Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Szczecinek

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecinek: $1,468 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Sofia despite lower rent and utilities.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Szczecinek
Learn more

Szczecinek Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Szczecinek

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,468

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Szczecinek

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,468 in Szczecinek, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Szczecinek $1,468

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $2,118 in Szczecinek, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Szczecinek $2,118

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $2,769 in Szczecinek, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Szczecinek $2,769

Sofia costs about 9% more than Szczecinek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Szczecinek sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Szczecinek by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$11.62 zł 45.14

45.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$42.81 zł 166

53.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$9.07 zł 35.22

24.81%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.48 zł 13.51

-1.44%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$1.16 zł 4.51

107.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.87 zł 3.38

112.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$3.10 zł 12.05

19.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$1.37 zł 5.34

234.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$0.90 zł 3.51

124.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.26 zł 4.89

23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.36 zł 5.28

71.32%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.53 zł 13.70

23.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$7.64 zł 29.69

53.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.98 zł 23.23

47.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$13.19 zł 51.3

32.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.19 zł 4.64

80.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.13 zł 4.41

75.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.64 zł 6.38

17.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$2.43 zł 9.44

74.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.76 zł 2.94

36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.80 zł 3.12

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.28 zł 4.96

-10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.68 zł 2.65

30.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$5.59 zł 21.70

-24.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$7.53 zł 29.26

-0.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.12 zł 4.36

2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.47 zł 5.71

25.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.06 zł 4.13

-17.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$27.13 zł 105

5.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.28 zł 8.86

-26.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.04 zł 4.02

-9.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$11.56 zł 44.92

32.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.48 zł 5.77

14.19%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$31.0K zł 120.3K

-3.75%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$27.8K zł 108.0K

-6.00%

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

$156 BGN 272

$290 zł 1,126

-46.15%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$7.77 zł 30.20

177.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$18.34 zł 71.3

-16.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$38.27 zł 149

20.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$20.63 zł 80.2

35.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$7.59 zł 29.49

34.12%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$206 zł 800

275.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$7,398 zł 28.7K

73.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$78.3 zł 304

14.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$36.84 zł 143

12.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$87.3 zł 339

20.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$108 zł 421

-1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$559 zł 2,173

39.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$526 zł 2,045

13.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$1,019 zł 3,959

48.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$850 zł 3,303

21.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$3,303 zł 12.8K

31.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$2,012 zł 7,816

57.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,300 zł 5,049

33.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.2

-31.19%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Szczecinek: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Szczecinek

$526 35.8% 11.8% $71

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Szczecinek

$206 14% 29.1% $85

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Szczecinek

$188 12.8% 26.1% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Szczecinek

$316 21.5% 63.8% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Szczecinek

$140 9.5% 9.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Szczecinek

$53 3.6% 19.6% $13

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Szczecinek

$39 2.6% 1.2% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $559 in Szczecinek. 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 34% 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 $43.00 in Szczecinek. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $206 – making Szczecinek the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Szczecinek

🕒 Local time

22:07 10:07 PM

21:07 9:07 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

39,705

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Szczecinek 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Szczecinek

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 Szczecinek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $1,468 in Szczecinek – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $2,203 in Szczecinek. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szczecinek, 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 $1,468 in Szczecinek. That's a gap of about 9%.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Szczecinek. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Szczecinek, where all-in costs run around $1,468, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Szczecinek 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 $1,468 in Szczecinek 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 Szczecinek. 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.