Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Scheveningen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $2,540 in Scheveningen, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,594
/mo nomad
Scheveningen
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,540
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Scheveningen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $2,540 in Scheveningen.

  • Sofia $1,594
  • Scheveningen $2,540

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $3,672 in Scheveningen.

  • Sofia $2,478
  • Scheveningen $3,672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $4,804 in Scheveningen.

  • Sofia $3,361
  • Scheveningen $4,804

Living in Sofia costs roughly 37% less than in Scheveningen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 18% above, Scheveningen 88% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sofia
Scheveningen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.87 BGN 29.35
$21.17 €18.83
-20.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 BGN 115
$85.6 €76.2
-23.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.32 BGN 19.69
$14.14 €12.58
-19.94%
Cappuccino
$3.43 BGN 5.98
$4.09 €3.64
-16.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 BGN 4.19
$3.41 €3.03
-29.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 BGN 3.22
$2.87 €2.55
-35.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.70 BGN 6.44
$6.33 €5.63
-41.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.58 BGN 7.97
$5.67 €5.04
-19.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sofia
Scheveningen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 BGN 3.51
$1.28 €1.14
57.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 BGN 2.72
$2.28 €2.03
-31.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.33 BGN 4.05
$3.29 €2.93
-29.18%
Eggs
$4.36 BGN 7.59
$4.66 €4.15
-6.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.76 BGN 20.47
$13.68 €12.17
-14.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.83 BGN 15.37
$15.64 €13.91
-43.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.46 BGN 30.38
$17.11 €15.22
2.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 BGN 3.74
$2.39 €2.13
-10.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 BGN 3.44
$2.56 €2.28
-22.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.93 BGN 3.37
$1.97 €1.76
-2.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.24 BGN 7.37
$3.99 €3.55
6.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 BGN 1.80
$2.13 €1.89
-51.17%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 BGN 1.48
$2.05 €1.83
-58.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 BGN 2.00
$1.25 €1.11
-8.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 BGN 1.56
$0.86 €0.77
3.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.21 BGN 7.33
$13.74 €12.22
-69.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.46 BGN 12.98
$7.03 €6.25
6.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 BGN 2.01
$1.51 €1.34
-23.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 BGN 3.23
$2.61 €2.32
-29.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Sofia
Scheveningen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 BGN 1.51
$3.56 €3.17
-75.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.53 BGN 49.65
$94.1 €83.7
-69.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.68 BGN 2.93
$4.31 €3.83
-61.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.94 BGN 1.63
$2.41 €2.14
-61.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.35 BGN 26.70
$28.47 €25.32
-46.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.69 BGN 2.94
$2.29 €2.03
-26.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K BGN 51.9K
$34.5K €30.7K
-13.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K BGN 45.5K
$36.1K €32.1K
-27.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
Scheveningen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$156 BGN 272
$242 €215
-35.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.56 BGN 37.52
$25.32 €22.52
-14.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.24 BGN 26.51
$48.09 €42.78
-68.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
Scheveningen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.08 BGN 80.2
$40.80 €36.29
12.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.92 BGN 48.58
$22.88 €20.35
22.03%
Cinema Ticket
$10.18 BGN 17.72
$15.85 €14.10
-35.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sofia
Scheveningen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$774 BGN 1,347
$2,034 €1,809
-61.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K BGN 22.3K
$8,222 €7,314
55.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
Scheveningen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.9 BGN 157
$92.9 €82.6
-3.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.29 BGN 71.8
$46.81 €41.64
-11.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 BGN 183
$110 €97.6
-4.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 BGN 186
$136 €121
-21.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sofia
Scheveningen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$783 BGN 1,362
$1,444 €1,284
-45.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$597 BGN 1,038
$1,179 €1,049
-49.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,516 BGN 2,638
$2,316 €2,060
-34.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,030 BGN 1,792
$1,746 €1,553
-41.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,350 BGN 7,568
$5,288 €4,704
-17.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,177 BGN 5,528
$4,464 €3,971
-28.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sofia
Scheveningen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,735 BGN 3,019
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.89
4.28
-32.48%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Scheveningen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$597
Scheveningen
$1.2K 97.6% $583
Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$290
Scheveningen
$346 19.1% $55
Eating Out
Sofia
$255
Scheveningen
$329 29.1% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$193
Scheveningen
$315 63.4% $122
Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$154
Scheveningen
$174 12.5% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$66
Scheveningen
$73 9.1% $6
Getting Around
Sofia
$38
Scheveningen
$125 225% $86

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $1,444 in Scheveningen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Sofia vs $86.0 in Scheveningen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $346 per month, with Sofia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Sofia
🇳🇱 Scheveningen
🕒 Local time
02:46 2:46 AM
01:46 1:46 AM
1 h behind Sofia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,286,383 Capital
19,335
💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sofia Scheveningen 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sofia
  • Scheveningen

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 Scheveningen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sofia or Scheveningen?
Sofia wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Scheveningen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sofia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Sofia and in Scheveningen?
You'd need roughly $2,391 in Sofia and $3,810 in Scheveningen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Sofia compared to Scheveningen?
Rent for a central apartment: $783 in Sofia versus $1,444 in Scheveningen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Sofia compared to Scheveningen?
A monthly transit pass in Sofia runs roughly 230% less than in Scheveningen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Sofia and in Scheveningen?
Childcare runs $774 in Sofia versus $2,034 in Scheveningen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Sofia or in Scheveningen?
At $1,594 in Sofia versus $2,540 in Scheveningen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Scheveningen. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Sofia or Scheveningen?
Both work as nomad bases, but Sofia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,594 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sofia hard to pass up.
How safe is Sofia compared to Scheveningen?
Safety-wise, Sofia and Scheveningen 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 Sofia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Scheveningen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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