Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Roquetas de Mar

For one person, living is cheaper in Roquetas de Mar: $1,444 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Roquetas de Mar
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Roquetas de Mar Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Roquetas de Mar

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Roquetas de Mar

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 Roquetas de Mar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,444 in Roquetas de Mar.

Sofia $1,594
Roquetas de Mar $1,444

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $2,082 in Roquetas de Mar.

Sofia $2,478
Roquetas de Mar $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $2,720 in Roquetas de Mar.

Sofia $3,361
Roquetas de Mar $2,720

Living in Sofia is roughly 10% more expensive than in Roquetas de Mar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Roquetas de Mar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$16.63 €14.80

1.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$55.5 €49.40

18.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$10.65 €9.47

6.29%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$2.06 €1.83

66.50%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$2.77 €2.47

-13.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.69 €1.51

9.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$4.24 €3.77

-12.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$4.36 €3.88

5.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.27 €1.13

59.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.65 €1.46

-5.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.83 €1.62

27.32%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.47 €3.09

25.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$15.93 €14.17

-26.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$9.02 €8.02

-2.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$13.13 €11.68

32.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$2.63 €2.34

-18.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.88 €1.68

5.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.51 €1.34

27.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$2.29 €2.04

85.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.86 €1.66

-44.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.89 €1.68

-55.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.36 €1.21

-15.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.71 €0.63

25.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$6.08 €5.41

-30.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$5.44 €4.84

37.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.14 €1.02

0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.69 €1.50

9.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$0.97 €0.86

-10.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$33.43 €29.73

-14.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$7.89 €7.02

-78.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$2.24 €1.99

-58.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$17.83 €15.86

-13.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.82 €1.62

-7.14%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$35.2K €31.4K

-15.45%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$29.0K €25.8K

-9.85%

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

$156 BGN 272

$135 €121

15.21%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$16.03 €14.26

34.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$27.01 €24.03

-43.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$35.59 €31.66

29.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$8.22 €7.31

23.84%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$383 €341

102.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$10.7K €9,514

19.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$72.6 €64.5

23.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$35.56 €31.63

16.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$96.7 €86.0

8.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$119 €105

-10.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$568 €505

37.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$506 €450

17.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$769 €684

97.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$590 €525

74.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$2,029 €1,805

114.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$1,643 €1,461

93.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,266 €1,127

37.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.18

-9.12%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Roquetas de Mar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Roquetas de Mar

$506 35.1% 15.2% $91

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Roquetas de Mar

$268 18.6% 7.8% $23

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Roquetas de Mar

$238 16.5% 6.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Roquetas de Mar

$179 12.4% 7.5% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Roquetas de Mar

$146 10.1% 5.7% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Roquetas de Mar

$52 3.6% 21.7% $14

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Roquetas de Mar

$56 3.9% 46.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $568 in Roquetas de Mar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 37% 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 Roquetas de Mar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $268 per month, with Roquetas de Mar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇪🇸 Roquetas de Mar

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

17:53 5:53 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

106,510

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 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 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).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Roquetas de Mar 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Roquetas de Mar

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 Roquetas de Mar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roquetas de Mar is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $783 in Sofia versus $568 in Roquetas de Mar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Roquetas de Mar – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,594 per month in Sofia versus $1,444 in Roquetas de Mar – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,444 in Roquetas de Mar versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roquetas de Mar but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Roquetas de Mar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Roquetas de Mar is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sofia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.