Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Ragusa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ragusa: $1,517 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,594
/mo nomad
Ragusa
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,517
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Ragusa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,517 in Ragusa.

  • Sofia $1,594
  • Ragusa $1,517

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $2,312 in Ragusa.

  • Sofia $2,478
  • Ragusa $2,312

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $3,107 in Ragusa.

  • Sofia $3,361
  • Ragusa $3,107

Living in Sofia is roughly 5% more expensive than in Ragusa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Ragusa 12% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sofia
Ragusa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.87 BGN 29.35
$16.98 €15.10
-0.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 BGN 115
$55.8 €49.59
18.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.32 BGN 19.69
$11.13 €9.90
1.71%
Cappuccino
$3.43 BGN 5.98
$2.06 €1.84
66.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 BGN 4.19
$2.18 €1.94
10.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 BGN 3.22
$0.93 €0.83
98.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.70 BGN 6.44
$5.69 €5.06
-34.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.58 BGN 7.97
$3.93 €3.49
16.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sofia
Ragusa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 BGN 3.51
$1.27 €1.13
59.06%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 BGN 2.72
$1.85 €1.64
-15.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.33 BGN 4.05
$2.44 €2.17
-4.51%
Eggs
$4.36 BGN 7.59
$2.85 €2.53
52.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.76 BGN 20.47
$14.46 €12.87
-18.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.83 BGN 15.37
$11.74 €10.44
-24.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.46 BGN 30.38
$16.60 €14.77
5.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 BGN 3.74
$2.98 €2.65
-27.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 BGN 3.44
$2.10 €1.86
-5.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.93 BGN 3.37
$1.71 €1.52
12.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.24 BGN 7.37
$2.51 €2.24
68.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 BGN 1.80
$1.71 €1.52
-39.18%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 BGN 1.48
$1.48 €1.31
-42.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 BGN 2.00
$1.74 €1.55
-33.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 BGN 1.56
$0.43 €0.38
106.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.21 BGN 7.33
$6.87 €6.11
-38.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.46 BGN 12.98
$7.67 €6.82
-2.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 BGN 2.01
$2.11 €1.87
-45.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 BGN 3.23
$2.91 €2.59
-36.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Sofia
Ragusa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 BGN 1.51
$1.71 €1.52
-49.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.53 BGN 49.65
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.68 BGN 2.93
$3.40 €3.03
-50.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.94 BGN 1.63
$1.14 €1.01
-17.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.35 BGN 26.70
$37.63 €33.47
-59.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.69 BGN 2.94
$1.99 €1.77
-15.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K BGN 51.9K
$36.9K €32.8K
-19.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K BGN 45.5K
$34.9K €31.0K
-25.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
Ragusa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$156 BGN 272
$229 €203
-31.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.56 BGN 37.52
$9.19 €8.17
134.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.24 BGN 26.51
$26.39 €23.47
-42.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
Ragusa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.08 BGN 80.2
$42.09 €37.44
9.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.92 BGN 48.58
$13.37 €11.90
108.83%
Cinema Ticket
$10.18 BGN 17.72
$8.34 €7.42
22.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sofia
Ragusa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$774 BGN 1,347
$167 €149
363.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K BGN 22.3K
$5,483 €4,877
133.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
Ragusa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.9 BGN 157
$70.8 €62.9
27.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.29 BGN 71.8
$21.88 €19.47
88.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 BGN 183
$84.8 €75.4
24.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 BGN 186
$126 €112
-15.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sofia
Ragusa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$783 BGN 1,362
$439 €390
78.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$597 BGN 1,038
$496 €441
20.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,516 BGN 2,638
$939 €836
61.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,030 BGN 1,792
$886 €788
16.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,350 BGN 7,568
$1,242 €1,105
250.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,177 BGN 5,528
$960 €854
230.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sofia
Ragusa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,735 BGN 3,019
$1,520 €1,352
14.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.89
3.39
-14.75%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ragusa: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$597
Ragusa
$496 16.9% $101
Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$290
Ragusa
$303 4.3% $12
Eating Out
Sofia
$255
Ragusa
$243 4.7% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$193
Ragusa
$264 36.9% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$154
Ragusa
$137 11.5% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$66
Ragusa
$59 11.6% $7.7
Getting Around
Sofia
$38
Ragusa
$16 * 58.5% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $439 in Ragusa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 14% 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: $66.0 in Sofia vs $56.0 in Ragusa. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $303, with Sofia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Sofia
🇮🇹 Ragusa
🕒 Local time
11:15 11:15 AM
10:15 10:15 AM
1 h behind Sofia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,286,383 Capital
73,735
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sofia Ragusa 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sofia
  • Ragusa

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 Ragusa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sofia or Ragusa?
Ragusa wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ragusa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Sofia or in Ragusa?
Average pay runs 14% higher in Sofia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Sofia compared to Ragusa?
Rent for a central apartment: $783 in Sofia versus $439 in Ragusa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Sofia or in Ragusa?
Shoppers in Sofia pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How much does it cost to live in Sofia compared to Ragusa?
All in, you'll spend $1,594 per month in Sofia versus $1,517 in Ragusa – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Sofia or in Ragusa?
At $1,517 in Ragusa versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ragusa but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Ragusa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Sofia or Ragusa?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ragusa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,517 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ragusa hard to pass up.
How safe is Sofia compared to Ragusa?
Safety-wise, Sofia and Ragusa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ragusa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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