Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szekesfehervar and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Szekesfehervar: $1,092 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Szekesfehervar
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Szekesfehervar Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Szekesfehervar

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,092

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,092 per month in Szekesfehervar vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Szekesfehervar $1,092
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $1,793 per month in Szekesfehervar vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Szekesfehervar $1,793
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $2,494 per month in Szekesfehervar vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Szekesfehervar $2,494
Sofia $3,361

Szekesfehervar is about 31% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Szekesfehervar sits 19% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.28 Ft 2,998

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-44.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.0 Ft 18.4K

$65.8 BGN 115

-13.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 Ft 2,696

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-26.24%

Cappuccino

$2.15 Ft 695

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-37.32%

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

$1.42 Ft 458

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-41.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 Ft 346

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-42.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 Ft 650

$3.70 BGN 6.44

-45.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 Ft 717

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-51.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Ft 394

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-39.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 Ft 435

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-13.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 Ft 812

$2.33 BGN 4.05

7.73%

Eggs

$3.37 Ft 1,089

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-22.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 Ft 3,476

$11.76 BGN 20.47

-8.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-30.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.27 Ft 5,256

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-6.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 Ft 696

$2.15 BGN 3.74

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 Ft 728

$1.98 BGN 3.44

13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 Ft 640

$1.93 BGN 3.37

2.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 Ft 1,018

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-25.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 318

$1.04 BGN 1.80

-5.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 Ft 350

$0.85 BGN 1.48

27.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 533

$1.15 BGN 2.00

43.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 Ft 157

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-44.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 Ft 2,067

$4.21 BGN 7.33

52.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.07 Ft 993

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-58.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 Ft 405

$1.15 BGN 2.01

8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 653

$1.85 BGN 3.23

9.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 Ft 399

$0.87 BGN 1.51

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.59 Ft 8,589

$28.53 BGN 49.65

-6.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 Ft 960

$1.68 BGN 2.93

76.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 Ft 558

$0.94 BGN 1.63

84.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.60 Ft 6,011

$15.35 BGN 26.70

21.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 Ft 613

$1.69 BGN 2.94

12.43%

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

$29.7K Ft 9.6M

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

-0.45%

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

$30.8K Ft 10.0M

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

17.91%

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

$129 Ft 41.5K

$156 BGN 272

-17.61%

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

$26.81 Ft 8,662

$21.56 BGN 37.52

24.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.60 Ft 6,333

$15.24 BGN 26.51

28.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 Ft 15.1K

$46.08 BGN 80.2

1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 Ft 2,819

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-14.24%

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

$244 Ft 78.9K

$774 BGN 1,347

-68.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,665 Ft 2.2M

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-47.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 Ft 22.6K

$89.9 BGN 157

-22.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.67 Ft 7,970

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-40.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 Ft 24.7K

$105 BGN 183

-27.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 Ft 27.5K

$107 BGN 186

-20.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 Ft 127.7K

$783 BGN 1,362

-49.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 Ft 97.5K

$597 BGN 1,038

-49.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 Ft 198.5K

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-59.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 Ft 210.9K

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-36.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,394 Ft 1.1M

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-21.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,080 Ft 995.0K

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-3.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,456 Ft 470.5K

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-16.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

2.89

130.80%

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

Last update for Szekesfehervar: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szekesfehervar

$302 27.6%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 97.8% $295

Groceries & Markets

Szekesfehervar

$243 22.3%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 19.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szekesfehervar

$175 16%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 10.2% $18

Eating Out

Szekesfehervar

$150 13.7%

Sofia

$255 16% 70.4% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Szekesfehervar

$115 10.6%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 33.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Szekesfehervar

$64 5.9%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 3.7% $2.4

Getting Around

Szekesfehervar

$43 4%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 11% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $395 in Szekesfehervar 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 19% 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 $57.0 in Szekesfehervar versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $290 – making Szekesfehervar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Szekesfehervar

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

17:23 5:23 PM

1 h ahead of Szekesfehervar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

96,024

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Szekesfehervar Sofia 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Szekesfehervar
Sofia

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

Szekesfehervar vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,092 in Szekesfehervar, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,638 per month in Szekesfehervar 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 Szekesfehervar, 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 $1,092 in Szekesfehervar and $1,594 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 46%.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Szekesfehervar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Szekesfehervar, where all-in costs run around $1,092, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Szekesfehervar 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 $1,092 in Szekesfehervar 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 Szekesfehervar. 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.