Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Shahrisabz

For one person, living is cheaper in Shahrisabz: $236 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Shahrisabz

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Shahrisabz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $236 in Shahrisabz.

Sofia $1,585
Shahrisabz $236

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $415 in Shahrisabz.

Sofia $2,486
Shahrisabz $415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $594 in Shahrisabz.

Sofia $3,387
Shahrisabz $594

Living in Sofia is roughly 571% more expensive than in Shahrisabz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Shahrisabz is 83% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$3.04 UZS 36.4K

445.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$2.04 UZS 24.4K

472.55%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$0.57 UZS 6,867

498.25%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.48 UZS 5,719

391.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.21 UZS 2,527

695.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$1.01 UZS 12.1K

295.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$1.95 UZS 23.3K

132.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.26 UZS 3,138

496.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$2.03 UZS 24.3K

15.76%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$0.92 UZS 11.1K

400.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$2.05 UZS 24.6K

321.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$7.06 UZS 84.5K

145.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$0.67 UZS 7,966

220.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$0.97 UZS 11.6K

104.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.59 UZS 7,056

40.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$0.98 UZS 11.7K

348.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$1.01 UZS 12.1K

14.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$2.02 UZS 24.2K

-5.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.42 UZS 5,024

119.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$0.42 UZS 4,973

297.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.23 UZS 2,726

269.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.93 UZS 11.2K

87.10%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

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

$158 BGN 275

$46.61 UZS 558.2K

238.68%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$2.94 UZS 35.2K

623.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$8.84 UZS 105.8K

71.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$29.78 UZS 356.7K

57.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$7.11 UZS 85.1K

40.65%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$11.90 UZS 142.6K

631.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$11.19 UZS 133.9K

242.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$200 UZS 2.4M

666.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$152 UZS 1.8M

598.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$424 UZS 5.1M

319.44%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Shahrisabz: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Shahrisabz

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Shahrisabz

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Shahrisabz

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Shahrisabz

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Shahrisabz

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Shahrisabz

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Shahrisabz

–

Cost Breakdown

Sofia pays about 4.2 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇺🇿 Shahrisabz

🕒 Local time

00:21 12:21 AM

03:21 3:21 AM

3 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

100,300

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.514 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.94 BGN (1 BGN = 0.514 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 11,975 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,383 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.47 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Shahrisabz 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Shahrisabz

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 Shahrisabz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shahrisabz wins on cost – living expenses run 85% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Shahrisabz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Sofia is about 4.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 304% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,585 per month in Sofia versus $236 in Shahrisabz – Shahrisabz is about 85% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $236 in Shahrisabz versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $800 budget is realistic in Shahrisabz but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Shahrisabz 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 Shahrisabz are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Shahrisabz wins on affordability, Sofia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.