Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Serowe

For one person, living is cheaper in Serowe: $80.7 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Serowe

🇧🇼 Botswana

$80.7

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Serowe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $80.7 in Serowe.

Sofia $1,594
Serowe $80.7

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $141 in Serowe.

Sofia $2,478
Serowe $141

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $201 in Serowe.

Sofia $3,361
Serowe $201

Living in Sofia is roughly 1876% more expensive than in Serowe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Serowe is 94% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.37 P 18.30

47.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.10 P 14.71

41.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$1.71 P 22.83

154.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$4.01 P 53.6

335.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.34 P 17.87

60.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.08 P 14.39

83.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$1.64 P 21.94

158.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.43 P 19.13

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.40 P 18.74

-39.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.72 P 9.66

23.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

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

$156 BGN 272

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$110 P 1,474

602.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$1,776 P 23.7K

621.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

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 13, 2026

Last update for Serowe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Serowe

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Serowe

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Serowe

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Serowe

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Serowe

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Serowe

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Serowe

–

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇼 Serowe

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

11:51 11:51 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

47,447

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 BWP = 7.48 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, USD, EUR 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).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 13.36 BWP (100 BWP = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Serowe 7,250 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Serowe

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 Serowe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Serowe wins on cost – living expenses run 1876% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Serowe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,391 in Sofia and $121 in Serowe 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.

All in, you'll spend $1,594 per month in Sofia versus $80.7 in Serowe – a 1876% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 260% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $80.7 in Serowe versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Serowe but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Serowe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Serowe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $80.7 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Serowe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Serowe 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 Serowe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1876% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.