Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Novoshakhtinsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Novoshakhtinsk: $1,169 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Novoshakhtinsk
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Novoshakhtinsk Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Novoshakhtinsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,169

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Novoshakhtinsk

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $1,169 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

Sofia $1,585
Novoshakhtinsk $1,169

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $1,749 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

Sofia $2,486
Novoshakhtinsk $1,749

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $2,329 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

Sofia $3,387
Novoshakhtinsk $2,329

Sofia costs about 36% more than Novoshakhtinsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Novoshakhtinsk is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$13.16 ₽1,078

25.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$38.61 ₽3,163

75.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$6.02 ₽493

94.02%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$3.27 ₽268

4.28%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$1.25 ₽102

88.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.65 ₽53.2

156.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$1.75 ₽144

128.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$2.98 ₽244

52.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.17 ₽96.1

65.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.82 ₽67.3

89.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.61 ₽132

45.96%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.80 ₽148

155.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$10.47 ₽858

9.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$4.75 ₽389

82.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$11.64 ₽953

48.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$1.68 ₽137

27.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.93 ₽158

2.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$1.99 ₽163

-8.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$3.49 ₽286

22.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.82 ₽67.3

26.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.63 ₽52.0

41.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$1.56 ₽127

-23.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.67 ₽55.2

23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$3.14 ₽257

40.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$7.40 ₽607

0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$1.09 ₽89.1

6.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$2.29 ₽188

-17.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.63 ₽51.6

46.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$30.60 ₽2,507

-8.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$2.24 ₽183

-25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.36 ₽29.86

136.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$5.34 ₽438

210.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.96 ₽78.2

81.25%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$50.9K ₽4.2M

-41.22%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$42.5K ₽3.5M

-41.18%

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

$158 BGN 275

$137 ₽11.3K

14.93%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$7.11 ₽583

199.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$8.69 ₽712

73.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$35.83 ₽2,935

30.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$26.03 ₽2,132

6.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$7.30 ₽598

36.99%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$339 ₽27.8K

140.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$5,887 ₽482.3K

148.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$86.8 ₽7,114

0.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$49.91 ₽4,089

-23.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$122 ₽10.0K

-13.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$129 ₽10.6K

-16.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$536 ₽43.9K

43.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$357 ₽29.2K

66.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$897 ₽73.5K

70.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$510 ₽41.8K

107.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$2,219 ₽181.8K

103.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$1,398 ₽114.5K

122.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

21.33

-86.45%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Novoshakhtinsk: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Novoshakhtinsk

$357 30.5% 39.9% $236

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Novoshakhtinsk

$212 18.1% 26.3% $76

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Novoshakhtinsk

$185 15.8% 27.1% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Novoshakhtinsk

$153 13.1% 21.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Novoshakhtinsk

$175 14.9% 14.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Novoshakhtinsk

$50 4.3% 24.6% $16

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Novoshakhtinsk

$37 3.2% 1.4% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Sofia versus $536 in Novoshakhtinsk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia versus $39 in Novoshakhtinsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $212 – making Novoshakhtinsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇷🇺 Novoshakhtinsk

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

20:36 8:36 PM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

105,038

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 92.01 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Novoshakhtinsk 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Novoshakhtinsk

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 Novoshakhtinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,378 per month in Sofia and $1,753 in Novoshakhtinsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Novoshakhtinsk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $536 there versus $769 in Sofia.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $815 per month in Sofia and $339 in Novoshakhtinsk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Novoshakhtinsk, where all-in costs run around $1,169, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Novoshakhtinsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Novoshakhtinsk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.