Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Pula

For one person, living costs are similar in Sofia and in Pula: $1,594 and $1,577 a month, rent and utilities included.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Pula
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Pula Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Pula

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Pula

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,577 in Pula, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Pula $1,577

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $2,504 in Pula, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Pula $2,504

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $3,432 in Pula, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Pula $3,432

Sofia costs about 1% more than Pula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sofia and Pula sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Pula by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.52

$14.57 €13.01

15.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$66.0 €58.9

-0.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.80

$8.89 €7.94

27.33%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 6.01

$2.48 €2.22

38.31%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.22

$2.98 €2.66

-19.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$2.11 €1.89

-12.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.48

$3.29 €2.94

12.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 8.02

$4.35 €3.88

5.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.53

$1.18 €1.05

71.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.74

$1.79 €1.60

-12.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.07

$3.20 €2.85

-27.19%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.63

$3.90 €3.48

11.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.59

$10.68 €9.54

10.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.46

$10.67 €9.53

-17.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.56

$18.47 €16.50

-5.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.76

$1.91 €1.71

12.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.46

$1.88 €1.68

5.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.39

$2.12 €1.89

-8.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.42

$2.55 €2.28

66.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.81

$1.31 €1.17

-20.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$1.30 €1.16

-34.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.02

$1.31 €1.17

-12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.57

$1.21 €1.08

-26.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.37

$5.54 €4.95

-24.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 13.05

$7.80 €6.96

-4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.02

$1.89 €1.69

-39.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.25

$2.38 €2.13

-22.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$2.18 €1.95

-60.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.93

$33.87 €30.24

-15.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

$3.38 €3.01

-50.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.64

$2.18 €1.94

-56.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.86

$21.65 €19.33

-29.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.96

$1.78 €1.59

-5.06%

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

$29.8K BGN 52.1K

$26.0K €23.3K

14.41%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.7K

$26.9K €24.0K

-2.83%

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

$156 BGN 273

$156 €139

0.33%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.74

$22.06 €19.70

-2.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.66

$40.22 €35.92

-62.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.6

$49.30 €44.03

-6.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.86

$37.54 €33.53

-25.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.82

$10.91 €9.74

-6.69%

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

$774 BGN 1,355

$237 €212

226.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$2,769 €2,473

362.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$115 €102

-21.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.3

$35.58 €31.77

16.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 184

$144 €128

-26.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$133 €118

-19.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,370

$667 €596

17.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,044

$523 €467

14.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,653

$1,302 €1,163

16.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,803

$1,004 €896

2.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,612

$4,316 €3,854

0.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,560

$3,539 €3,160

-10.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,037

$1,520 €1,357

14.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.54

-18.36%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Pula: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Pula

$523 33.2% 12.3% $74

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Pula

$297 18.8% 2.2% $6.5

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Pula

$219 13.9% 14.2% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Pula

$218 13.8% 12.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Pula

$192 12.2% 24.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Pula

$71 4.5% 7% $4.7

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Pula

$57 3.6% 48.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $667 in Pula. 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 14% 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 $66.0 in Sofia versus $66.0 in Pula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $297 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇭🇷 Pula

🕒 Local time

14:55 2:55 PM

13:55 1:55 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

52,220

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Pula 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Pula

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 Pula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $1,577 in Pula – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $2,365 in Pula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Sofia and $237 in Pula. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Sofia – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pula, where all-in costs run around $1,577, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Pula 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 $1,577 in Pula to $1,594 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 Pula. 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.