Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Svishtov

For one person, living is cheaper in Svishtov: $922 a month against $1,600 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Svishtov
Learn more

Svishtov Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Svishtov

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Svishtov

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

A single person spends $1,600 per month in Sofia vs $922 in Svishtov, rent included.

Sofia $1,600
Svishtov $922

A couple spends around $2,490 per month in Sofia vs $1,446 in Svishtov, rent included.

Sofia $2,490
Svishtov $1,446

A family of three spends $3,380 per month in Sofia vs $1,970 in Svishtov, rent included.

Sofia $3,380
Svishtov $1,970

Sofia costs about 73% more than Svishtov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Svishtov is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

$13.56 BGN 23.60

25.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

$44.77 BGN 77.9

52.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

$8.61 BGN 14.99

34.96%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$2.30 BGN 4.01

49.13%

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

$0.99 BGN 1.73

136.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

$0.59 BGN 1.02

210.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$1.69 BGN 2.95

101.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

$2.83 BGN 4.93

56.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

$1.46 BGN 2.54

34.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

$0.83 BGN 1.45

79.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.74 BGN 3.04

33.91%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

$2.77 BGN 4.83

59.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$9.76 BGN 16.98

18.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

$5.06 BGN 8.80

75.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

$8.45 BGN 14.70

107.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.46 BGN 2.55

47.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

$1.05 BGN 1.83

97.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.06 BGN 1.85

82.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$2.30 BGN 4.01

84.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$0.71 BGN 1.23

45.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$0.48 BGN 0.83

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

$0.55 BGN 0.96

116.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.56 BGN 0.97

58.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

$3.58 BGN 6.24

18.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

$6.95 BGN 12.10

13.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.03 BGN 1.80

14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$1.16 BGN 2.02

62.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$0.90 BGN 1.57

3.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

$23.96 BGN 41.70

18.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.41 BGN 2.46

19.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.65 BGN 1.13

47.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

$12.06 BGN 20.98

27.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$1.43 BGN 2.49

23.78%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

2.26%

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$22.8K BGN 39.6K

10.19%

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

$157 BGN 273

$102 BGN 178

53.56%

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

$14.19 BGN 24.68

48.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

$8.42 BGN 14.65

81.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

$30.14 BGN 52.5

53.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

$17.08 BGN 29.72

64.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

$8.68 BGN 15.10

15.67%

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

$775 BGN 1,348

$230 BGN 401

236.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

$5,778 BGN 10.1K

117.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

$50.9 BGN 88.6

72.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

$25.21 BGN 43.87

64.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

$71.8 BGN 125

48.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

$68.5 BGN 119

55.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

$336 BGN 585

128.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

$254 BGN 443

136.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

$537 BGN 934

191.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

$408 BGN 710

154.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

$1,320 BGN 2,298

245.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

$1,076 BGN 1,872

193.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

$1,264 BGN 2,199

37.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.25

-11.08%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Svishtov: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

Svishtov

$254 27.6% 57.8% $348

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

Svishtov

$184 19.9% 36.9% $107

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

Svishtov

$182 19.8% 28.3% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

Svishtov

$125 13.5% 35.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Svishtov

$97 10.6% 36.8% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Svishtov

$48 5.2% 28.5% $19

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Svishtov

$32 3.5% 16.3% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $770 in Sofia versus $336 in Svishtov. 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 38% 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 $68.0 in Sofia versus $45.00 in Svishtov. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $184 – making Svishtov the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇬 Svishtov

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

Same time as Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

33,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sofia Svishtov 190 km

From you

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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 Svishtov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,600 in Sofia, $922 in Svishtov – roughly 73% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,400 per month in Sofia and $1,384 in Svishtov. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Svishtov, 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 $922 in Svishtov. That's a gap of about 73%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Svishtov. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Svishtov, where all-in costs run around $922, than in Sofia at $1,600. In Svishtov 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 $922 in Svishtov to $1,600 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 Svishtov. 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.