Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Zatec

For one person, living is cheaper in Zatec: $1,230 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Zatec
Learn more

Zatec Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Zatec

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Zatec

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,230 in Zatec, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Zatec $1,230

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $1,888 in Zatec, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Zatec $1,888

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $2,546 in Zatec, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Zatec $2,546

Sofia costs about 30% more than Zatec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Zatec is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$6.94 Kč 150

143.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$18.15 Kč 392

262.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$9.23 Kč 200

22.64%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.02 Kč 65.2

13.58%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$0.70 Kč 15.15

244.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.90 Kč 19.44

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$2.23 Kč 48.15

65.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.73 Kč 59.0

67.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$0.81 Kč 17.51

149.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.34 Kč 29.02

16.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.28 Kč 49.23

2.19%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$2.49 Kč 53.9

75.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$5.64 Kč 122

108.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.39 Kč 116

63.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$6.67 Kč 144

161.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.28 Kč 27.65

67.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.63 Kč 35.27

21.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.13 Kč 45.98

-9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$3.26 Kč 70.5

30.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.95 Kč 20.64

9.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.10 Kč 23.72

-22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.61 Kč 34.71

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.55 Kč 11.91

61.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$6.06 Kč 131

-30.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$5.59 Kč 121

33.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$0.89 Kč 19.33

29.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.70 Kč 36.68

8.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$0.34 Kč 7.26

155.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$24.90 Kč 539

14.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.69 Kč 58.1

-37.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.87 Kč 40.52

-49.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$16.32 Kč 353

-5.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.86 Kč 40.20

-9.14%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$31.4K Kč 678.9K

-5.08%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$29.9K Kč 647.6K

-12.72%

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

$156 BGN 272

$297 Kč 6,424

-47.46%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$22.14 Kč 479

-2.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$18.89 Kč 409

-19.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$49.34 Kč 1,067

-6.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$18.33 Kč 396

52.32%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$12.79 Kč 277

-20.41%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$726 Kč 15.7K

6.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$11.5K Kč 249.0K

11.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$85.3 Kč 1,845

5.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$36.89 Kč 798

11.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$46.22 Kč 1,000

127.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$122 Kč 2,628

-12.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$351 Kč 7,589

123.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$323 Kč 6,991

84.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$1,272 Kč 27.5K

19.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$855 Kč 18.5K

20.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$4,790 Kč 103.6K

-9.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$3,585 Kč 77.5K

-11.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,163 Kč 25.2K

49.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.67

-38.12%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zatec: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Zatec

$323 26.3% 45.8% $274

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Zatec

$183 14.8% 37.2% $108

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Zatec

$142 11.6% 44.1% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Zatec

$338 27.5% 75.3% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Zatec

$130 10.6% 15.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Zatec

$75 6.1% 12.7% $8.5

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Zatec

$38 3.1% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $351 in Zatec. 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 49% higher in Sofia, 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 $66.0 in Sofia versus $18.00 in Zatec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $183 – making Zatec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇨🇿 Zatec

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

19,522

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Zatec 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Zatec

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 Zatec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $1,230 in Zatec – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $1,845 in Zatec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zatec, 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 $1,230 in Zatec. That's a gap of about 30%.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Zatec. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zatec, where all-in costs run around $1,230, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Zatec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia 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 $1,230 in Zatec to $1,594 in Sofia. 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 Zatec. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.