Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Yaroslavl

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaroslavl: $930 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Yaroslavl
Learn more

Yaroslavl Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Yaroslavl

🇷🇺 Russia

$930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Yaroslavl

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $930 in Yaroslavl, rent included.

Sofia $1,585
Yaroslavl $930

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $1,483 in Yaroslavl, rent included.

Sofia $2,486
Yaroslavl $1,483

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $2,036 in Yaroslavl, rent included.

Sofia $3,387
Yaroslavl $2,036

Sofia costs about 70% more than Yaroslavl, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Yaroslavl is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$6.12 ₽499

170.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$36.47 ₽2,974

85.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$7.50 ₽611

55.73%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$3.08 ₽251

10.71%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$1.05 ₽85.4

124.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.64 ₽51.9

160.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$0.83 ₽67.8

380.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$1.84 ₽150

146.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.09 ₽88.8

77.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$1.00 ₽81.9

55.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.69 ₽138

39.05%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.60 ₽130

187.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$9.82 ₽801

16.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$6.83 ₽557

26.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$11.57 ₽944

49.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$1.32 ₽108

62.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.30 ₽106

52.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$1.26 ₽103

45.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$2.55 ₽208

67.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.95 ₽77.7

9.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.37 ₽30.39

140.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.59 ₽48.06

101.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.57 ₽46.50

45.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$2.79 ₽227

57.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$6.32 ₽515

17.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$0.88 ₽72.0

31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$1.80 ₽147

5.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.54 ₽43.91

70.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$26.06 ₽2,126

7.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$3.67 ₽300

-54.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.32 ₽26.19

165.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$4.78 ₽389

247.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.87 ₽70.9

100.00%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$43.8K ₽3.6M

-31.70%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$39.9K ₽3.3M

-37.32%

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

$158 BGN 275

$111 ₽9,038

42.46%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$4.78 ₽390

344.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$5.78 ₽471

161.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$23.71 ₽1,934

97.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$24.20 ₽1,974

14.96%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$6.63 ₽541

50.83%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$217 ₽17.7K

275.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$3,723 ₽303.7K

293.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$53.8 ₽4,390

61.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$30.54 ₽2,491

25.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$146 ₽11.9K

-27.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$157 ₽12.8K

-31.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$446 ₽36.4K

72.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$243 ₽19.8K

144.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$845 ₽68.9K

80.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$466 ₽38.0K

127.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$2,453 ₽200.1K

84.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$1,233 ₽100.6K

152.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$751 ₽61.3K

137.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

-84.79%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Yaroslavl: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Yaroslavl

$243 26.1% 59.1% $350

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Yaroslavl

$198 21.3% 31.2% $90

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Yaroslavl

$123 13.2% 51.5% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Yaroslavl

$121 13.1% 37.5% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Yaroslavl

$174 18.7% 14.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Yaroslavl

$37 4% 44.7% $30

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Yaroslavl

$33 3.6% 11.2% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Sofia versus $446 in Yaroslavl. 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 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia versus $36 in Yaroslavl. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $198 – making Yaroslavl the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇷🇺 Yaroslavl

🕒 Local time

10:18 10:18 AM

11:18 11:18 AM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

570,824

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

100 RUB = 1.23 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.56 RUB (100 RUB = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.6 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Yaroslavl 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Yaroslavl

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 Yaroslavl: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,585 in Sofia, $930 in Yaroslavl – Yaroslavl comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,378 per month in Sofia and $1,395 in Yaroslavl. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yaroslavl, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $446 there versus $769 in Sofia.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $930 in Yaroslavl. That makes Yaroslavl about 41% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Yaroslavl. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,585 in Sofia and $930 in Yaroslavl. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Yaroslavl – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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