Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Rumia

For one person, living is cheaper in Rumia: $1,450 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Sofia despite lower rent and utilities.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Rumia
Learn more

Rumia Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Rumia

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Rumia

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,450 in Rumia, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Rumia $1,450

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $2,065 in Rumia, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Rumia $2,065

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $2,680 in Rumia, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Rumia $2,680

Sofia costs about 10% more than Rumia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Rumia sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Rumia by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$10.06 zł 39.07

67.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$30.48 zł 118

115.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$6.63 zł 25.77

70.74%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.72 zł 14.46

-7.80%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$2.16 zł 8.40

11.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.62 zł 6.31

14.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$3.48 zł 13.52

6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$3.91 zł 15.18

17.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$0.94 zł 3.66

114.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.21 zł 4.72

28.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.40 zł 5.45

66.43%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.57 zł 13.88

22.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$8.73 zł 33.91

34.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$6.25 zł 24.29

41.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$11.74 zł 45.60

48.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.12 zł 4.35

91.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.65 zł 6.41

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.58 zł 6.14

22.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$2.72 zł 10.58

55.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.88 zł 3.41

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.99 zł 3.84

-14.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.25 zł 4.87

-8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$1.01 zł 3.92

-11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$5.38 zł 20.92

-21.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$6.70 zł 26.02

11.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.08 zł 4.22

6.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.57 zł 6.11

17.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.28 zł 4.96

-32.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$31.33 zł 122

-8.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.00 zł 7.76

-16.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.73 zł 2.85

28.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$9.63 zł 37.43

59.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.69 zł 6.57

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$30.2K zł 117.3K

-1.30%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$26.6K zł 103.4K

-1.79%

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

$156 BGN 272

$278 zł 1,081

-43.92%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$8.51 zł 33.06

153.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$17.01 zł 66.1

-10.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$38.18 zł 148

20.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$21.71 zł 84.4

28.60%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$7.21 zł 28.01

41.19%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$369 zł 1,433

109.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$7,850 zł 30.5K

63.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$81.2 zł 316

10.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$40.32 zł 157

2.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$87.1 zł 338

20.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$99.1 zł 385

7.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$612 zł 2,377

27.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$514 zł 1,998

16.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$978 zł 3,798

55.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$825 zł 3,204

24.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$2,692 zł 10.5K

61.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$1,985 zł 7,711

60.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,483 zł 5,762

16.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.68

-56.74%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Rumia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Rumia

$514 35.5% 13.8% $83

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Rumia

$213 14.7% 26.6% $77

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Rumia

$185 12.8% 27.2% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Rumia

$304 21% 57.5% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Rumia

$138 9.6% 10.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Rumia

$53 3.6% 20.8% $14

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Rumia

$42 2.9% 9.7% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $612 in Rumia. 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 17% 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 $30.00 in Rumia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $213 – making Rumia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Rumia

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

03:51 3:51 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

49,672

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, 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).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Rumia 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Rumia

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 Rumia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $1,450 in Rumia – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $2,175 in Rumia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 10% less in Rumia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Sofia and $369 in Rumia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rumia, where all-in costs run around $1,450, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Rumia 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 $1,450 in Rumia 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 Rumia. 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.