Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stara Zagora and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $869 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
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Stara Zagora Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$869

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stara Zagora and in Sofia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Stara Zagora and in Sofia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $869 per month in Stara Zagora vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Stara Zagora $869
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $1,382 per month in Stara Zagora vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,382
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Stara Zagora vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,896
Sofia $3,361

Stara Zagora is about 45% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Stara Zagora sits 36% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.29 BGN 17.91

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-39.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.8 BGN 90.1

$65.8 BGN 115

-21.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 BGN 15.61

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-20.76%

Cappuccino

$2.30 BGN 4.01

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-32.94%

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

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-35.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.50

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-53.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 BGN 3.82

$3.70 BGN 6.44

-40.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 BGN 3.36

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-57.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 BGN 2.97

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-15.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-48.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 BGN 2.63

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-35.19%

Eggs

$2.25 BGN 3.92

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-48.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 BGN 15.72

$11.76 BGN 20.47

-23.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 BGN 11.05

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-28.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.15 BGN 14.19

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-53.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 BGN 2.21

$2.15 BGN 3.74

-40.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

$1.98 BGN 3.44

-17.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.96

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-11.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 BGN 3.25

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-55.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.61

$1.04 BGN 1.80

-10.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$0.85 BGN 1.48

-10.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.95

$1.15 BGN 2.00

-52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 BGN 1.08

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-30.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 BGN 6.53

$4.21 BGN 7.33

-10.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 BGN 9.00

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-30.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 BGN 1.91

$1.15 BGN 2.01

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-5.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 BGN 1.47

$0.87 BGN 1.51

-2.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.24 BGN 31.73

$28.53 BGN 49.65

-36.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 BGN 2.23

$1.68 BGN 2.93

-23.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.13

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-30.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.19 BGN 19.48

$15.35 BGN 26.70

-27.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 BGN 2.87

$1.69 BGN 2.94

-2.37%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

0.47%

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

$22.0K BGN 38.2K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

-15.90%

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

$93.8 BGN 163

$156 BGN 272

-39.92%

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

$14.89 BGN 25.91

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-30.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.17 BGN 21.18

$15.24 BGN 26.51

-20.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.16 BGN 47.26

$46.08 BGN 80.2

-41.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.15 BGN 36.80

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-24.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.94 BGN 15.55

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-12.18%

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

$228 BGN 396

$774 BGN 1,347

-70.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,259 BGN 3,930

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-82.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.12 BGN 52.4

$89.9 BGN 157

-66.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.54 BGN 34.01

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-52.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 BGN 114

$105 BGN 183

-37.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 BGN 88.2

$107 BGN 186

-52.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 BGN 501

$783 BGN 1,362

-63.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 BGN 438

$597 BGN 1,038

-57.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 BGN 860

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-67.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 BGN 699

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-61.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,431 BGN 2,491

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-67.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,038 BGN 1,805

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-67.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,080 BGN 1,880

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-37.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

2.89

3.46%

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

Last update for Stara Zagora: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stara Zagora

$252 29%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 137% $345

Groceries & Markets

Stara Zagora

$189 21.8%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 53.6% $101

Eating Out

Stara Zagora

$161 18.6%

Sofia

$255 16% 57.8% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stara Zagora

$121 13.9%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 59.6% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Stara Zagora

$75 8.6%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 107% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Stara Zagora

$45 5.2%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 47.5% $21

Getting Around

Stara Zagora

$26 3%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 46.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $288 in Stara Zagora versus $783 in Sofia. 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 61% 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 $52.0 in Stara Zagora versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $290 – making Stara Zagora the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

Same time as Stara Zagora

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,266

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Stara Zagora Sofia 190 km

From you

Stara Zagora
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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

Stara Zagora vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $869 in Stara Zagora, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 83% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,304 per month in Stara Zagora and $2,391 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stara Zagora, 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 $869 in Stara Zagora and $1,594 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 83%.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Stara Zagora. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Stara Zagora, where all-in costs run around $869, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Stara Zagora 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 $869 in Stara Zagora 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 Stara Zagora. 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.