Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Paszto

For one person, living is cheaper in Paszto: $1,347 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Paszto
Learn more

Paszto Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Paszto

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Paszto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,347 in Paszto.

Sofia $1,594
Paszto $1,347

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $2,021 in Paszto.

Sofia $2,478
Paszto $2,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $2,695 in Paszto.

Sofia $3,361
Paszto $2,695

Living in Sofia is roughly 18% more expensive than in Paszto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Paszto 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$11.57 Ft 3,729

45.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$61.7 Ft 19.9K

6.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$9.02 Ft 2,908

25.50%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$2.44 Ft 788

40.57%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$1.31 Ft 421

83.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.23 Ft 395

50.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$1.66 Ft 535

122.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.23 Ft 718

105.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.21 Ft 390

66.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.58 Ft 510

-1.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.39 Ft 771

-2.51%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.35 Ft 1,078

30.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$10.50 Ft 3,386

12.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$6.81 Ft 2,195

29.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$16.46 Ft 5,306

6.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$2.50 Ft 804

-14.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$2.30 Ft 740

-13.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.54 Ft 818

-24.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$3.87 Ft 1,247

9.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.12 Ft 363

-7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.35 Ft 435

-37.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.78 Ft 575

-35.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.58 Ft 187

53.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$8.92 Ft 2,876

-52.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$4.73 Ft 1,524

57.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.38 Ft 444

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$2.51 Ft 808

-26.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.07 Ft 343

-18.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$23.46 Ft 7,561

21.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$3.40 Ft 1,096

-50.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.43 Ft 460

-34.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$24.24 Ft 7,812

-36.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.81 Ft 585

-6.63%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$30.5K Ft 9.8M

-2.34%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$36.0K Ft 11.6M

-27.38%

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

$156 BGN 272

$166 Ft 53.5K

-6.03%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$21.09 Ft 6,799

2.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$21.02 Ft 6,776

-27.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$52.4 Ft 16.9K

-11.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$19.69 Ft 6,347

41.80%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$8.93 Ft 2,878

14.00%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$433 Ft 139.5K

78.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$7,625 Ft 2.5M

67.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$102 Ft 33.0K

-12.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$51.2 Ft 16.5K

-19.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$96.7 Ft 31.2K

8.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$110 Ft 35.3K

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$546 Ft 176.0K

43.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$433 Ft 139.7K

37.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$660 Ft 212.8K

129.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$584 Ft 188.3K

76.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$2,765 Ft 891.2K

57.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$2,444 Ft 787.7K

30.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$736 Ft 237.2K

135.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

-63.87%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Paszto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Paszto

$433 32.2% 27.4% $163

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Paszto

$263 19.5% 9.4% $27

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Paszto

$172 12.8% 32.6% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Paszto

$208 15.5% 7.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Paszto

$162 12% 4.9% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Paszto

$70 5.2% 5.7% $3.8

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Paszto

$38 2.8% 0.3% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $546 in Paszto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 136% 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: $66.0 in Sofia vs $62.0 in Paszto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $263 per month, with Paszto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇭🇺 Paszto

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

20:34 8:34 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

9,500

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 322 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 362 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Paszto 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Sofia
Paszto

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 Paszto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paszto wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Paszto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 136% 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 $546 in Paszto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Paszto – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,594 per month in Sofia versus $1,347 in Paszto – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,347 in Paszto versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Paszto but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Paszto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Paszto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,347 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Paszto hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Paszto 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 Paszto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.