Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Sveti Nikole

For one person, living is cheaper in Sveti Nikole: $847 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Sveti Nikole
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Sveti Nikole Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Sveti Nikole

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Sveti Nikole

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $847 in Sveti Nikole, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Sveti Nikole $847

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $1,299 in Sveti Nikole, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Sveti Nikole $1,299

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $1,752 in Sveti Nikole, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Sveti Nikole $1,752

Sofia costs about 88% more than Sveti Nikole, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 19% above the global median, while Sveti Nikole is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$8.91 MKD 488

91.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$34.23 MKD 1,876

95.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$5.31 MKD 291

121.66%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$1.62 MKD 88.8

111.11%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$1.40 MKD 76.7

72.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$0.98 MKD 53.6

89.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$1.59 MKD 87.0

109.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$1.81 MKD 99.1

150.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.30 MKD 71.1

47.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$0.59 MKD 32.37

155.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.15 MKD 63.2

92.17%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$2.50 MKD 137

76.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$8.98 MKD 492

28.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$4.62 MKD 253

90.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$12.02 MKD 659

41.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$1.35 MKD 74.0

60.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.24 MKD 67.8

64.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$1.23 MKD 67.7

49.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$1.70 MKD 93.3

152.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.74 MKD 40.77

39.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.16 MKD 63.8

-19.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$0.80 MKD 43.74

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.42 MKD 23.08

119.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$3.03 MKD 166

41.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$6.41 MKD 351

14.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$0.98 MKD 53.5

20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.42 MKD 77.7

31.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.72 MKD 39.23

20.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$23.30 MKD 1,277

20.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$1.43 MKD 78.6

21.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.99 MKD 54.1

-3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$3.71 MKD 203

318.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.47 MKD 80.7

21.77%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$34.4K MKD 1.9M

-12.80%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

-3.43%

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

$156 BGN 273

$128 MKD 7,030

21.58%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$15.35 MKD 841

38.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$11.85 MKD 649

31.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$22.65 MKD 1,241

106.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$16.14 MKD 884

71.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$4.93 MKD 270

103.25%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$303 MKD 16.6K

152.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$3,086 MKD 169.1K

314.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$72.7 MKD 3,982

23.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$31.69 MKD 1,736

29.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$82.5 MKD 4,523

28.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$85.5 MKD 4,684

22.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$239 MKD 13.1K

233.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$182 MKD 9,990

233.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$539 MKD 29.5K

190.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$262 MKD 14.3K

305.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$1,505 MKD 82.5K

189.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$1,149 MKD 63.0K

182.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$548 MKD 30.0K

217.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.23

-31.68%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Sveti Nikole: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Sveti Nikole

$182 21.9% 70% $425

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Sveti Nikole

$181 21.7% 37.2% $107

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Sveti Nikole

$128 15.3% 50.1% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Sveti Nikole

$155 18.7% 19.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Sveti Nikole

$123 14.7% 20.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Sveti Nikole

$33 3.9% 51.3% $34

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Sveti Nikole

$33 3.9% 14.8% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $239 in Sveti Nikole. 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 218% 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 $67.0 in Sofia versus $34.00 in Sveti Nikole. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $181 – making Sveti Nikole the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇲🇰 Sveti Nikole

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

10:23 10:23 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

13,220

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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 = 0.509 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 54.8 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.46 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

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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 Sveti Nikole: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Sofia, $847 in Sveti Nikole – roughly 88% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $1,271 in Sveti Nikole. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sveti Nikole, 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 $847 in Sveti Nikole. That's a gap of about 88%.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Sveti Nikole. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sveti Nikole, where all-in costs run around $847, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Sveti Nikole 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 $847 in Sveti Nikole to $1,589 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 Sveti Nikole. 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.