Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Sezana

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,600 a month against $1,826 in Sezana, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Sezana
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Sezana Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Sezana

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$1,826

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Sezana

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

A single person spends $1,600 per month in Sofia vs $1,826 in Sezana, rent included.

Sofia $1,600
Sezana $1,826

A couple spends around $2,490 per month in Sofia vs $2,555 in Sezana, rent included.

Sofia $2,490
Sezana $2,555

A family of three spends $3,380 per month in Sofia vs $3,284 in Sezana, rent included.

Sofia $3,380
Sezana $3,284

Sofia is about 12% cheaper than Sezana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sofia and Sezana sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Sezana by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$11.11 €9.89

52.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$55.9 €49.75

22.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$8.91 €7.92

30.42%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.02 €2.68

13.58%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$3.34 €2.97

-29.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$2.16 €1.92

-15.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$3.49 €3.10

-2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$4.54 €4.04

-2.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$1.31 €1.16

50.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$1.86 €1.65

-19.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.81 €2.50

-17.08%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$3.98 €3.54

10.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$18.38 €16.35

-37.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$9.29 €8.26

-4.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$14.21 €12.64

23.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$2.27 €2.02

-5.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$1.87 €1.67

10.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.29 €2.04

-15.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$3.73 €3.32

13.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$1.63 €1.45

-36.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$1.85 €1.64

-52.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$1.71 €1.52

-30.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$1.12 €1.00

-20.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$5.90 €5.25

-28.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$7.76 €6.90

1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.36 €1.21

-13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$2.54 €2.26

-25.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.55 €1.38

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

$30.01 €26.69

-5.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.64 €1.46

2.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.34 €1.19

-28.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

$27.83 €24.75

-44.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$1.82 €1.62

-2.75%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$29.0K €25.8K

5.25%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$23.9K €21.2K

4.99%

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

$157 BGN 273

$285 €254

-44.93%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$24.65 €21.93

-14.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$38.39 €34.15

-60.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$51.9 €46.15

-10.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$7.63 €6.78

31.59%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$493 €438

57.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

$11.3K €10.1K

10.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$117 €104

-24.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$36.90 €32.83

12.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$122 €108

-12.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$144 €128

-25.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$812 €722

-5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$667 €594

-9.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$1,206 €1,073

29.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$865 €770

19.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$3,051 €2,714

49.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$2,778 €2,471

13.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

$899 €800

93.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.29

-12.16%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sezana: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

Sezana

$667 36.6% 10.8% $65

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

Sezana

$310 17% 6.4% $19

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

Sezana

$200 11% 21.2% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

Sezana

$348 19.1% 80% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Sezana

$189 10.3% 22.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Sezana

$67 3.7% 1% $0.7

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Sezana

$45 2.4% 15.6% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $770 in Sofia versus $812 in Sezana. 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 94% higher in Sofia, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Sofia versus $56.0 in Sezana. Groceries tell a different story – $291 in Sofia vs $310 in Sezana – so Sofia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇸🇮 Sezana

🕒 Local time

18:10 6:10 PM

17:10 5:10 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

6,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Sezana 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Sezana

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 Sezana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sezana is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,400 per month in Sofia and $2,739 in Sezana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $775 per month in Sofia and $493 in Sezana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Sezana, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,600, than in Sezana at $1,826. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sezana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sofia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Sofia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sezana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.