Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Ystad

For one person, living costs are similar in Sofia and in Ystad: $1,609 and $1,646 a month, rent and utilities included.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Ystad
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Ystad Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Ystad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Ystad

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

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Sofia vs $1,646 in Ystad, rent included.

Sofia $1,609
Ystad $1,646

A couple spends around $2,495 per month in Sofia vs $2,592 in Ystad, rent included.

Sofia $2,495
Ystad $2,592

A family of three spends $3,381 per month in Sofia vs $3,538 in Ystad, rent included.

Sofia $3,381
Ystad $3,538

Sofia is about 2% cheaper than Ystad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sofia and Ystad sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Ystad by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.53

$12.15 SEK 121

38.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 116

$86.1 SEK 857

-22.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.29

$10.23 SEK 102

13.29%

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.17

$3.06 SEK 30.48

15.03%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$2.98 SEK 29.66

-18.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$2.27 SEK 22.57

-22.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.44

$6.99 SEK 69.6

-47.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.66

$7.39 SEK 73.5

-40.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.42

$1.71 SEK 16.98

14.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$2.80 SEK 27.86

-46.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.85

$3.15 SEK 31.31

-30.16%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.71

$3.10 SEK 30.82

41.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.59

$11.51 SEK 115

2.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.19

$8.84 SEK 88.0

-1.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.40

$16.46 SEK 164

5.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.73

$2.99 SEK 29.76

-28.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.59

$2.44 SEK 24.32

-15.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.38

$2.93 SEK 29.20

-34.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.30

$4.52 SEK 44.94

-7.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.89

$1.54 SEK 15.36

-29.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

$1.70 SEK 16.87

-46.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.07

$1.96 SEK 19.46

-39.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$1.66 SEK 16.50

-49.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.32

$8.19 SEK 81.5

-48.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.43

$12.05 SEK 120

-36.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.05

$2.05 SEK 20.39

-42.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.16

$2.28 SEK 22.73

-21.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$3.36 SEK 33.42

-74.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 50.9

$79.1 SEK 787

-63.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.94

$6.05 SEK 60.2

-72.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.53

$1.74 SEK 17.31

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.58

$59.2 SEK 589

-73.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.02

$1.77 SEK 17.61

-2.26%

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

$29.7K BGN 51.9K

$29.9K SEK 297.7K

-0.82%

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

$25.6K BGN 44.8K

$33.3K SEK 331.4K

-23.18%

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

$161 BGN 282

$105 SEK 1,044

53.37%

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

$21.08 BGN 36.89

$19.69 SEK 196

7.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.58

$30.14 SEK 300

-49.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 84.6

$37.44 SEK 373

29.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.07

$26.36 SEK 262

4.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.78

$12.15 SEK 121

-16.38%

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

$785 BGN 1,374

$180 SEK 1,789

336.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$4,351 SEK 43.3K

193.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 157

$51.3 SEK 510

75.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.3

$33.38 SEK 332

23.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 188

$87.4 SEK 870

23.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 191

$133 SEK 1,328

-18.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,381

$792 SEK 7,883

-0.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,057

$612 SEK 6,096

-1.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,654

$1,354 SEK 13.5K

12.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,814

$1,023 SEK 10.2K

1.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 BGN 7,712

$4,023 SEK 40.0K

9.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 BGN 5,490

$2,767 SEK 27.5K

13.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,038

$1,881 SEK 18.7K

-7.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.06

-5.56%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ystad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Ystad

$612 37.2% 1.4% $8.6

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Ystad

$337 20.5% 16.9% $49

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Ystad

$235 14.3% 8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Ystad

$155 9.4% 21.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Ystad

$137 8.4% 12.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Ystad

$62 3.8% 10.1% $6.9

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Ystad

$107 6.5% 178% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $789 in Sofia versus $792 in Ystad. 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 8% higher in Ystad. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Sofia versus $86 in Ystad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $337 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇸🇪 Ystad

🕒 Local time

13:51 1:51 PM

12:51 12:51 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

18,350

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.513 EUR

100 SEK = 10.05 USD

100 SEK = 9.03 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.513 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.95 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.03 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Ystad 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Ystad

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 Ystad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,609 in Sofia, $1,646 in Ystad – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,413 per month in Sofia and $2,469 in Ystad. 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 $792 in Ystad. 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 $1,646 in Ystad. That’s a gap of about 2%.

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 $1,646 in Ystad, 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 $1,646 in Ystad. 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, Ystad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.