Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Zell am see

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $2,307 in Zell am see, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Zell am see
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Zell am see Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Zell am see

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Zell am see

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 Zell am see actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $2,307 in Zell am see, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Zell am see $2,307

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $3,305 in Zell am see, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Zell am see $3,305

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $4,304 in Zell am see, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Zell am see $4,304

Sofia is about 31% cheaper than Zell am see, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Zell am see sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Zell am see by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$16.93 €15.06

-0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$84.3 €75.0

-21.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$10.06 €8.94

12.52%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$4.35 €3.87

-21.15%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$3.53 €3.14

-31.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$2.84 €2.53

-34.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$5.45 €4.85

-32.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$5.33 €4.74

-14.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.67 €1.48

20.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$2.38 €2.12

-34.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.39 €2.13

-2.51%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$4.68 €4.16

-6.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$22.25 €19.79

-47.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$12.68 €11.28

-30.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$21.27 €18.92

-17.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$2.90 €2.58

-25.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$2.52 €2.24

-21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$3.29 €2.93

-41.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$4.12 €3.66

2.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$2.48 €2.20

-58.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$3.19 €2.84

-73.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$2.14 €1.90

-46.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$1.28 €1.14

-30.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$7.65 €6.81

-44.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$8.71 €7.74

-14.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.31 €1.16

-12.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$2.20 €1.96

-15.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$2.84 €2.53

-69.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$47.40 €42.16

-39.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.92 €2.59

-42.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.86 €0.76

9.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$30.62 €27.24

-49.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.75 €1.56

-3.43%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$30.5K €27.1K

-2.23%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$30.1K €26.8K

-13.20%

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

$156 BGN 272

$341 €304

-54.29%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$15.66 €13.93

37.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$38.35 €34.11

-60.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$42.40 €37.72

8.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$22.63 €20.13

23.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$15.52 €13.81

-34.41%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$454 €404

70.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$15.7K €14.0K

-18.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$82.2 €73.1

9.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$58.6 €52.1

-29.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$109 €97.3

-3.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$128 €114

-16.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$928 €825

-15.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$928 €826

-35.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$1,645 €1,464

-7.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$1,293 €1,150

-20.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$7,702 €6,851

-43.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$6,040 €5,372

-47.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

3.5

-17.43%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zell am see: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Zell am see

$928 40.3% 55.5% $332

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Zell am see

$392 17% 35% $102

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Zell am see

$281 12.2% 10.3% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Zell am see

$395 17.2% 105% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Zell am see

$170 7.4% 10.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Zell am see

$73 3.2% 10.5% $7

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Zell am see

$66 2.9% 71.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $928 in Zell am see. 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 $84.0 in Zell am see. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $392 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇦🇹 Zell am see

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

10,131

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Zell am see 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Zell am see

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 Zell am see: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $2,307 in Zell am see – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $3,460 in Zell am see. 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 $2,307 in Zell am see. That's a gap of about 45%.

Public transport costs about 66% 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 Zell am see at $2,307. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zell am see 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 $2,307 in Zell am see. 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, Zell am see makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.