Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Stockholm

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $2,548 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
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Stockholm Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Stockholm

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $2,548 in Stockholm, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Stockholm $2,548

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $3,806 in Stockholm, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Stockholm $3,806

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $5,064 in Stockholm, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Stockholm $5,064

Sofia is about 38% cheaper than Stockholm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Stockholm sit above the global median – Sofia by 19%, Stockholm by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$18.26 SEK 182

-6.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$97.8 SEK 978

-31.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$11.71 SEK 117

0.51%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$4.89 SEK 48.92

-30.06%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$3.72 SEK 37.15

-34.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$3.03 SEK 30.29

-38.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$8.16 SEK 81.5

-59.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$8.96 SEK 89.5

-49.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.81 SEK 18.05

6.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$3.84 SEK 38.41

-60.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$3.75 SEK 37.52

-41.07%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$5.04 SEK 50.4

-12.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$12.90 SEK 129

-10.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$12.70 SEK 127

-30.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$21.70 SEK 217

-21.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$3.61 SEK 36.03

-39.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$2.80 SEK 27.97

-27.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$3.14 SEK 31.36

-41.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$4.36 SEK 43.52

-1.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$1.70 SEK 16.99

-39.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.78 SEK 17.83

-47.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$2.51 SEK 25.06

-52.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$2.43 SEK 24.33

-62.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$8.52 SEK 85.1

-49.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$11.83 SEK 118

-38.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$2.03 SEK 20.29

-41.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$2.55 SEK 25.49

-26.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$4.31 SEK 43.11

-79.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$106 SEK 1,059

-73.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$5.83 SEK 58.3

-70.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.51 SEK 15.09

-36.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$56.0 SEK 560

-72.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.79 SEK 17.90

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$33.3K SEK 332.8K

-9.97%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$34.1K SEK 340.4K

-22.59%

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

$156 BGN 273

$248 SEK 2,479

-37.13%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$21.17 SEK 212

0.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$39.91 SEK 399

-60.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$47.51 SEK 475

-1.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$38.80 SEK 388

-28.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$19.19 SEK 192

-47.79%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$159 SEK 1,585

383.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$16.4K SEK 163.7K

-21.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$112 SEK 1,119

-19.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$57.4 SEK 574

-28.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$134 SEK 1,340

-20.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$181 SEK 1,809

-42.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$1,694 SEK 16.9K

-52.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$1,088 SEK 10.9K

-44.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$2,985 SEK 29.8K

-47.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$1,782 SEK 17.8K

-40.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$11.1K SEK 111.4K

-60.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$6,326 SEK 63.2K

-48.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$3,501 SEK 35.0K

-50.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.37

-14.24%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Stockholm: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Stockholm

$1.1K 42.2% 79.1% $481

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Stockholm

$415 16.1% 44.4% $128

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Stockholm

$326 12.6% 27.2% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Stockholm

$309 12% 60.3% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Stockholm

$218 8.5% 42% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Stockholm

$86 3.3% 28.6% $19

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Stockholm

$137 5.3% 258% $98

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $1,694 in Stockholm. 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 101% higher in Stockholm, 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 $67.0 in Sofia versus $98.0 in Stockholm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $415 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

12:03 12:03 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

984,748 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.2 SEK (100 SEK = 8.93 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Stockholm 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Stockholm

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 Stockholm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Sofia, $2,548 in Stockholm – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $3,821 in Stockholm. 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 $1,589 in Sofia and $2,548 in Stockholm. That's a gap of about 60%.

Public transport costs about 277% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Stockholm at $2,548. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Stockholm has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,589 in Sofia to $2,548 in Stockholm. 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, Stockholm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.