Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Ourense

For one person, living is cheaper in Ourense: $1,343 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Ourense
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Ourense Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Ourense

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,343

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Ourense

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,609 in Sofia versus $1,343 in Ourense.

Sofia $1,609
Ourense $1,343

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,495 in Sofia versus $1,970 in Ourense.

Sofia $2,495
Ourense $1,970

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,381 in Sofia versus $2,597 in Ourense.

Sofia $3,381
Ourense $2,597

Living in Sofia is roughly 20% more expensive than in Ourense, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.70

$13.61 €12.20

24.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 117

$49.50 €44.35

34.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.40

$9.01 €8.07

28.63%

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.20

$1.81 €1.62

94.48%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.25

$2.53 €2.27

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.11

$1.65 €1.48

7.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.48

$3.70 €3.32

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.70

$3.57 €3.20

22.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.44

$1.17 €1.05

67.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.65

$1.16 €1.04

30.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.87

$1.37 €1.23

60.58%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.75

$3.21 €2.88

37.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.70

$9.37 €8.39

25.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.28

$7.41 €6.64

17.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.57

$13.76 €12.33

26.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.75

$2.22 €1.99

-4.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.61

$2.04 €1.83

0.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.40

$1.58 €1.41

22.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.34

$2.30 €2.06

81.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.90

$1.71 €1.53

-36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.60

$1.71 €1.54

-46.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.08

$1.07 €0.96

10.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$0.49 €0.44

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.36

$5.77 €5.17

-27.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.51

$5.64 €5.05

36.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.06

$1.22 €1.09

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.17

$2.27 €2.03

-20.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.91 €0.81

-4.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 51.1

$28.33 €25.38

2.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.96

$4.38 €3.93

-61.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.54

$1.10 €0.99

-20.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.74

$18.76 €16.81

-15.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.04

$1.69 €1.51

2.37%

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

$29.7K BGN 52.2K

$24.5K €22.0K

20.94%

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

$25.6K BGN 45.0K

$27.5K €24.7K

-7.11%

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

$161 BGN 283

$105 €93.7

53.90%

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

$21.08 BGN 37.10

$19.85 €17.78

6.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.73

$27.84 €24.95

-45.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 85.1

$40.97 €36.71

17.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.35

$12.62 €11.31

117.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.88

$8.42 €7.55

20.67%

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

$785 BGN 1,382

$340 €305

131.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$8,334 €7,468

53.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 158

$100.0 €89.6

-10.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.7

$35.89 €32.16

15.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 189

$82.7 €74.1

30.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 192

$83.3 €74.6

31.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,389

$650 €582

21.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,063

$525 €471

14.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,670

$823 €737

84.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,825

$711 €637

45.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 BGN 7,756

$3,282 €2,941

34.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 BGN 5,521

$2,166 €1,941

44.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,056

$1,596 €1,430

8.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

2.96

-2.36%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ourense: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Ourense

$525 39.1% 13% $79

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Ourense

$230 17.1% 20.2% $58

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Ourense

$200 14.9% 21.8% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Ourense

$152 11.3% 22.8% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Ourense

$136 10.1% 13.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Ourense

$58 4.3% 15.8% $11

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Ourense

$42 3.1% 8.5% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Sofia and $650 in Ourense. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66 in Sofia vs $49 in Ourense for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $230 per month, with Ourense cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇪🇸 Ourense

🕒 Local time

13:05 1:05 PM

12:05 12:05 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

104,250

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BGN (1 BGN = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Ourense 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Ourense

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 Ourense: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,609 in Sofia and $1,343 in Ourense, so Ourense is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $789 in Sofia versus $650 in Ourense. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,609 per month in Sofia versus $1,343 in Ourense – Ourense is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ourense runs roughly 3% less than in Sofia. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ourense gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Ourense are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Ourense gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.