Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Tbilisi: $1,269 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,269

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,269 per month in Tbilisi vs $1,609 in Sofia, rent included.

Tbilisi $1,269
Sofia $1,609

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tbilisi vs $2,495 in Sofia, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,016
Sofia $2,495

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Tbilisi vs $3,381 in Sofia, rent included.

Tbilisi $2,763
Sofia $3,381

Tbilisi is about 21% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tbilisi sits 7% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 ₾30.07

$16.88 BGN 29.53

-31.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₾97.9

$66.5 BGN 116

-43.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 ₾24.98

$11.59 BGN 20.29

-16.65%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ₾9.24

$3.52 BGN 6.17

1.42%

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

$1.08 ₾2.78

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-55.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.45

$1.77 BGN 3.09

-68.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₾6.78

$3.68 BGN 6.44

-28.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₾7.86

$4.38 BGN 7.66

-30.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₾5.60

$1.96 BGN 3.42

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₾2.06

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-47.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ₾4.51

$2.20 BGN 3.85

-20.91%

Eggs

$2.83 ₾7.31

$4.40 BGN 7.71

-35.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ₾24.08

$11.76 BGN 20.59

-20.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ₾16.86

$8.68 BGN 15.19

-24.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 ₾33.50

$17.37 BGN 30.40

-25.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₾4.34

$2.13 BGN 3.73

-21.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.80

$2.05 BGN 3.59

-9.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.10

$1.93 BGN 3.38

2.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ₾6.25

$4.17 BGN 7.30

-41.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ₾2.11

$1.08 BGN 1.89

-24.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.91 BGN 1.59

-18.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₾3.47

$1.18 BGN 2.07

13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₾2.00

$0.84 BGN 1.47

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ₾9.24

$4.18 BGN 7.32

-14.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₾19.84

$7.68 BGN 13.43

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.39

$1.17 BGN 2.05

45.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₾6.21

$1.80 BGN 3.16

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₾1.05

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-54.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.23 ₾39.39

$29.06 BGN 50.9

-47.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.95

$1.68 BGN 2.94

-32.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₾2.02

$0.87 BGN 1.53

-10.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 ₾30.59

$15.76 BGN 27.58

-24.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₾3.75

$1.73 BGN 3.02

-16.18%

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

$24.6K ₾63.6K

$29.7K BGN 51.9K

-17.15%

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

$22.3K ₾57.8K

$25.6K BGN 44.8K

-12.69%

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

$88.8 ₾230

$161 BGN 282

-44.80%

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

$13.12 ₾33.94

$21.08 BGN 36.89

-37.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.67 ₾50.9

$15.19 BGN 26.58

29.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ₾166

$48.34 BGN 84.6

32.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ₾49.25

$27.47 BGN 48.07

-30.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 ₾18.42

$10.16 BGN 17.78

-29.92%

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

$375 ₾971

$785 BGN 1,374

-52.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₾27.1K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-17.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₾268

$89.8 BGN 157

15.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 ₾102

$41.29 BGN 72.3

-4.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾304

$108 BGN 188

9.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾315

$109 BGN 191

11.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 ₾1,798

$789 BGN 1,381

-11.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₾1,167

$604 BGN 1,057

-25.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₾3,505

$1,517 BGN 2,654

-10.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₾2,344

$1,037 BGN 1,814

-12.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,295 ₾5,936

$4,407 BGN 7,712

-47.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,345 ₾3,479

$3,137 BGN 5,490

-57.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₾1,718

$1,736 BGN 3,038

-61.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

2.89

336.68%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$451 35.6%

Sofia

$604 37.5% 33.9% $153

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$234 18.4%

Sofia

$288 17.9% 23.1% $54

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Sofia

$256 15.9% 34.3% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

Sofia

$157 9.7% 8.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$122 9.6%

Sofia

$197 12.3% 62.1% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.2%

Sofia

$69 4.3% 12.3% $9.6

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Sofia

$39 2.4% 76.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Tbilisi versus $789 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 in Sofia are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tbilisi versus $66 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $288 – making Tbilisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

16:53 4:53 PM

2 h behind Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.347 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.513 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.88 GEL (1 GEL = 0.347 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.513 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tbilisi Sofia 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
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

Tbilisi vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,269 in Tbilisi, $1,609 in Sofia – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Tbilisi and $2,413 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tbilisi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $695 there versus $789 in Sofia.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,609 in Sofia. That’s a gap of about 27%.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Tbilisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,269 in Tbilisi and $1,609 in Sofia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tbilisi costs $1,269 versus $1,609 in Sofia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Tbilisi. 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.