Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Pleven

For one person, living is cheaper in Pleven: $893 a month against $1,600 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Pleven
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Pleven Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Pleven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Pleven

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

A single person spends $1,600 per month in Sofia vs $893 in Pleven, rent included.

Sofia $1,600
Pleven $893

A couple spends around $2,490 per month in Sofia vs $1,425 in Pleven, rent included.

Sofia $2,490
Pleven $1,425

A family of three spends $3,380 per month in Sofia vs $1,956 in Pleven, rent included.

Sofia $3,380
Pleven $1,956

Sofia costs about 79% more than Pleven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Pleven is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$8.42 BGN 14.64

101.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$29.36 BGN 51.1

132.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$6.26 BGN 10.90

85.62%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$2.09 BGN 3.64

64.11%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$1.27 BGN 2.21

84.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$1.13 BGN 1.97

61.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$2.21 BGN 3.84

54.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$2.30 BGN 4.00

93.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$1.63 BGN 2.83

20.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$1.14 BGN 1.98

30.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.67 BGN 2.91

39.52%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$3.58 BGN 6.23

23.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$9.15 BGN 15.93

26.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$8.23 BGN 14.33

7.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$14.20 BGN 24.70

23.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.28 BGN 2.23

67.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$1.98 BGN 3.45

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.23 BGN 3.89

-13.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$2.22 BGN 3.87

91.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$1.17 BGN 2.03

-11.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$1.08 BGN 1.87

-18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$1.06 BGN 1.85

12.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.71 BGN 1.23

25.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$3.62 BGN 6.30

16.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$6.42 BGN 11.18

22.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$0.77 BGN 1.34

53.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$1.19 BGN 2.08

58.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$0.92 BGN 1.60

1.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

$40.64 BGN 70.7

-30.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.61 BGN 2.79

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.85 BGN 1.48

12.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

$12.21 BGN 21.25

25.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$1.67 BGN 2.90

5.99%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$30.0K BGN 52.2K

1.64%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$24.4K BGN 42.5K

2.60%

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

$157 BGN 273

$95.9 BGN 167

63.73%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$16.22 BGN 28.22

30.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$10.87 BGN 18.91

40.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$35.76 BGN 62.2

29.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

$24.07 BGN 41.88

16.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$8.81 BGN 15.33

13.96%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$519 BGN 903

49.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

$6,309 BGN 11.0K

98.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$41.92 BGN 72.9

110.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$28.77 BGN 50.1

43.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$94.8 BGN 165

12.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$103 BGN 179

3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$333 BGN 579

131.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$174 BGN 302

246.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$568 BGN 989

175.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$333 BGN 580

211.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$1,454 BGN 2,530

214.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$1,136 BGN 1,977

178.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

$914 BGN 1,591

90.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

2.82

2.48%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pleven: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

Pleven

$174 19.4% 71.2% $429

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

Pleven

$236 26.4% 19% $55

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

Pleven

$136 15.3% 46.3% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

Pleven

$123 13.8% 36.4% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Pleven

$121 13.5% 21.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Pleven

$53 6% 19.7% $13

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Pleven

$50 5.6% 30.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $770 in Sofia versus $333 in Pleven. 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 91% 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 $68.0 in Sofia versus $29.00 in Pleven. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $236 – making Pleven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇬 Pleven

🕒 Local time

15:28 3:28 PM

Same time as Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

111,567

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Sofia Pleven 130 km

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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 Pleven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,600 in Sofia, $893 in Pleven – roughly 79% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,400 per month in Sofia and $1,340 in Pleven. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pleven, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Sofia and $29.00 in Pleven. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pleven, where all-in costs run around $893, than in Sofia at $1,600. In Pleven it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $893 in Pleven to $1,600 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Pleven. 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.