Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Pogradec

For one person, living is cheaper in Pogradec: $816 a month against $1,600 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Pogradec
Learn more

Pogradec Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Pogradec

🇦🇱 Albania

$816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Pogradec

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,600 in Sofia versus $816 in Pogradec.

Sofia $1,600
Pogradec $816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,490 in Sofia versus $1,350 in Pogradec.

Sofia $2,490
Pogradec $1,350

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,380 in Sofia versus $1,884 in Pogradec.

Sofia $3,380
Pogradec $1,884

Living in Sofia is roughly 96% more expensive than in Pogradec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Pogradec is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$9.82 ALL 791

72.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$39.52 ALL 3,183

72.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$7.57 ALL 610

53.50%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$1.52 ALL 123

125.66%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$1.78 ALL 143

31.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$0.65 ALL 52.0

181.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$1.52 ALL 122

124.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$2.75 ALL 221

61.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$1.98 ALL 160

-0.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$0.97 ALL 78.1

53.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.06 ALL 166

13.11%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$2.20 ALL 177

100.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$8.00 ALL 644

44.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$4.41 ALL 355

101.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$13.97 ALL 1,125

25.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.22 ALL 98.5

76.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$2.25 ALL 181

-8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.52 ALL 123

26.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$1.26 ALL 102

237.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$0.94 ALL 75.8

9.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$1.03 ALL 83.2

-14.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$1.04 ALL 83.6

14.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.78 ALL 62.8

14.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$4.25 ALL 343

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$7.98 ALL 643

-1.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.22 ALL 98.0

-3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$1.87 ALL 151

1.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$0.50 ALL 40.63

86.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

$18.68 ALL 1,504

51.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$3.73 ALL 300

-54.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.82 ALL 147

-47.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

$18.74 ALL 1,509

-18.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$2.25 ALL 181

-21.33%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$34.0K ALL 2.7M

-10.37%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$24.5K ALL 2.0M

2.28%

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

$157 BGN 273

$61.0 ALL 4,913

157.47%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$16.58 ALL 1,335

27.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$17.22 ALL 1,387

-11.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$35.88 ALL 2,889

29.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

$18.68 ALL 1,504

50.37%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$8.43 ALL 679

19.10%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$98.2 ALL 7,910

688.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$49.70 ALL 4,002

77.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$56.2 ALL 4,523

-26.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$98.3 ALL 7,916

8.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$150 ALL 12.1K

-29.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$185 ALL 14.9K

316.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$123 ALL 9,902

389.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$370 ALL 29.8K

323.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$249 ALL 20.0K

316.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$1,597 ALL 128.6K

185.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$1,467 ALL 118.2K

115.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

$476 ALL 38.4K

265.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

-42.20%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

Pogradec

$123 15.1% 79.6% $479

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

Pogradec

$211 25.8% 27.6% $80

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

Pogradec

$142 17.4% 44.1% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

Pogradec

$95 11.6% 51% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Pogradec

$159 19.5% 3.4% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Pogradec

$53 6.5% 20.6% $14

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Pogradec

$34 4.1% 13% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $770 in Sofia and $185 in Pogradec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 266% 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: $68.0 in Sofia vs $40.00 in Pogradec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $211 per month, with Pogradec cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇦🇱 Pogradec

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

23:43 11:43 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

20,848

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Sofia Pogradec 300 km

From you

Sofia
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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 Pogradec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pogradec wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pogradec the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 266% 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: $770 in Sofia versus $185 in Pogradec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pogradec – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $68.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $816 in Pogradec versus $1,600 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pogradec but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Pogradec the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pogradec delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $816 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pogradec hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Pogradec 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 Pogradec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.