Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Yens

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $3,329 in Yens, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Yens
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Yens Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Yens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,329

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Yens

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $3,329 in Yens, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Yens $3,329

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $5,100 in Yens, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Yens $5,100

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $6,872 in Yens, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Yens $6,872

Sofia is about 52% cheaper than Yens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Yens sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Yens by 147%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$29.34 CHF 24.16

-42.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$119 CHF 98.0

-44.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$15.95 CHF 13.14

-29.03%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$6.00 CHF 4.94

-42.83%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$4.95 CHF 4.08

-51.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$4.27 CHF 3.51

-56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$9.07 CHF 7.47

-59.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$7.69 CHF 6.34

-40.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$2.13 CHF 1.76

-5.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$2.99 CHF 2.46

-47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$3.18 CHF 2.62

-26.73%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$7.17 CHF 5.91

-39.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$23.95 CHF 19.73

-50.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$28.06 CHF 23.11

-68.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$39.38 CHF 32.44

-55.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$3.63 CHF 2.99

-40.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.95 CHF 1.61

1.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.52 CHF 2.08

-23.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$4.43 CHF 3.65

-4.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.62 CHF 1.34

-35.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.94 CHF 1.60

-56.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.98 CHF 1.63

-41.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$1.27 CHF 1.05

-29.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$10.70 CHF 8.81

-60.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$11.98 CHF 9.87

-37.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$2.24 CHF 1.85

-48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$2.86 CHF 2.36

-35.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-81.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$98.4 CHF 81.0

-71.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$7.70 CHF 6.34

-78.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$4.56 CHF 3.75

-79.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$84.2 CHF 69.3

-81.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$2.36 CHF 1.94

-28.39%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$41.9K CHF 34.5K

-28.86%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

-34.17%

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

$156 BGN 272

$274 CHF 225

-42.97%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$27.35 CHF 22.52

-21.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$51.4 CHF 42.31

-70.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$89.6 CHF 73.8

-48.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$45.51 CHF 37.48

-38.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$24.00 CHF 19.76

-57.58%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$2,954 CHF 2,433

-73.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$30.3K CHF 25.0K

-57.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$141 CHF 116

-36.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$61.4 CHF 50.6

-32.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$138 CHF 114

-23.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$197 CHF 162

-45.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$1,679 CHF 1,383

-53.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$1,440 CHF 1,186

-58.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$2,839 CHF 2,338

-46.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$2,494 CHF 2,054

-58.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

-73.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$12.0K CHF 9,900

-73.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

1.95

48.21%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Yens: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Yens

$1.4K 43.3% 141% $843

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Yens

$558 16.8% 92% $267

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Yens

$452 13.6% 77.5% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Yens

$352 10.6% 82.7% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Yens

$242 7.3% 56.6% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Yens

$138 4.1% 107% $71

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Yens

$147 4.4% 284% $109

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $1,679 in Yens. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Sofia versus $119 in Yens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $558 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇨🇭 Yens

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

08:35 8:35 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

2,200

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, 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).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

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Between locations

Sofia Yens 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Yens

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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $3,329 in Yens – roughly 109% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $4,993 in Yens. 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 $3,329 in Yens. That's a gap of about 109%.

Public transport costs about 245% 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 Yens at $3,329. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yens 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 $3,329 in Yens. 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, Yens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.