Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Plzen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $1,768 in Plzen, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Plzen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Plzen
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Plzen Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Plzen

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Plzen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Sofia versus $1,768 in Plzen.

Sofia $1,589
Plzen $1,768

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,456 in Sofia versus $2,468 in Plzen.

Sofia $2,456
Plzen $2,468

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Sofia versus $3,168 in Plzen.

Sofia $3,324
Plzen $3,168

Living in Sofia costs roughly 10% less than in Plzen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 19% above, Plzen 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$11.43 Kč 248

49.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$50.7 Kč 1,101

32.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$9.33 Kč 203

26.15%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$3.01 Kč 65.3

13.62%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$2.01 Kč 43.75

20.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$1.76 Kč 38.27

5.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$2.71 Kč 58.9

22.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$2.73 Kč 59.4

65.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.14 Kč 24.80

68.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.58 Kč 34.41

-4.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$2.98 Kč 64.8

-25.84%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.85 Kč 83.6

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$13.60 Kč 295

-15.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$10.04 Kč 218

-12.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$16.29 Kč 354

4.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$2.11 Kč 45.88

2.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.82 Kč 39.55

12.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$2.13 Kč 46.23

-13.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$3.56 Kč 77.3

20.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$1.22 Kč 26.62

-15.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.22 Kč 26.41

-23.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.58 Kč 34.36

-24.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.84 Kč 18.15

9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$6.78 Kč 147

-36.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$6.93 Kč 151

5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.42 Kč 30.81

-16.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.74 Kč 37.85

7.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.32 Kč 28.64

-34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$27.88 Kč 606

0.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$2.12 Kč 46.08

-17.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.35 Kč 29.31

-28.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$13.74 Kč 299

13.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.83 Kč 39.75

-2.19%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$29.9K Kč 650.8K

0.11%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$29.6K Kč 643.4K

-10.95%

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

$156 BGN 273

$278 Kč 6,043

-43.92%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$16.66 Kč 362

27.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$16.56 Kč 360

-5.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$60.7 Kč 1,320

-23.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$14.41 Kč 313

92.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$11.56 Kč 251

-13.32%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$334 Kč 7,256

129.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$10.7K Kč 233.1K

19.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$79.7 Kč 1,732

12.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$44.03 Kč 957

-7.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$87.0 Kč 1,890

21.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$112 Kč 2,441

-6.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$719 Kč 15.6K

10.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$704 Kč 15.3K

-13.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$951 Kč 20.7K

64.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$935 Kč 20.3K

13.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$4,989 Kč 108.4K

-12.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$4,211 Kč 91.5K

-22.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$1,897 Kč 41.2K

-8.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.8

-39.79%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Plzen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Plzen

$704 39.9% 15.9% $97

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Plzen

$289 16.4% 0.6% $1.7

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Plzen

$190 10.7% 25.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Plzen

$311 17.6% 61.5% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Plzen

$145 8.2% 5.3% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Plzen

$84 4.8% 25.6% $17

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Plzen

$42 2.4% 10.1% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Sofia and $719 in Plzen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plzen 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: $67.0 in Sofia vs $51.0 in Plzen. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $289, with Sofia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇨🇿 Plzen

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

07:18 7:18 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

168,951

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

100 CZK = 4.6 USD

100 CZK = 4.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, 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).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 21.73 CZK (100 CZK = 4.6 USD). 1 EUR = 24.37 CZK (100 CZK = 4.1 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Plzen 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Plzen

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 Plzen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Plzen. 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 $719 in Plzen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sofia – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $51.0 in Plzen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Sofia versus $1,768 in Plzen – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,589 in Sofia versus $1,768 in Plzen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Plzen. 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 Plzen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Plzen 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 11% less than in Plzen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.