Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Stabio

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,600 a month against $3,425 in Stabio, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Stabio
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Stabio Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Stabio

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Stabio

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

A single person spends $1,600 per month in Sofia vs $3,425 in Stabio, rent included.

Sofia $1,600
Stabio $3,425

A couple spends around $2,490 per month in Sofia vs $5,492 in Stabio, rent included.

Sofia $2,490
Stabio $5,492

A family of three spends $3,380 per month in Sofia vs $7,560 in Stabio, rent included.

Sofia $3,380
Stabio $7,560

Sofia is about 53% cheaper than Stabio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Stabio sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Stabio by 153%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$34.94 CHF 28.78

-51.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$177 CHF 146

-61.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$19.37 CHF 15.95

-40.01%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$4.81 CHF 3.96

-28.69%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$5.54 CHF 4.57

-57.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$4.37 CHF 3.60

-58.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$9.66 CHF 7.96

-64.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$7.30 CHF 6.01

-39.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$3.67 CHF 3.02

-59.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$4.22 CHF 3.48

-44.79%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$7.01 CHF 5.77

-37.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$26.24 CHF 21.61

-56.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$28.39 CHF 23.38

-68.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$39.68 CHF 32.68

-55.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$3.36 CHF 2.77

-36.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$1.65 CHF 1.36

25.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.56 CHF 2.11

-24.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$5.41 CHF 4.46

-21.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$1.78 CHF 1.47

-42.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$2.08 CHF 1.71

-57.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$2.28 CHF 1.88

-47.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$1.23 CHF 1.01

-27.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$10.85 CHF 8.93

-61.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$14.42 CHF 11.88

-45.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$3.01 CHF 2.48

-60.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$3.90 CHF 3.21

-51.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$3.93 CHF 3.23

-76.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

$115 CHF 94.8

-75.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$7.18 CHF 5.92

-76.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$5.71 CHF 4.70

-83.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

$36.82 CHF 30.32

-58.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$2.33 CHF 1.92

-24.03%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$38.8K CHF 31.9K

-21.34%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$40.0K CHF 32.9K

-37.25%

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

$157 BGN 273

$284 CHF 234

-44.69%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$25.68 CHF 21.15

-17.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$49.18 CHF 40.51

-68.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$102 CHF 83.6

-54.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

$48.09 CHF 39.61

-41.59%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$21.37 CHF 17.60

-53.02%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$3,227 CHF 2,658

-75.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

$34.9K CHF 28.7K

-64.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$109 CHF 89.4

-18.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$49.00 CHF 40.36

-15.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$153 CHF 126

-30.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$166 CHF 137

-36.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$1,798 CHF 1,481

-57.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$1,450 CHF 1,194

-58.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$3,344 CHF 2,754

-53.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$2,728 CHF 2,247

-62.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$16.5K CHF 13.6K

-72.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$12.8K CHF 10.5K

-75.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

1.9

52.11%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Stabio: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

Stabio

$1.4K 42.4% 141% $848

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

Stabio

$592 17.3% 104% $301

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

Stabio

$498 14.5% 95.8% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

Stabio

$359 10.5% 85.5% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Stabio

$215 6.3% 39.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Stabio

$144 4.2% 117% $78

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Stabio

$167 4.9% 332% $128

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $770 in Sofia versus $1,798 in Stabio. 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 $68.0 in Sofia versus $177 in Stabio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $592 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇨🇭 Stabio

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

23:43 11:43 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

4,600

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR 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).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sofia Stabio 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Stabio

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 Stabio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,600 in Sofia, $3,425 in Stabio – roughly 114% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,400 per month in Sofia and $5,137 in Stabio. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,600 in Sofia and $3,425 in Stabio. That's a gap of about 114%.

Public transport costs about 307% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,600, than in Stabio at $3,425. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stabio 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 $1,600 in Sofia to $3,425 in Stabio. 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, Stabio makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.