Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Tashkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Tashkent: $1,066 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Sofia, Bulgaria
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,585
/mo nomad
Tashkent
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
$1,066
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Tashkent

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $1,066 in Tashkent, rent included.

  • Sofia $1,585
  • Tashkent $1,066

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $1,656 in Tashkent, rent included.

  • Sofia $2,486
  • Tashkent $1,656

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $2,247 in Tashkent, rent included.

  • Sofia $3,387
  • Tashkent $2,247

Sofia costs about 49% more than Tashkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Tashkent is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sofia
Tashkent
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.57 BGN 28.84
$6.68 UZS 80.0K
148.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.7 BGN 118
$33.41 UZS 400.1K
102.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.68 BGN 20.33
$5.08 UZS 60.8K
129.92%
Cappuccino
$3.41 BGN 5.93
$2.65 UZS 31.8K
28.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 BGN 4.11
$0.75 UZS 9,034
214.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 BGN 2.91
$0.41 UZS 4,876
307.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.99 BGN 6.94
$2.15 UZS 25.7K
85.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 BGN 7.88
$3.72 UZS 44.6K
21.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sofia
Tashkent
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 BGN 3.38
$1.30 UZS 15.5K
49.23%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 BGN 2.70
$0.82 UZS 9,803
89.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 BGN 4.09
$1.68 UZS 20.1K
39.88%
Eggs
$4.60 BGN 8.00
$1.81 UZS 21.7K
154.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.47 BGN 19.96
$7.96 UZS 95.3K
44.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.65 BGN 15.04
$4.20 UZS 50.3K
105.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.34 BGN 30.17
$12.32 UZS 147.6K
40.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 BGN 3.73
$1.50 UZS 17.9K
43.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 BGN 3.45
$1.75 UZS 20.9K
13.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 BGN 3.18
$2.29 UZS 27.5K
-20.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.27 BGN 7.43
$1.73 UZS 20.7K
146.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 BGN 1.82
$0.61 UZS 7,326
70.49%
Onion (1kg)
$0.89 BGN 1.54
$0.42 UZS 5,002
111.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 BGN 2.06
$1.03 UZS 12.3K
15.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 BGN 1.45
$0.44 UZS 5,263
88.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 BGN 7.66
$1.99 UZS 23.8K
121.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.42 BGN 12.91
$7.71 UZS 92.3K
-3.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 BGN 2.01
$1.36 UZS 16.3K
-14.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 BGN 3.30
$3.49 UZS 41.8K
-45.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Sofia
Tashkent
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.92 BGN 1.60
$0.14 UZS 1,620
557.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.11 BGN 48.91
$13.20 UZS 158.1K
112.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.67 BGN 2.90
$0.82 UZS 9,794
103.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 BGN 1.49
$0.33 UZS 4,006
157.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.59 BGN 28.87
$3.29 UZS 39.4K
404.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 BGN 3.03
$1.17 UZS 14.0K
48.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K BGN 52.1K
$17.5K UZS 209.6M
71.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K BGN 43.5K
$21.1K UZS 253.2M
18.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
Tashkent
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 BGN 275
$67.2 UZS 804.4K
135.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.27 BGN 37.01
$4.60 UZS 55.1K
362.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.12 BGN 26.30
$13.55 UZS 162.2K
11.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
Tashkent
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.85 BGN 81.5
$65.9 UZS 789.1K
-28.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.82 BGN 48.41
$18.05 UZS 216.2K
54.13%
Cinema Ticket
$10.00 BGN 17.39
$5.83 UZS 69.8K
71.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sofia
Tashkent
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$815 BGN 1,419
$389 UZS 4.7M
109.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K BGN 25.5K
$16.8K UZS 201.2M
-12.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
Tashkent
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.1 BGN 152
$51.6 UZS 618.3K
68.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.28 BGN 66.6
$58.5 UZS 700.6K
-34.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 BGN 184
$112 UZS 1.3M
-5.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 BGN 187
$136 UZS 1.6M
-21.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sofia
Tashkent
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$769 BGN 1,338
$595 UZS 7.1M
29.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$593 BGN 1,032
$408 UZS 4.9M
45.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,530 BGN 2,662
$1,213 UZS 14.5M
26.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,061 BGN 1,846
$728 UZS 8.7M
45.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,526 BGN 7,875
$1,612 UZS 19.3M
180.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,109 BGN 5,410
$948 UZS 11.4M
228.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sofia
Tashkent
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,780 BGN 3,098
$778 UZS 9.3M
128.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.89
23.31
-87.60%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Tashkent: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$593
Tashkent
$408 31.2% $185
Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$288
Tashkent
$194 32.6% $94
Eating Out
Sofia
$254
Tashkent
$123 51.4% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$194
Tashkent
$85 56.1% $109
Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$152
Tashkent
$161 6% $9.1
Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$67
Tashkent
$78 16% $11
Getting Around
Sofia
$38
Tashkent
$16 56.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Sofia versus $595 in Tashkent. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sofia are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia versus $33 in Tashkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $194 – making Tashkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Sofia
🇺🇿 Tashkent
🕒 Local time
11:30 11:30 AM
14:30 2:30 PM
3 h ahead of Sofia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,286,383 Capital
2,956,384 Capital
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 11,975 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,449 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sofia Tashkent 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sofia
  • Tashkent

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 Tashkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sofia and in Tashkent compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,585 in Sofia, $1,066 in Tashkent – Tashkent comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Sofia compared to Tashkent?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,378 per month in Sofia and $1,599 in Tashkent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sofia and Tashkent?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tashkent, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $595 there versus $769 in Sofia.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sofia or Tashkent?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $1,066 in Tashkent. That makes Tashkent about 33% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Sofia and in Tashkent?
Public transport costs about 53% less in Tashkent. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,585 in Sofia and $1,066 in Tashkent. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should families live: Sofia or Tashkent?
Families tend to lean toward Tashkent – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Sofia or Tashkent safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Sofia and Tashkent?
If budget matters most, go with Tashkent. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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