Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Ostroda

For one person, living is cheaper in Ostroda: $1,425 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Sofia despite lower rent and utilities.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Ostroda
Learn more

Ostroda Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Ostroda

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Ostroda

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,425 in Ostroda, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Ostroda $1,425

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $2,005 in Ostroda, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Ostroda $2,005

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $2,585 in Ostroda, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Ostroda $2,585

Sofia costs about 12% more than Ostroda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Ostroda sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Ostroda by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$10.35 zł 40.23

63.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$35.93 zł 140

83.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$7.64 zł 29.70

48.17%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.10 zł 12.06

10.65%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$2.00 zł 7.75

20.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.56 zł 6.08

18.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$3.47 zł 13.46

6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$3.49 zł 13.55

31.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$0.91 zł 3.54

121.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.31 zł 5.08

19.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.29 zł 5.00

80.62%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$2.99 zł 11.62

45.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$7.56 zł 29.36

55.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$6.31 zł 24.51

39.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$11.58 zł 44.99

50.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$0.74 zł 2.86

190.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.00 zł 3.89

98.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.23 zł 4.79

56.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$1.24 zł 4.80

241.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.79 zł 3.05

31.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.74 zł 2.89

14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.30 zł 5.06

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.52 zł 2.04

71.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$4.74 zł 18.42

-11.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$6.42 zł 24.93

16.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.01 zł 3.92

13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.49 zł 5.79

24.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.16 zł 4.51

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$29.98 zł 116

-4.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.33 zł 9.03

-27.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.03 zł 4.01

-8.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$12.83 zł 49.83

19.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.64 zł 6.36

3.05%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$30.2K zł 117.4K

-1.42%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$27.1K zł 105.2K

-3.51%

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

$156 BGN 272

$299 zł 1,162

-47.83%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$10.31 zł 40.04

109.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$18.41 zł 71.5

-17.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$34.18 zł 133

34.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$22.16 zł 86.1

25.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$9.75 zł 37.86

4.41%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$405 zł 1,575

91.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$5,581 zł 21.7K

129.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$92.7 zł 360

-2.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$40.85 zł 159

1.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$102 zł 397

2.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$106 zł 413

0.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$670 zł 2,603

16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$480 zł 1,866

24.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$1,099 zł 4,268

38.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$714 zł 2,774

44.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$2,761 zł 10.7K

57.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$1,897 zł 7,371

67.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,287 zł 4,999

34.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.6

-56.21%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ostroda: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Ostroda

$480 33.7% 19.5% $116

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Ostroda

$185 13% 36.2% $105

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Ostroda

$182 12.7% 28.7% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Ostroda

$328 23% 70% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Ostroda

$154 10.8% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Ostroda

$54 3.8% 19.2% $13

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Ostroda

$42 3% 9.7% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $670 in Ostroda. 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 35% 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 $66.0 in Sofia versus $36.00 in Ostroda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $185 – making Ostroda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Ostroda

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

02:25 2:25 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

32,547

💱 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 Ostroda 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Ostroda

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 Ostroda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $2,137 in Ostroda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ostroda, 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 $1,594 in Sofia and $1,425 in Ostroda. That's a gap of about 12%.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Ostroda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ostroda, where all-in costs run around $1,425, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Ostroda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Ostroda. 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.