Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Olsztyn

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $1,816 in Olsztyn, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Olsztyn outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
Learn more

Olsztyn Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Olsztyn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,816 in Olsztyn.

Sofia $1,594
Olsztyn $1,816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $2,678 in Olsztyn.

Sofia $2,478
Olsztyn $2,678

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $3,540 in Olsztyn.

Sofia $3,361
Olsztyn $3,540

Living in Sofia costs roughly 12% less than in Olsztyn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Olsztyn 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$12.84 zł 49.88

31.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$50.4 zł 196

30.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$8.92 zł 34.67

26.91%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.31 zł 12.85

3.63%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$2.51 zł 9.75

-3.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.87 zł 7.26

-1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$2.98 zł 11.59

24.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$3.91 zł 15.18

17.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.05 zł 4.09

92.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.26 zł 4.90

23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.42 zł 5.52

64.08%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.85 zł 14.95

13.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$9.72 zł 37.77

20.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$7.34 zł 28.51

20.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$15.04 zł 58.5

16.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.23 zł 4.77

74.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.61 zł 6.25

22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.80 zł 6.99

7.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$3.43 zł 13.32

23.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.97 zł 3.78

7.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.17 zł 4.54

-27.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.37 zł 5.32

-16.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.68 zł 2.64

30.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$5.49 zł 21.32

-23.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$7.42 zł 28.84

0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.13 zł 4.39

1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.54 zł 6.00

20.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.05 zł 4.07

-17.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$25.79 zł 100

10.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.08 zł 8.09

-19.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.74 zł 2.88

27.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$10.21 zł 39.67

50.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.66 zł 6.43

1.81%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$31.4K zł 121.9K

-5.01%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$29.5K zł 114.4K

-11.26%

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

$156 BGN 272

$329 zł 1,277

-52.51%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$10.17 zł 39.53

112.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$19.00 zł 73.8

-19.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$50.7 zł 197

-9.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$22.47 zł 87.3

24.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$9.12 zł 35.42

11.62%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$378 zł 1,467

105.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$13.7K zł 53.4K

-6.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$103 zł 399

-12.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$48.59 zł 189

-15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$103 zł 402

1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$105 zł 406

2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$1,004 zł 3,900

-22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$744 zł 2,892

-19.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$1,685 zł 6,546

-10.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$1,344 zł 5,221

-23.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$3,690 zł 14.3K

17.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$2,548 zł 9,898

24.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,374 zł 5,338

26.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

7.52

-61.57%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Olsztyn: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Olsztyn

$744 41% 24.7% $147

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Olsztyn

$238 13.1% 18.1% $53

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Olsztyn

$209 11.5% 17.8% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Olsztyn

$358 19.7% 85.5% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Olsztyn

$162 8.9% 4.7% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Olsztyn

$69 3.8% 3.7% $2.4

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Olsztyn

$36 2% 6.8% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $1,004 in Olsztyn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Sofia vs $50.0 in Olsztyn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $238 per month, with Olsztyn cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🕒 Local time

23:10 11:10 PM

22:10 10:10 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

174,675

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 →

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Between locations

Sofia Olsztyn 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Olsztyn

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 Olsztyn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and leisure. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $783 in Sofia versus $1,004 in Olsztyn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Olsztyn pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Sofia – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $50.0 in Olsztyn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,816 in Olsztyn, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Olsztyn. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Sofia and Olsztyn 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 Sofia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Olsztyn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.