Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Stara Zagora

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $908 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
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Stara Zagora Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Stara Zagora

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

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Sofia vs $908 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Sofia $1,609
Stara Zagora $908

A couple spends around $2,495 per month in Sofia vs $1,415 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Sofia $2,495
Stara Zagora $1,415

A family of three spends $3,381 per month in Sofia vs $1,921 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Sofia $3,381
Stara Zagora $1,921

Sofia costs about 77% more than Stara Zagora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.53

$10.38 BGN 18.16

62.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 116

$51.7 BGN 90.5

28.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.29

$9.15 BGN 16.02

26.67%

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.17

$2.34 BGN 4.09

50.43%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$1.50 BGN 2.62

61.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$0.87 BGN 1.52

103.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.44

$2.21 BGN 3.87

66.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.66

$2.03 BGN 3.56

115.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.42

$1.73 BGN 3.02

13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$0.86 BGN 1.51

75.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.85

$1.45 BGN 2.54

51.72%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.71

$2.36 BGN 4.12

86.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.59

$9.38 BGN 16.42

25.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.19

$6.39 BGN 11.18

35.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.40

$8.59 BGN 15.03

102.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.73

$1.25 BGN 2.19

70.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.59

$1.70 BGN 2.98

20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.38

$1.76 BGN 3.08

9.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.30

$1.93 BGN 3.38

116.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.89

$1.00 BGN 1.74

8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

$0.72 BGN 1.26

26.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.07

$0.55 BGN 0.97

114.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$0.63 BGN 1.10

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.32

$3.64 BGN 6.38

14.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.43

$5.25 BGN 9.18

46.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.05

$1.09 BGN 1.91

7.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.16

$1.73 BGN 3.03

4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.85 BGN 1.49

2.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 50.9

$20.45 BGN 35.79

42.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.94

$1.29 BGN 2.26

30.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.53

$0.64 BGN 1.13

35.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.58

$11.40 BGN 19.95

38.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.02

$1.57 BGN 2.75

10.19%

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

$29.7K BGN 51.9K

$29.7K BGN 52.0K

-0.21%

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

$25.6K BGN 44.8K

$23.5K BGN 41.1K

8.97%

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

$161 BGN 282

$91.4 BGN 160

76.08%

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

$21.08 BGN 36.89

$14.59 BGN 25.53

44.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.58

$12.26 BGN 21.46

23.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 84.6

$33.21 BGN 58.1

45.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.07

$21.06 BGN 36.86

30.44%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.78

$8.89 BGN 15.55

14.29%

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

$785 BGN 1,374

$227 BGN 398

245.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$2,270 BGN 3,972

461.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 157

$30.35 BGN 53.1

195.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.3

$19.39 BGN 33.93

112.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 188

$64.0 BGN 112

68.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 191

$51.9 BGN 90.8

110.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,381

$330 BGN 577

139.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,057

$279 BGN 489

116.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,654

$498 BGN 871

204.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,814

$399 BGN 699

159.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 BGN 7,712

$1,506 BGN 2,635

192.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 BGN 5,490

$1,109 BGN 1,941

182.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,038

$1,067 BGN 1,867

62.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

2.99

-3.34%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Stara Zagora

$279 30.8% 53.8% $325

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Stara Zagora

$194 21.3% 32.7% $94

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Stara Zagora

$163 18% 36.3% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Stara Zagora

$118 13% 40% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Stara Zagora

$75 8.2% 52.4% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Stara Zagora

$51 5.6% 25.8% $18

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Stara Zagora

$28 3.1% 26.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $789 in Sofia versus $330 in Stara Zagora. 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 63% 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 $66 in Sofia versus $52 in Stara Zagora. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $194 – making Stara Zagora the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

Same time as Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

149,266

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Stara Zagora 190 km

From you

Sofia
Stara Zagora

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 Stara Zagora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,609 in Sofia, $908 in Stara Zagora – Stara Zagora comes out roughly 44% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,413 per month in Sofia and $1,362 in Stara Zagora. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stara Zagora, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $330 there versus $789 in Sofia.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,609 in Sofia and $908 in Stara Zagora. That makes Stara Zagora about 44% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Stara Zagora. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Stara Zagora, where all-in costs run around $908, than in Sofia at $1,609. In Stara Zagora it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Stara Zagora. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.