Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Rostov-on-Don

For one person, living is cheaper in Rostov-on-Don: $1,036 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Rostov-on-Don
Learn more

Rostov-on-Don Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,036

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $1,036 in Rostov-on-Don.

Sofia $1,585
Rostov-on-Don $1,036

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $1,517 in Rostov-on-Don.

Sofia $2,486
Rostov-on-Don $1,517

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $1,998 in Rostov-on-Don.

Sofia $3,387
Rostov-on-Don $1,998

Living in Sofia is roughly 53% more expensive than in Rostov-on-Don, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Rostov-on-Don is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$11.03 ₽904

50.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$25.49 ₽2,088

165.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$5.99 ₽491

94.99%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$3.07 ₽251

11.07%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$1.10 ₽89.9

114.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.48 ₽39.03

247.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$1.20 ₽98.4

232.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$3.33 ₽273

36.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.18 ₽97.0

64.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.68 ₽56.0

127.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.23 ₽101

91.06%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.52 ₽124

202.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$9.72 ₽796

18.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$4.48 ₽367

93.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$7.37 ₽604

135.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$1.45 ₽119

48.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.93 ₽158

2.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$1.25 ₽102

46.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$2.31 ₽189

84.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.64 ₽52.2

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.44 ₽36.21

102.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$1.03 ₽84.0

15.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.57 ₽46.73

45.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$2.77 ₽227

58.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$6.12 ₽501

21.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$0.84 ₽68.5

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$1.63 ₽133

16.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.52 ₽42.48

76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$23.25 ₽1,905

20.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$3.02 ₽247

-44.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.22 ₽18.00

286.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$1.80 ₽147

821.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.83 ₽68.0

109.64%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$54.5K ₽4.5M

-45.09%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-38.99%

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

$158 BGN 275

$130 ₽10.6K

21.81%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$7.12 ₽584

198.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$8.83 ₽723

71.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$35.23 ₽2,886

32.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$17.17 ₽1,407

62.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$5.25 ₽430

90.48%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$259 ₽21.2K

214.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$5,497 ₽450.3K

166.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$54.5 ₽4,466

59.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$18.63 ₽1,526

105.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$91.9 ₽7,528

14.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$87.1 ₽7,135

23.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$447 ₽36.6K

71.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$367 ₽30.1K

61.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$622 ₽51.0K

145.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$563 ₽46.1K

88.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$2,714 ₽222.4K

66.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$1,638 ₽134.2K

89.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$904 ₽74.1K

96.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

19.83

-85.43%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Rostov-on-Don

$367 35.5% 38.1% $226

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Rostov-on-Don

$172 16.6% 40.2% $116

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Rostov-on-Don

$162 15.6% 36.1% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Rostov-on-Don

$146 14.1% 25.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Rostov-on-Don

$113 11% 25.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Rostov-on-Don

$46 4.4% 31.6% $21

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Rostov-on-Don

$29 2.8% 22% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $447 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 97% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $25 in Rostov-on-Don for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $172 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

15:49 3:49 PM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

1,114,806

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 92.01 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Rostov-on-Don 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rostov-on-Don wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Rostov-on-Don the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 97% 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: $769 in Sofia versus $447 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rostov-on-Don runs roughly 17% less than in Sofia. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $815 in Sofia versus $259 in Rostov-on-Don. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Rostov-on-Don is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rostov-on-Don delivers better value at $1,036 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rostov-on-Don hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rostov-on-Don gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.