Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Szekszard

For one person, living is cheaper in Szekszard: $1,184 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Szekszard
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Szekszard Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Szekszard

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Szekszard

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,184 in Szekszard, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Szekszard $1,184

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $1,818 in Szekszard, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Szekszard $1,818

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $2,452 in Szekszard, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Szekszard $2,452

Sofia costs about 35% more than Szekszard, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Szekszard is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$12.34 Ft 3,986

36.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$46.10 Ft 14.9K

42.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$9.09 Ft 2,938

24.53%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$1.51 Ft 489

127.15%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$1.92 Ft 620

25.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.15 Ft 371

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$3.02 Ft 976

22.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.75 Ft 889

66.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.13 Ft 366

78.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.39 Ft 448

12.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.36 Ft 761

-1.27%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.14 Ft 1,014

38.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$10.96 Ft 3,542

7.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$6.42 Ft 2,075

37.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$13.68 Ft 4,420

27.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.65 Ft 534

30.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.97 Ft 636

0.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.94 Ft 628

-0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$2.68 Ft 866

58.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.05 Ft 338

-0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.30 Ft 419

-34.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.68 Ft 544

-31.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.47 Ft 153

89.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$7.74 Ft 2,502

-45.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$6.02 Ft 1,944

23.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.13 Ft 366

1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.51 Ft 489

22.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.21 Ft 390

-28.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$26.94 Ft 8,703

5.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$3.15 Ft 1,018

-46.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.50 Ft 485

-37.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$18.22 Ft 5,886

-15.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.83 Ft 590

-7.65%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$32.7K Ft 10.6M

-8.78%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$33.5K Ft 10.8M

-21.92%

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

$156 BGN 272

$120 Ft 38.9K

29.69%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$18.05 Ft 5,833

19.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$23.16 Ft 7,482

-34.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$47.14 Ft 15.2K

-2.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$18.37 Ft 5,935

51.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$7.49 Ft 2,419

35.91%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$252 Ft 81.5K

206.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$8,566 Ft 2.8M

49.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$61.8 Ft 20.0K

45.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$24.55 Ft 7,932

68.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$91.5 Ft 29.6K

14.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$76.4 Ft 24.7K

39.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$524 Ft 169.3K

49.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$393 Ft 126.9K

51.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$752 Ft 243.1K

101.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$650 Ft 209.9K

58.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$1,584 Ft 511.7K

174.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$1,204 Ft 388.9K

163.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$919 Ft 296.8K

88.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

8.25

-64.97%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Szekszard: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Szekszard

$393 33.2% 34.2% $204

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Szekszard

$233 19.7% 19.7% $57

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Szekszard

$177 15% 30.5% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Szekszard

$162 13.7% 16.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Szekszard

$114 9.7% 25.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Szekszard

$62 5.3% 6.5% $4.3

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Szekszard

$42 3.6% 10.5% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $524 in Szekszard. 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 89% 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 $46.00 in Szekszard. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $233 – making Szekszard the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇭🇺 Szekszard

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

21:22 9:22 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

29,707

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Szekszard 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Szekszard

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 Szekszard: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $1,184 in Szekszard – roughly 35% 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 $1,775 in Szekszard. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szekszard, 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 $1,184 in Szekszard. That's a gap of about 35%.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Szekszard. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Szekszard, where all-in costs run around $1,184, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Szekszard 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 $1,184 in Szekszard 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 Szekszard. 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.