Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Uppsala

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $1,978 in Uppsala, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Uppsala
Learn more

Uppsala Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Uppsala

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Uppsala

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,978 in Uppsala, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Uppsala $1,978

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $3,051 in Uppsala, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Uppsala $3,051

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $4,124 in Uppsala, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Uppsala $4,124

Sofia is about 19% cheaper than Uppsala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Uppsala sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Uppsala by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$14.90 SEK 148

13.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$81.0 SEK 802

-18.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$9.87 SEK 97.8

14.69%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$4.98 SEK 49.39

-31.12%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$3.05 SEK 30.25

-20.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$2.40 SEK 23.74

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$7.96 SEK 78.9

-53.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$9.87 SEK 97.8

-53.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.81 SEK 17.91

11.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$2.78 SEK 27.57

-43.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$4.59 SEK 45.48

-49.24%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$5.05 SEK 50.1

-13.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$10.12 SEK 100

16.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$14.77 SEK 146

-40.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$17.86 SEK 177

-2.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$4.18 SEK 41.42

-48.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$2.73 SEK 27.06

-27.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$3.49 SEK 34.63

-44.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$5.12 SEK 50.7

-17.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.94 SEK 19.20

-46.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.70 SEK 16.80

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$2.64 SEK 26.21

-56.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$1.28 SEK 12.68

-30.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$7.96 SEK 78.9

-47.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$9.91 SEK 98.2

-24.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$2.47 SEK 24.51

-53.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$2.52 SEK 24.94

-26.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$3.92 SEK 38.80

-77.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$111 SEK 1,103

-74.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$5.33 SEK 52.8

-68.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.32 SEK 13.13

-28.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$61.3 SEK 607

-74.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.77 SEK 17.54

-4.52%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$33.2K SEK 329.1K

-10.28%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$32.1K SEK 318.3K

-18.65%

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

$156 BGN 272

$109 SEK 1,077

43.55%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$15.95 SEK 158

35.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$47.42 SEK 470

-67.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$39.13 SEK 388

17.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$23.27 SEK 231

19.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$18.61 SEK 184

-45.30%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$126 SEK 1,248

514.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$105 SEK 1,037

-14.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$48.48 SEK 480

-14.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$94.4 SEK 935

11.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$200 SEK 1,982

-46.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$892 SEK 8,836

-12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$707 SEK 7,009

-15.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$1,750 SEK 17.3K

-13.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$1,138 SEK 11.3K

-9.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$5,186 SEK 51.4K

-16.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$2,595 SEK 25.7K

22.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$3,008 SEK 29.8K

-42.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.8

-23.95%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Uppsala

$707 35.8% 18.5% $111

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Uppsala

$391 19.8% 34.8% $101

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Uppsala

$290 14.7% 13.8% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Uppsala

$172 8.7% 10.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Uppsala

$201 10.2% 30.5% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Uppsala

$76 3.9% 14.9% $9.9

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Uppsala

$139 7% 262% $101

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $892 in Uppsala. 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 73% higher in Uppsala, 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 $81.0 in Uppsala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $391 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇸🇪 Uppsala

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

04:06 4:06 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

166,698

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, 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).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Uppsala 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Uppsala

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 Uppsala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $1,978 in Uppsala – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $2,966 in Uppsala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sofia, 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 $1,978 in Uppsala. That's a gap of about 24%.

Public transport costs about 290% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Uppsala at $1,978. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Uppsala 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 $1,594 in Sofia to $1,978 in Uppsala. 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 Sofia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Uppsala makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.