Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Meilen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $3,372 in Meilen, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
163

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
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Meilen Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Meilen

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $3,372 in Meilen, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Meilen $3,372

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $5,942 in Meilen, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Meilen $5,942

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $8,512 in Meilen, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Meilen $8,512

Sofia is about 53% cheaper than Meilen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Meilen sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Meilen by 150%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$32.47 CHF 26.74

-48.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$122 CHF 101

-46.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$16.33 CHF 13.45

-30.68%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$6.31 CHF 5.19

-45.64%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$5.68 CHF 4.67

-57.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$5.01 CHF 4.13

-63.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$8.46 CHF 6.97

-56.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$8.29 CHF 6.83

-44.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-8.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$3.27 CHF 2.69

-52.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$3.78 CHF 3.11

-38.36%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$7.49 CHF 6.17

-41.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$26.56 CHF 21.87

-55.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$25.69 CHF 21.16

-65.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$40.25 CHF 33.15

-56.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$3.42 CHF 2.82

-37.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$2.03 CHF 1.67

-2.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.67 CHF 2.20

-27.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-7.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.96 CHF 1.61

-46.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-60.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-50.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$1.25 CHF 1.03

-28.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$11.03 CHF 9.09

-61.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$13.25 CHF 10.91

-43.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-49.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$3.23 CHF 2.66

-42.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$4.59 CHF 3.78

-81.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$96.8 CHF 79.7

-70.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$7.55 CHF 6.21

-77.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$4.50 CHF 3.71

-79.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$88.0 CHF 72.5

-82.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-25.22%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

-22.95%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

-33.70%

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

$156 BGN 272

$235 CHF 194

-33.68%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$36.06 CHF 29.70

-40.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$65.3 CHF 53.8

-76.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$88.1 CHF 72.6

-47.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$44.50 CHF 36.65

-37.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$21.90 CHF 18.04

-53.52%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$2,816 CHF 2,319

-72.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

-69.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$137 CHF 113

-34.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$59.2 CHF 48.77

-30.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$144 CHF 118

-26.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$174 CHF 143

-38.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$1,690 CHF 1,392

-53.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$1,471 CHF 1,211

-59.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$2,831 CHF 2,332

-46.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$4,065 CHF 3,348

-74.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$15.8K CHF 13.0K

-72.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$11.9K CHF 9,812

-73.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$8,259 CHF 6,802

-78.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

1.72

68.02%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Meilen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Meilen

$1.5K 43.6% 146% $874

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Meilen

$570 16.9% 96.3% $280

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Meilen

$486 14.4% 90.8% $231

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Meilen

$337 10% 74.6% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Meilen

$231 6.9% 49.8% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Meilen

$132 3.9% 98.5% $65

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Meilen

$145 4.3% 278% $107

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $1,690 in Meilen. 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 376% higher in Meilen, 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 $66.0 in Sofia versus $122 in Meilen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $570 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇨🇭 Meilen

🕒 Local time

17:37 5:37 PM

16:37 4:37 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

13,515

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Meilen 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Meilen

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 Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meilen costs about 112% more than Sofia, 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 $2,391 per month in Sofia and $5,059 in Meilen. 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.

Public transport costs about 239% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Sofia and $2,816 in Meilen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Meilen at $3,372. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Meilen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sofia costs $1,594 versus $3,372 in Meilen. 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, Meilen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.