Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Palma de Mallorca

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $2,239 in Palma de Mallorca, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Palma de Mallorca
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Palma de Mallorca Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Palma de Mallorca

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,239

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Palma de Mallorca

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 Palma de Mallorca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Sofia versus $2,239 in Palma de Mallorca.

Sofia $1,589
Palma de Mallorca $2,239

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,456 in Sofia versus $3,269 in Palma de Mallorca.

Sofia $2,456
Palma de Mallorca $3,269

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Sofia versus $4,300 in Palma de Mallorca.

Sofia $3,324
Palma de Mallorca $4,300

Living in Sofia costs roughly 29% less than in Palma de Mallorca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 19% above, Palma de Mallorca 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$18.64 €16.63

-8.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$66.2 €59.1

1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$13.35 €11.91

-11.84%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$3.20 €2.86

6.87%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$2.70 €2.41

-10.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$2.71 €2.42

-31.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$4.61 €4.11

-27.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$3.87 €3.46

17.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.35 €1.21

42.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.16 €1.03

30.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.62 €1.45

36.42%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.41 €3.04

29.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$14.56 €13.00

-20.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$8.77 €7.83

0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$15.90 €14.19

6.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$2.57 €2.30

-15.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.95 €1.74

4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$1.76 €1.57

4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$2.87 €2.56

49.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$1.94 €1.73

-46.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$2.18 €1.94

-57.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.26 €1.12

-4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.64 €0.58

43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$6.87 €6.13

-37.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$5.55 €4.95

32.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.39 €1.24

-15.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.91 €1.71

-2.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$2.26 €2.02

-61.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$40.95 €36.54

-31.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$5.09 €4.54

-65.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.38 €1.23

-30.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$24.04 €21.45

-35.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.81 €1.62

-1.10%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$35.4K €31.6K

-15.21%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$31.4K €28.0K

-15.98%

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

$156 BGN 273

$253 €226

-38.44%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$23.84 €21.28

-11.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$42.93 €38.31

-63.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$62.0 €55.3

-24.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$27.84 €24.85

-0.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$9.77 €8.72

2.56%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$610 €544

25.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$10.4K €9,246

23.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$71.1 €63.5

26.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$55.3 €49.34

-26.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$99.7 €89.0

6.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$129 €115

-18.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$1,497 €1,336

-46.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$1,055 €941

-42.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$2,356 €2,103

-33.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$1,841 €1,643

-42.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$6,887 €6,146

-36.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$3,721 €3,321

-12.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$2,018 €1,801

-13.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.07

-5.86%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Palma de Mallorca: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Palma de Mallorca

$1.1K 47.3% 73.7% $448

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Palma de Mallorca

$271 12.2% 5.6% $16

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Palma de Mallorca

$280 12.6% 9.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Palma de Mallorca

$320 14.4% 66% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Palma de Mallorca

$160 7.2% 3.9% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Palma de Mallorca

$82 3.7% 22% $15

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Palma de Mallorca

$62 2.8% 62.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Sofia and $1,497 in Palma de Mallorca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palma de Mallorca pays 16% 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: $67.0 in Sofia vs $66.0 in Palma de Mallorca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $271 per month, with Palma de Mallorca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇪🇸 Palma de Mallorca

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

12:04 12:04 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

423,350

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BGN in detail →

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Between locations

Sofia Palma de Mallorca 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Palma de Mallorca

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 Palma de Mallorca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Palma de Mallorca. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $796 in Sofia versus $1,497 in Palma de Mallorca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $766 in Sofia versus $610 in Palma de Mallorca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Palma de Mallorca pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,589 in Sofia versus $2,239 in Palma de Mallorca, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Palma de Mallorca. 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 Palma de Mallorca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Palma de Mallorca 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 41% less than in Palma de Mallorca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.