Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Visby

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,609 a month against $1,724 in Visby, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Visby despite lower rent and utilities.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Visby
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Visby Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Visby

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Visby

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

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Sofia vs $1,724 in Visby, rent included.

Sofia $1,609
Visby $1,724

A couple spends around $2,495 per month in Sofia vs $2,717 in Visby, rent included.

Sofia $2,495
Visby $2,717

A family of three spends $3,381 per month in Sofia vs $3,709 in Visby, rent included.

Sofia $3,381
Visby $3,709

Sofia is about 7% cheaper than Visby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sofia and Visby sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Visby by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.70

$12.84 SEK 127

31.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 117

$79.2 SEK 784

-16.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.40

$9.24 SEK 91.5

25.43%

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.20

$3.83 SEK 37.89

-8.09%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.25

$2.34 SEK 23.19

3.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.11

$2.54 SEK 25.12

-30.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.48

$7.55 SEK 74.7

-51.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.70

$4.06 SEK 40.15

7.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.44

$1.47 SEK 14.54

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.65

$2.92 SEK 28.94

-48.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.87

$3.06 SEK 30.31

-28.10%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.75

$3.82 SEK 37.81

15.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.70

$10.14 SEK 100

15.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.28

$11.64 SEK 115

-25.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.57

$16.22 SEK 161

7.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.75

$2.95 SEK 29.22

-27.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.61

$2.54 SEK 25.12

-19.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.40

$3.09 SEK 30.63

-37.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.34

$4.31 SEK 42.71

-3.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.90

$1.72 SEK 17.06

-37.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.60

$1.67 SEK 16.50

-45.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.08

$2.13 SEK 21.12

-44.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$1.03 SEK 10.24

-18.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.36

$5.01 SEK 49.62

-16.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.51

$11.85 SEK 117

-35.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.06

$2.20 SEK 21.77

-46.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.17

$1.53 SEK 15.15

17.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$2.98 SEK 29.55

-70.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 51.1

$78.1 SEK 774

-62.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.96

$3.44 SEK 34.10

-51.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.54

$2.47 SEK 24.50

-64.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.74

$79.8 SEK 790

-80.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.04

$1.81 SEK 17.94

-4.42%

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

$29.7K BGN 52.2K

$33.5K SEK 331.8K

-11.47%

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

$25.6K BGN 45.0K

$33.6K SEK 332.5K

-23.81%

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

$161 BGN 283

$185 SEK 1,828

-12.86%

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

$21.08 BGN 37.10

$22.66 SEK 224

-6.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.73

$42.60 SEK 422

-64.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 85.1

$37.83 SEK 375

27.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.35

$26.46 SEK 262

3.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.88

$13.79 SEK 137

-26.32%

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

$785 BGN 1,382

$149 SEK 1,480

425.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$4,977 SEK 49.3K

156.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 158

$103 SEK 1,018

-12.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.7

$39.66 SEK 393

4.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 189

$89.1 SEK 882

20.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 192

$137 SEK 1,355

-20.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,389

$715 SEK 7,076

10.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,063

$556 SEK 5,503

8.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,670

$1,338 SEK 13.3K

13.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,825

$1,036 SEK 10.3K

0.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 BGN 7,756

$4,002 SEK 39.6K

10.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 BGN 5,521

$2,746 SEK 27.2K

14.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,056

$2,491 SEK 24.7K

-30.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.53

-18.13%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Visby: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Visby

$556 32.2% 8% $48

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Visby

$340 19.7% 18% $52

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Visby

$242 14% 5.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Visby

$250 14.5% 26.8% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Visby

$166 9.6% 5.9% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Visby

$65 3.8% 4.7% $3.3

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Visby

$106 6.1% 175% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $789 in Sofia versus $715 in Visby. 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 43% higher in Visby. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Sofia versus $79 in Visby. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $340 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇸🇪 Visby

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

07:12 7:12 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

22,593

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

100 SEK = 10.1 USD

100 SEK = 9.07 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BGN (1 BGN = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.9 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.02 SEK (100 SEK = 9.07 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Visby 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Visby

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 Visby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,609 in Sofia, $1,724 in Visby – Sofia comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,413 per month in Sofia and $2,587 in Visby. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $789 in Sofia and $715 in Visby. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,609 in Sofia and $1,724 in Visby. That makes Sofia about 7% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 63% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,609 in Sofia and $1,724 in Visby, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,609 in Sofia to $1,724 in Visby. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Sofia. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Visby makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.