Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Pecs

For one person, living is cheaper in Pecs: $1,338 a month against $1,589 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Pecs
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Pecs Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Pecs

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Pecs

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Sofia versus $1,338 in Pecs.

Sofia $1,589
Pecs $1,338

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,456 in Sofia versus $2,058 in Pecs.

Sofia $2,456
Pecs $2,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Sofia versus $2,777 in Pecs.

Sofia $3,324
Pecs $2,777

Living in Sofia is roughly 19% more expensive than in Pecs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 19% above, Pecs 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$11.29 Ft 3,676

51.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

10.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$9.21 Ft 3,000

27.80%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$2.45 Ft 798

39.59%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$1.34 Ft 436

80.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$1.24 Ft 404

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$1.71 Ft 556

94.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$2.23 Ft 725

103.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.23 Ft 400

56.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.57 Ft 510

-3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$2.46 Ft 802

-10.16%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.28 Ft 1,069

34.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$10.14 Ft 3,302

14.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$6.63 Ft 2,158

32.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$15.95 Ft 5,193

6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$2.38 Ft 774

-8.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$2.28 Ft 744

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$2.53 Ft 825

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$3.94 Ft 1,282

8.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$1.12 Ft 365

-8.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.35 Ft 439

-31.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.87 Ft 608

-35.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.58 Ft 190

58.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$8.76 Ft 2,854

-50.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$4.63 Ft 1,508

58.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.37 Ft 445

-13.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$2.61 Ft 851

-28.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.51 Ft 491

-42.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$23.59 Ft 7,681

19.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$3.30 Ft 1,076

-47.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.46 Ft 475

-34.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$24.60 Ft 8,012

-36.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.79 Ft 583

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$30.0K Ft 9.8M

0.10%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$36.9K Ft 12.0M

-28.61%

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

$156 BGN 273

$168 Ft 54.9K

-7.41%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$20.30 Ft 6,612

4.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$21.23 Ft 6,914

-26.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$46.06 Ft 15.0K

1.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$18.68 Ft 6,082

48.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$8.81 Ft 2,870

13.73%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$420 Ft 136.6K

82.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$7,762 Ft 2.5M

64.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$101 Ft 32.8K

-10.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$51.6 Ft 16.8K

-20.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$98.0 Ft 31.9K

8.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$109 Ft 35.4K

-3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$619 Ft 201.7K

28.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$444 Ft 144.5K

36.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$987 Ft 321.4K

58.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$676 Ft 220.1K

56.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$3,296 Ft 1.1M

32.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$2,804 Ft 913.3K

15.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$1,056 Ft 343.8K

64.79%

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 3, 2026

Last update for Pecs: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Pecs

$444 32.9% 26.9% $164

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Pecs

$260 19.2% 9.7% $28

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Pecs

$171 12.6% 33.4% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Pecs

$210 15.6% 8.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Pecs

$162 12% 5.2% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Pecs

$64 4.7% 4.7% $3.1

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Pecs

$40 3% 5.4% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Sofia and $619 in Pecs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 65% 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 $60.0 in Pecs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $260 per month, with Pecs cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇭🇺 Pecs

🕒 Local time

05:45 5:45 AM

04:45 4:45 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

140,330

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

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Sofia Pecs 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Sofia
Pecs

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 Pecs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pecs is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $796 in Sofia versus $619 in Pecs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pecs runs roughly 19% less than in Sofia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $766 in Sofia versus $420 in Pecs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,338 in Pecs versus $1,589 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pecs but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Pecs the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Sofia and Pecs 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 Pecs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.