Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tetovo and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Tetovo: $995 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Tetovo
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Tetovo Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Tetovo

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$995

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $995 per month in Tetovo vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Tetovo $995
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $1,498 per month in Tetovo vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Tetovo $1,498
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $2,001 per month in Tetovo vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Tetovo $2,001
Sofia $3,361

Tetovo is about 38% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tetovo sits 26% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 MKD 401

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-56.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.44 MKD 1,497

$65.8 BGN 115

-58.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 MKD 319

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-48.41%

Cappuccino

$1.49 MKD 81.4

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-56.56%

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

$1.48 MKD 80.7

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-38.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MKD 50.4

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-50.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 MKD 118

$3.70 BGN 6.44

-41.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 MKD 120

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-51.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 MKD 68.2

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-38.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 MKD 34.44

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-59.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 MKD 71.0

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-44.21%

Eggs

$2.12 MKD 116

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-51.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 MKD 394

$11.76 BGN 20.47

-38.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 MKD 291

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-39.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.05 MKD 548

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-42.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.1

$2.15 BGN 3.74

-33.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MKD 79.2

$1.98 BGN 3.44

-26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 MKD 54.0

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-48.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 MKD 103

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-55.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 49.04

$1.04 BGN 1.80

-13.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 MKD 37.87

$0.85 BGN 1.48

-18.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 MKD 31.79

$1.15 BGN 2.00

-49.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MKD 27.27

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-43.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 MKD 166

$4.21 BGN 7.33

-27.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.50 MKD 245

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-39.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 55.1

$1.15 BGN 2.01

-12.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MKD 78.1

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-22.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MKD 20.19

$0.87 BGN 1.51

-57.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.77 MKD 588

$28.53 BGN 49.65

-62.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 MKD 58.6

$1.68 BGN 2.93

-36.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MKD 30.35

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-40.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.71 MKD 421

$15.35 BGN 26.70

-49.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 81.4

$1.69 BGN 2.94

-11.83%

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

$35.9K MKD 2.0M

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

20.60%

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

$27.7K MKD 1.5M

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

6.17%

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

$158 MKD 8,610

$156 BGN 272

1.13%

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

$17.78 MKD 970

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-17.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.94 MKD 1,033

$15.24 BGN 26.51

24.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 MKD 3,822

$46.08 BGN 80.2

52.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.00 MKD 982

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-35.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 MKD 300

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-46.07%

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

$220 MKD 12.0K

$774 BGN 1,347

-71.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,152 MKD 117.4K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-83.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 MKD 3,430

$89.9 BGN 157

-30.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.22 MKD 1,976

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-12.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 MKD 5,435

$105 BGN 183

-5.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,104

$107 BGN 186

4.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 MKD 19.3K

$783 BGN 1,362

-54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 MKD 15.0K

$597 BGN 1,038

-53.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 MKD 31.4K

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-62.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 MKD 26.7K

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-52.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,214 MKD 66.2K

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-72.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,079 MKD 58.8K

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-66.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$858 MKD 46.8K

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-50.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

2.89

29.76%

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

Last update for Tetovo: 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

Tetovo

$275 27.6%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 117% $322

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tetovo

$195 19.6%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 0.9% $1.7

Groceries & Markets

Tetovo

$170 17.1%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 71.2% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Tetovo

$140 14.1%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 10.4% $15

Eating Out

Tetovo

$119 12%

Sofia

$255 16% 114% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Tetovo

$81 8.2%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 18% $15

Getting Around

Tetovo

$16 1.6%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 138% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $353 in Tetovo 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 102% 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 $27.00 in Tetovo versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $290 – making Tetovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Tetovo

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

10:23 10:23 AM

1 h ahead of Tetovo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,000

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 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 MKD in detail →

On the map

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Tetovo Sofia 210 km

From you

Tetovo
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

Tetovo vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $995 in Tetovo, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,492 per month in Tetovo 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 Tetovo, 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 $995 in Tetovo and $1,594 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 60%.

Public transport costs about 165% less in Tetovo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tetovo, where all-in costs run around $995, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Tetovo 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 $995 in Tetovo 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 Tetovo. 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.