Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Selfoss

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $3,460 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,460

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Selfoss

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Sofia versus $3,460 in Selfoss.

Sofia $1,589
Selfoss $3,460

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,456 in Sofia versus $2,461 in Selfoss.

Sofia $2,456
Selfoss $2,461

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Sofia versus $1,462 in Selfoss.

Sofia $3,324
Selfoss $1,462

Living in Sofia costs roughly 54% less than in Selfoss, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 19% above, Selfoss 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$20.81 ISK 2,538

-43.44%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$12.20 ISK 1,488

-72.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.79 ISK 219

7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$7.61 ISK 928

-80.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$4.46 ISK 544

-50.45%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$6.56 ISK 800

-32.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$17.24 ISK 2,103

-32.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$21.77 ISK 2,655

-59.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$33.50 ISK 4,085

-49.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$2.72 ISK 332

-20.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$2.75 ISK 335

-25.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$2.65 ISK 324

-30.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$7.51 ISK 916

-42.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$3.21 ISK 391

-67.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$2.18 ISK 266

-57.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$3.60 ISK 439

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$1.44 ISK 175

-36.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$15.97 ISK 1,947

-73.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.17 ISK 143

59.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

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

$156 BGN 273

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

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

$766 BGN 1,341

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$2,820 ISK 343.9K

-78.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Selfoss: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Selfoss

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Selfoss

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Selfoss

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Selfoss

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Selfoss

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Selfoss

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Selfoss

–

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🕒 Local time

10:27 10:27 AM

07:27 7:27 AM

3 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

9,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

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Between locations

Sofia Selfoss 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Selfoss

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 Selfoss: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia and Selfoss differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $3,460 including rent). Sofia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,384 in Sofia and $5,190 in Selfoss 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Selfoss. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Sofia versus $3,460 in Selfoss – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,589 in Sofia versus $3,460 in Selfoss, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Selfoss. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Selfoss 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 Sofia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Selfoss. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.