Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stary Oskol and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Stary Oskol: $1,114 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Stary Oskol
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Stary Oskol Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Stary Oskol

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,114

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stary Oskol 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 Stary Oskol and in Sofia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,114 per month in Stary Oskol vs $1,585 in Sofia, rent included.

Stary Oskol $1,114
Sofia $1,585

A couple spends around $1,746 per month in Stary Oskol vs $2,486 in Sofia, rent included.

Stary Oskol $1,746
Sofia $2,486

A family of three spends $2,378 per month in Stary Oskol vs $3,387 in Sofia, rent included.

Stary Oskol $2,378
Sofia $3,387

Stary Oskol is about 30% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Stary Oskol sits 18% below the global median, while Sofia is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.33 ₽926

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-31.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.90 ₽3,014

$67.7 BGN 118

-45.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.09 ₽498

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-47.86%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ₽255

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-8.50%

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

$1.34 ₽109

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-43.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₽45.18

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-67.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 ₽169

$3.99 BGN 6.94

-48.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ₽243

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-34.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₽98.2

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-38.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₽70.7

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-43.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 ₽98.7

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-48.51%

Eggs

$1.43 ₽117

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-68.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.07 ₽904

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-3.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 ₽406

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-42.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ₽806

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-43.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ₽153

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-13.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 ₽156

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-3.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ₽130

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-12.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 ₽240

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-31.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ₽73.0

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-14.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₽51.7

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-29.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ₽100

$1.19 BGN 2.06

3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₽53.7

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-20.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₽275

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-23.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 ₽805

$7.42 BGN 12.91

32.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₽107

$1.16 BGN 2.01

12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₽152

$1.90 BGN 3.30

-2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ₽49.81

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-33.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.02 ₽1,961

$28.11 BGN 48.91

-14.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ₽195

$1.67 BGN 2.90

43.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ₽29.12

$0.85 BGN 1.49

-57.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.73 ₽549

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-59.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 ₽60.9

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-56.90%

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

$57.7K ₽4.7M

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

92.61%

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

$38.3K ₽3.1M

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

53.24%

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

$144 ₽11.7K

$158 BGN 275

-9.08%

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

$7.37 ₽602

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-65.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.97 ₽651

$15.12 BGN 26.30

-47.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.20 ₽2,712

$46.85 BGN 81.5

-29.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.59 ₽1,926

$27.82 BGN 48.41

-15.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ₽498

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-39.10%

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

$349 ₽28.5K

$815 BGN 1,419

-57.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,075 ₽496.1K

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

-58.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 ₽6,431

$87.1 BGN 152

-9.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 ₽4,972

$38.28 BGN 66.6

59.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 ₽12.4K

$106 BGN 184

43.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ₽9,738

$107 BGN 187

11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 ₽43.4K

$769 BGN 1,338

-30.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ₽25.9K

$593 BGN 1,032

-46.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$854 ₽69.8K

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-44.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₽50.2K

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-42.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,526 ₽206.3K

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-44.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,538 ₽125.6K

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-50.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.33

2.89

638.06%

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

Last update for Stary Oskol: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stary Oskol

$317 28.4%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 87.2% $276

Groceries & Markets

Stary Oskol

$208 18.6%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 38.6% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Stary Oskol

$185 16.6%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 17.6% $32

Eating Out

Stary Oskol

$170 15.3%

Sofia

$254 16% 49% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stary Oskol

$159 14.3%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 22.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Stary Oskol

$45 4.1%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 47.3% $21

Getting Around

Stary Oskol

$31 2.8%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 23.1% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $531 in Stary Oskol versus $769 in Sofia. 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 $37 in Stary Oskol versus $68 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $288 – making Stary Oskol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Stary Oskol

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

01:56 1:56 AM

00:56 12:56 AM

1 h behind Stary Oskol

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,921

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 81.66 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 91.67 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Stary Oskol Sofia 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Stary Oskol
Sofia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Stary Oskol vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,114 in Stary Oskol, $1,585 in Sofia – Stary Oskol comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,671 per month in Stary Oskol and $2,378 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stary Oskol, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $531 there versus $769 in Sofia.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,114 in Stary Oskol and $1,585 in Sofia. That makes Stary Oskol about 30% cheaper.

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

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Stary Oskol, where all-in costs run around $1,114, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Stary Oskol it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Stary Oskol – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Stary Oskol is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.