublin. 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 19% higher in Sofia, 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 $67.0 in Sofia versus $39.00 in Lublin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $210 – making Lublin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Lublin

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

08:59 8:59 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

337,788

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Lublin 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Lublin

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 Lublin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 9% more than Lublin, 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 $2,384 per month in Sofia and $2,183 in Lublin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Sofia and $1,455 in Lublin. That's a gap of about 9%.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Lublin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lublin, where all-in costs run around $1,455, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Lublin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lublin costs $1,455 versus $1,589 in Sofia. 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 Lublin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.