Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Shumen

For one person, living is cheaper in Shumen: $912 a month against $1,600 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Shumen
Learn more

Shumen Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Shumen

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Shumen

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

A single person spends $1,600 per month in Sofia vs $912 in Shumen, rent included.

Sofia $1,600
Shumen $912

A couple spends around $2,490 per month in Sofia vs $1,424 in Shumen, rent included.

Sofia $2,490
Shumen $1,424

A family of three spends $3,380 per month in Sofia vs $1,937 in Shumen, rent included.

Sofia $3,380
Shumen $1,937

Sofia costs about 76% more than Shumen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Shumen is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$9.25 BGN 16.10

83.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$34.99 BGN 60.9

95.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$9.23 BGN 16.06

25.89%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$1.76 BGN 3.06

94.89%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$1.50 BGN 2.60

56.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$1.01 BGN 1.76

81.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$2.94 BGN 5.12

15.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$2.80 BGN 4.87

58.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$1.78 BGN 3.10

10.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$1.03 BGN 1.79

44.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.58 BGN 4.49

-9.69%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$2.88 BGN 5.01

53.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$9.27 BGN 16.12

24.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$5.00 BGN 8.71

77.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$8.88 BGN 15.45

97.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.60 BGN 2.79

34.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$2.00 BGN 3.48

3.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.09 BGN 3.64

-7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$2.20 BGN 3.83

93.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$2.06 BGN 3.58

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$1.28 BGN 2.23

-31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$0.82 BGN 1.43

45.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.77 BGN 1.34

15.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$3.83 BGN 6.66

10.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$7.05 BGN 12.26

11.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$0.93 BGN 1.62

26.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$1.47 BGN 2.56

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-1.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

$25.88 BGN 45.04

9.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.70 BGN 2.96

-1.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.53 BGN 0.93

81.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$1.59 BGN 2.77

11.32%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$30.2K BGN 52.6K

0.89%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$21.9K BGN 38.1K

14.40%

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

$157 BGN 273

$135 BGN 235

16.50%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$17.95 BGN 31.24

17.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$16.94 BGN 29.47

-9.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$38.57 BGN 67.1

20.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

$11.69 BGN 20.34

140.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$7.07 BGN 12.31

42.01%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$576 BGN 1,002

34.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

$10.5K BGN 18.2K

19.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$49.28 BGN 85.8

78.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$50.8 BGN 88.4

-18.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$91.8 BGN 160

16.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$61.3 BGN 107

73.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$264 BGN 459

191.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$176 BGN 307

241.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$424 BGN 738

268.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$335 BGN 583

209.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$1,235 BGN 2,150

269.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$1,019 BGN 1,773

210.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

$1,018 BGN 1,771

71.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.25

-11.08%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shumen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

Shumen

$176 19.3% 70.7% $426

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

Shumen

$212 23.2% 27.2% $79

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

Shumen

$153 16.8% 39.8% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

Shumen

$170 18.6% 12.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Shumen

$114 12.5% 26.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Shumen

$53 5.8% 20.7% $14

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Shumen

$34 3.7% 11.8% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $770 in Sofia versus $264 in Shumen. 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 71% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Sofia versus $35.00 in Shumen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $212 – making Shumen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇬 Shumen

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

Same time as Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

85,504

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Shumen 300 km

From you

Sofia
Shumen

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 Shumen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,600 in Sofia, $912 in Shumen – roughly 76% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,400 per month in Sofia and $1,367 in Shumen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,600 in Sofia and $912 in Shumen. That's a gap of about 76%.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Shumen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shumen, where all-in costs run around $912, than in Sofia at $1,600. In Shumen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $912 in Shumen to $1,600 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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