Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Warsaw

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $2,045 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Warsaw outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
Learn more

Warsaw Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,045

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Warsaw

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $2,045 in Warsaw, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Warsaw $2,045

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $2,944 in Warsaw, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Warsaw $2,944

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $3,843 in Warsaw, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Warsaw $3,843

Sofia is about 22% cheaper than Warsaw, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Warsaw sit above the global median – Sofia by 19%, Warsaw by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$11.46 zł 44.81

49.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$61.2 zł 239

9.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$10.40 zł 40.64

13.17%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$4.36 zł 17.06

-21.56%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$2.22 zł 8.67

9.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$2.24 zł 8.74

-16.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$4.67 zł 18.27

-28.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$5.20 zł 20.31

-12.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.05 zł 4.11

82.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.54 zł 6.01

-1.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.58 zł 6.16

39.87%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.81 zł 14.91

15.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$8.71 zł 34.05

32.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$6.49 zł 25.38

35.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$14.86 zł 58.1

14.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$1.20 zł 4.71

80.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.67 zł 6.52

22.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$1.64 zł 6.39

12.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$4.25 zł 16.61

0.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.92 zł 3.60

11.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$0.87 zł 3.40

6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.48 zł 5.78

-18.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.64 zł 2.52

43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$6.37 zł 24.90

-32.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$6.37 zł 24.88

15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.09 zł 4.26

8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.63 zł 6.38

14.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.12 zł 4.36

-22.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$28.30 zł 111

-0.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$2.63 zł 10.26

-33.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$1.26 zł 4.93

-23.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$12.86 zł 50.3

20.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.70 zł 6.65

5.29%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$30.2K zł 118.2K

-0.82%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$29.7K zł 116.2K

-11.34%

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

$156 BGN 273

$352 zł 1,377

-55.73%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$9.15 zł 35.77

131.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$16.14 zł 63.1

-3.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$45.94 zł 180

1.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$28.38 zł 111

-2.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$8.95 zł 34.99

11.96%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$600 zł 2,343

27.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$14.3K zł 55.8K

-10.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$112 zł 437

-19.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$41.03 zł 160

-0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$107 zł 419

-1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$110 zł 432

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$1,177 zł 4,602

-32.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$977 zł 3,818

-37.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$2,096 zł 8,194

-25.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$1,580 zł 6,176

-32.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$5,960 zł 23.3K

-26.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$3,860 zł 15.1K

-15.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$2,096 zł 8,191

-16.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.62

-56.34%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Warsaw: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Warsaw

$977 46.8% 60.8% $369

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Warsaw

$234 11.2% 18.5% $53

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Warsaw

$227 10.9% 11.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Warsaw

$378 18.1% 95.8% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Warsaw

$167 8% 8.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Warsaw

$64 3.1% 4.4% $3

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Warsaw

$42 2% 9.3% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $1,177 in Warsaw. 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 20% higher in Warsaw, 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 $67.0 in Sofia versus $61.0 in Warsaw. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $234 – making Warsaw the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

1,861,599 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Warsaw 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Warsaw

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 Warsaw: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Sofia, $2,045 in Warsaw – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $3,067 in Warsaw. 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 $1,589 in Sofia and $2,045 in Warsaw. That's a gap of about 29%.

Public transport costs about 1% 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 $1,589, than in Warsaw at $2,045. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Warsaw 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 $1,589 in Sofia to $2,045 in Warsaw. 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, Warsaw makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.