Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Subotica

For one person, living is cheaper in Subotica: $1,095 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Subotica
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Subotica Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Subotica

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,095

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Subotica

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,095 in Subotica, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Subotica $1,095

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $1,651 in Subotica, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Subotica $1,651

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $2,208 in Subotica, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Subotica $2,208

Sofia costs about 46% more than Subotica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Subotica is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$9.37 RSD 977

80.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$33.62 RSD 3,505

95.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$11.09 RSD 1,156

2.07%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$1.95 RSD 204

75.90%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$1.90 RSD 198

26.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.71 RSD 179

8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$2.50 RSD 260

48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.90 RSD 303

57.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.34 RSD 139

50.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.12 RSD 117

39.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.03 RSD 212

14.78%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.03 RSD 316

43.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$12.20 RSD 1,272

-3.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$6.66 RSD 694

32.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$12.69 RSD 1,323

37.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.39 RSD 145

54.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.95 RSD 204

1.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.42 RSD 148

35.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$2.17 RSD 226

95.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.98 RSD 103

6.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.65 RSD 67.7

30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$0.58 RSD 60.8

98.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.65 RSD 68.0

36.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$4.12 RSD 430

2.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$5.35 RSD 558

39.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$0.84 RSD 87.1

36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$2.38 RSD 248

-22.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.11 RSD 116

-21.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$33.89 RSD 3,533

-15.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.95 RSD 203

-13.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.21 RSD 126

-22.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$11.07 RSD 1,154

38.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.83 RSD 191

-7.65%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$29.9K RSD 3.1M

-0.30%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$25.3K RSD 2.6M

3.28%

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

$156 BGN 272

$168 RSD 17.5K

-7.05%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$15.69 RSD 1,636

37.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$37.29 RSD 3,888

-59.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$33.23 RSD 3,464

38.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$9.23 RSD 962

202.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$4.87 RSD 508

109.03%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$233 RSD 24.3K

232.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$43.37 RSD 4,521

107.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$21.88 RSD 2,281

88.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$92.7 RSD 9,660

13.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$70.3 RSD 7,333

51.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$420 RSD 43.8K

86.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$296 RSD 30.8K

101.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$600 RSD 62.5K

152.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$535 RSD 55.8K

92.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$2,445 RSD 254.9K

77.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$1,616 RSD 168.5K

96.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$903 RSD 94.1K

92.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.79

-39.67%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Subotica: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Subotica

$296 27% 50.5% $301

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Subotica

$222 20.3% 23.6% $68

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Subotica

$164 15% 35.5% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Subotica

$221 20.2% 14.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Subotica

$103 9.4% 33.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Subotica

$43 3.9% 35.3% $23

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Subotica

$46 4.2% 20.7% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $420 in Subotica. 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 92% 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 $66.0 in Sofia versus $34.00 in Subotica. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $222 – making Subotica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇷🇸 Subotica

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

02:26 2:26 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

88,752

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, 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).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Sofia Subotica 480 km

From you

Sofia
Subotica

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 Subotica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $1,095 in Subotica – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $1,642 in Subotica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Subotica, 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 $1,594 in Sofia and $1,095 in Subotica. That's a gap of about 46%.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Subotica. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Subotica, where all-in costs run around $1,095, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Subotica 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 $1,095 in Subotica to $1,594 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 Subotica. 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.