Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and St. Julians

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,600 a month against $2,257 in St. Julians, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
109

Cost of Living Index in St. Julians
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St. Julians Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

St. Julians

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in St. Julians

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

A single person spends $1,600 per month in Sofia vs $2,257 in St. Julians, rent included.

Sofia $1,600
St. Julians $2,257

A couple spends around $2,490 per month in Sofia vs $3,588 in St. Julians, rent included.

Sofia $2,490
St. Julians $3,588

A family of three spends $3,380 per month in Sofia vs $4,919 in St. Julians, rent included.

Sofia $3,380
St. Julians $4,919

Sofia is about 29% cheaper than St. Julians, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sofia and St. Julians sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, St. Julians by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$20.12 €17.90

-15.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$99.0 €88.1

-31.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$11.09 €9.87

4.78%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.27 €2.91

4.89%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$3.06 €2.72

-23.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$1.90 €1.69

-3.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$4.57 €4.06

-25.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$4.56 €4.06

-2.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$1.24 €1.10

58.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$1.75 €1.56

-14.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$3.38 €3.00

-31.07%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$4.54 €4.04

-2.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$18.83 €16.75

-38.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$10.64 €9.46

-16.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$17.95 €15.97

-2.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$3.03 €2.70

-29.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$2.05 €1.83

0.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.88 €2.56

-32.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$3.99 €3.55

6.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$2.43 €2.16

-57.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$2.39 €2.12

-63.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$1.91 €1.70

-37.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.89 €0.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$6.77 €6.02

-37.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$7.21 €6.42

9.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.62 €1.44

-27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$2.35 €2.09

-19.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$2.55 €2.27

-63.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$4.59 €4.09

-63.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.65 €1.47

-41.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

$39.13 €34.80

-60.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$1.54 €1.37

14.94%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$27.5K €24.5K

10.84%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$39.5K €35.2K

-36.57%

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

$157 BGN 273

$76.7 €68.2

104.93%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$35.28 €31.38

-40.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$35.16 €31.27

-56.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$94.5 €84.1

-50.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

$39.97 €35.56

-29.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$11.39 €10.13

-11.85%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$618 €550

25.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

$13.9K €12.4K

-9.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$146 €130

-39.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$55.1 €49.02

-24.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$121 €108

-11.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$164 €146

-35.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$1,391 €1,237

-44.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$1,124 €999

-46.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$2,555 €2,273

-38.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$2,042 €1,816

-49.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$5,727 €5,094

-20.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$3,143 €2,796

0.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

$2,426 €2,158

-28.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.22

-10.25%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for St. Julians: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

St. Julians

$1.1K 49.8% 86.6% $521

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

St. Julians

$342 15.1% 17.4% $51

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

St. Julians

$285 12.6% 12.1% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

St. Julians

$147 6.5% 24% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

St. Julians

$219 9.7% 42% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

St. Julians

$117 5.2% 76.5% $51

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

St. Julians

$23 * 1% 40.1% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $770 in Sofia versus $1,391 in St. Julians. 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 39% higher in St. Julians, 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 $99.0 in St. Julians. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $342 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇲🇹 St. Julians

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

18:49 6:49 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

13,792

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Sofia St. Julians 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
St. Julians

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 St. Julians: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,600 in Sofia, $2,257 in St. Julians – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,400 per month in Sofia and $3,385 in St. Julians. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Sofia and $99.0 in St. Julians. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in St. Julians, 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 St. Julians at $2,257. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Julians it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. St. Julians has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,600 in Sofia to $2,257 in St. Julians. 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 Sofia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, St. Julians makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.