Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Shchelkovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Shchelkovo: $1,054 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Shchelkovo
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Shchelkovo Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Shchelkovo

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Shchelkovo

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $1,054 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

Sofia $1,585
Shchelkovo $1,054

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $1,657 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

Sofia $2,486
Shchelkovo $1,657

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $2,260 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

Sofia $3,387
Shchelkovo $2,260

Sofia costs about 50% more than Shchelkovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Shchelkovo is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$6.07 ₽495

172.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$37.25 ₽3,042

81.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$7.55 ₽617

54.70%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$3.12 ₽254

9.29%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$1.05 ₽85.8

124.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.65 ₽52.9

156.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$0.88 ₽72.2

353.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$1.87 ₽152

142.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.14 ₽92.9

70.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$1.04 ₽84.6

49.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$2.31 ₽188

1.73%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.67 ₽136

175.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$9.65 ₽788

18.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$6.73 ₽550

28.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$11.69 ₽955

48.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$1.32 ₽108

62.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.30 ₽106

52.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$1.28 ₽104

42.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$2.52 ₽205

69.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$1.01 ₽82.6

2.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.38 ₽30.79

134.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.64 ₽52.4

85.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.58 ₽47.03

43.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$2.73 ₽223

61.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$6.33 ₽517

17.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$0.93 ₽76.1

24.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$1.89 ₽154

0.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.57 ₽46.35

61.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$26.43 ₽2,158

6.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$4.32 ₽353

-61.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.30 ₽24.10

183.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$4.83 ₽395

243.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.88 ₽71.9

97.73%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$54.3K ₽4.4M

-44.88%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$42.7K ₽3.5M

-41.38%

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

$158 BGN 275

$109 ₽8,897

44.89%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$4.84 ₽395

339.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$5.69 ₽465

165.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$33.46 ₽2,733

40.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$23.59 ₽1,926

17.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$6.81 ₽556

46.84%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$215 ₽17.5K

280.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$3,621 ₽295.7K

304.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$52.6 ₽4,297

65.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$30.62 ₽2,500

25.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$141 ₽11.5K

-25.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$152 ₽12.4K

-29.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$460 ₽37.6K

67.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$359 ₽29.3K

65.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$1,023 ₽83.5K

49.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$670 ₽54.7K

58.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$2,527 ₽206.4K

79.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$1,354 ₽110.6K

129.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

-84.79%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Shchelkovo

$359 34.1% 39.5% $234

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Shchelkovo

$202 19.1% 29.9% $86

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Shchelkovo

$124 11.7% 51.3% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Shchelkovo

$119 11.3% 38.5% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Shchelkovo

$169 16.1% 11.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Shchelkovo

$47 4.5% 29.6% $20

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Shchelkovo

$35 3.3% 8.5% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Sofia versus $460 in Shchelkovo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia versus $37 in Shchelkovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $202 – making Shchelkovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇷🇺 Shchelkovo

🕒 Local time

00:28 12:28 AM

01:28 1:28 AM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 81.66 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 91.67 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Shchelkovo 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Shchelkovo

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 Shchelkovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,378 per month in Sofia and $1,582 in Shchelkovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shchelkovo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $460 there versus $769 in Sofia.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $1,054 in Shchelkovo. That makes Shchelkovo about 33% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Shchelkovo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shchelkovo, where all-in costs run around $1,054, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Shchelkovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Shchelkovo is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 33% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.