Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tesanj and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Tesanj: $880 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Tesanj
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Tesanj Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Tesanj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$880

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $880 per month in Tesanj vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Tesanj $880
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $1,288 per month in Tesanj vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Tesanj $1,288
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $1,696 per month in Tesanj vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Tesanj $1,696
Sofia $3,361

Tesanj is about 45% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tesanj sits 35% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 BAM 5.87

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-79.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.14 BAM 28.07

$65.8 BGN 115

-75.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 BAM 4.91

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-75.09%

Cappuccino

$0.84 BAM 1.46

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-75.51%

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

$1.39 BAM 2.42

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-42.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 BAM 1.44

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-55.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 BAM 3.42

$3.70 BGN 6.44

-46.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BAM 2.95

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-62.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 BAM 1.44

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-58.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 BAM 1.44

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-46.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 BAM 4.30

$2.33 BGN 4.05

6.01%

Eggs

$3.07 BAM 5.34

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 BAM 17.44

$11.76 BGN 20.47

-14.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.09 BAM 12.33

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-19.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 BAM 24.56

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-19.13%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 BAM 1.72

$2.15 BGN 3.74

-53.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 BAM 2.79

$1.98 BGN 3.44

-19.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 BAM 2.12

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-36.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 BAM 3.06

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-58.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 BAM 1.82

$1.04 BGN 1.80

0.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 BAM 1.89

$0.85 BGN 1.48

28.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BAM 2.00

$1.15 BGN 2.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 BAM 1.69

$0.89 BGN 1.56

8.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 BAM 6.59

$4.21 BGN 7.33

-9.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 BAM 15.07

$7.46 BGN 12.98

16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BAM 1.94

$1.15 BGN 2.01

-3.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 BAM 2.31

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-28.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 BAM 2.57

$0.87 BGN 1.51

70.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 BAM 2.02

$1.68 BGN 2.93

-30.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 BAM 1.03

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-37.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 BAM 18.18

$15.35 BGN 26.70

-31.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 BAM 2.75

$1.69 BGN 2.94

-6.51%

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

$30.2K BAM 52.6K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

1.48%

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

$22.0K BAM 38.3K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

-15.71%

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

$93.1 BAM 162

$156 BGN 272

-40.38%

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

$18.33 BAM 31.87

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-14.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.91 BAM 50.3

$15.24 BGN 26.51

89.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.13 BAM 57.6

$46.08 BGN 80.2

-28.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.53 BAM 49.62

$27.92 BGN 48.58

2.18%

Cinema Ticket

$2.79 BAM 4.86

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-72.59%

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

$135 BAM 235

$774 BGN 1,347

-82.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,835 BAM 6,668

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-70.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 BAM 101

$89.9 BGN 157

-35.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.70 BAM 56.9

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-20.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 BAM 166

$105 BGN 183

-8.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 BAM 222

$107 BGN 186

19.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 BAM 554

$783 BGN 1,362

-59.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 BAM 452

$597 BGN 1,038

-56.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 BAM 817

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-69.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 BAM 638

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-64.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,412 BAM 4,195

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-44.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 BAM 3,096

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-43.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$685 BAM 1,191

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-60.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

2.89

48.79%

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

Last update for Tesanj: 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

Tesanj

$260 29.5%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 130% $337

Groceries & Markets

Tesanj

$222 25.2%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 30.8% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Tesanj

$142 16.1%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 9.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tesanj

$140 15.9%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 37.5% $53

Eating Out

Tesanj

$68 7.7%

Sofia

$255 16% 276% $187

Sport & Entertainment

Tesanj

$39 4.4%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 71.6% $28

Getting Around

Tesanj

$10 * 1.1%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 283% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Tesanj 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 153% 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 $16.00 in Tesanj versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $290 – making Tesanj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Tesanj

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

09:42 9:42 AM

1 h ahead of Tesanj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,500

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (KM)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

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).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tesanj Sofia 480 km

From you

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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

Tesanj vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $880 in Tesanj, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 81% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,320 per month in Tesanj 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 Tesanj, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Tesanj and $66.0 in Sofia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tesanj, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Tesanj 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 $880 in Tesanj 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 Tesanj. 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.