Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Zlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $1,757 in Zlin, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zlin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Zlin
Learn more

Zlin Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Zlin

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Zlin

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,757 in Zlin, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Zlin $1,757

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $2,402 in Zlin, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Zlin $2,402

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $3,047 in Zlin, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Zlin $3,047

Sofia is about 9% cheaper than Zlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sofia and Zlin sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Zlin by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$9.28 Kč 201

81.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$36.10 Kč 781

82.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$6.22 Kč 135

81.99%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$3.15 Kč 68.1

8.89%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$2.01 Kč 43.36

19.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$1.61 Kč 34.92

14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$2.35 Kč 50.8

57.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.83 Kč 61.2

61.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.01 Kč 21.93

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.25 Kč 26.93

24.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.22 Kč 48.10

4.95%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$3.50 Kč 75.7

24.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$13.53 Kč 293

-13.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$9.65 Kč 209

-8.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$13.95 Kč 302

25.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.58 Kč 34.27

36.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.74 Kč 37.72

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.01 Kč 43.48

-3.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$3.61 Kč 78.1

17.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.05 Kč 22.65

-0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.92 Kč 19.94

-7.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.46 Kč 31.63

-21.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.64 Kč 13.77

39.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$7.24 Kč 157

-41.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$6.59 Kč 143

13.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$0.84 Kč 18.13

36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.90 Kč 41.03

-2.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$0.78 Kč 16.89

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$27.60 Kč 597

3.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$2.68 Kč 58.0

-37.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.58 Kč 34.22

-40.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$15.53 Kč 336

-1.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.78 Kč 38.44

-5.06%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$30.1K Kč 652.0K

-1.16%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$29.8K Kč 644.1K

-12.25%

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

$156 BGN 272

$345 Kč 7,468

-54.80%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$20.90 Kč 452

3.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$19.95 Kč 431

-23.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$50.3 Kč 1,087

-8.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$11.45 Kč 248

143.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$10.57 Kč 229

-3.69%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$254 Kč 5,490

204.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$5,344 Kč 115.6K

139.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$110 Kč 2,375

-18.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$33.95 Kč 734

21.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$129 Kč 2,779

-18.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$111 Kč 2,394

-3.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$791 Kč 17.1K

-1.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$663 Kč 14.3K

-9.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$1,147 Kč 24.8K

32.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$898 Kč 19.4K

14.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$4,936 Kč 106.7K

-11.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$3,422 Kč 74.0K

-7.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,466 Kč 31.7K

18.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

5.33

-45.78%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zlin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Zlin

$663 37.7% 11% $66

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Zlin

$260 14.8% 10.4% $30

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Zlin

$163 9.3% 36.2% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Zlin

$386 22% 100% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Zlin

$172 9.8% 11.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Zlin

$71 4.1% 7.5% $5

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Zlin

$41 2.4% 7.7% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $791 in Zlin. 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 18% higher in Sofia, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Sofia versus $36.00 in Zlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $260 – making Zlin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇨🇿 Zlin

🕒 Local time

19:53 7:53 PM

18:53 6:53 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

75,870

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Sofia Zlin 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Zlin

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 Zlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $1,757 in Zlin – roughly 10% 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 $2,635 in Zlin. 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 $1,757 in Zlin. That's a gap of about 10%.

Public transport costs about 3% 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 Zlin at $1,757. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zlin 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 $1,757 in Zlin. 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, Zlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.