Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $2,836 in Trondheim, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Trondheim
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Trondheim Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Trondheim

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,836

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,836 per month in Trondheim vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Trondheim $2,836
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $4,192 per month in Trondheim vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Trondheim $4,192
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $5,548 per month in Trondheim vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Trondheim $5,548
Sofia $3,324

Trondheim costs about 78% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Trondheim and Sofia sit above the global median – Trondheim by 112%, Sofia by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 NOK 199

$17.10 BGN 29.93

21.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 NOK 1,001

$66.9 BGN 117

56.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.41 NOK 147

$11.77 BGN 20.59

30.93%

Cappuccino

$5.40 NOK 51.6

$3.42 BGN 5.99

57.89%

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

$5.72 NOK 54.7

$2.42 BGN 4.23

136.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 NOK 40.05

$1.86 BGN 3.26

125.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.00 NOK 124

$3.33 BGN 5.83

290.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.71 NOK 121

$4.53 BGN 7.92

180.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.68

$1.92 BGN 3.36

29.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 NOK 33.54

$1.51 BGN 2.64

132.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.94

$2.21 BGN 3.88

65.61%

Eggs

$4.85 NOK 46.34

$4.40 BGN 7.69

10.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 NOK 123

$11.56 BGN 20.22

11.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 153

$8.79 BGN 15.38

82.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.35 NOK 299

$16.97 BGN 29.71

84.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 NOK 37.71

$2.17 BGN 3.79

82.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 26.81

$2.04 BGN 3.57

37.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 35.79

$1.84 BGN 3.22

103.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.69 NOK 54.3

$4.29 BGN 7.51

32.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.46

$1.03 BGN 1.80

179.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 NOK 29.16

$0.93 BGN 1.62

227.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 NOK 27.91

$1.20 BGN 2.11

143.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 NOK 21.27

$0.92 BGN 1.62

142.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.05 NOK 163

$4.30 BGN 7.53

296.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 175

$7.33 BGN 12.83

150.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 34.49

$1.18 BGN 2.06

205.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 NOK 42.89

$1.87 BGN 3.28

140.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 NOK 44.57

$0.87 BGN 1.52

436.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.7 NOK 952

$28.14 BGN 49.24

254.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.12 NOK 87.1

$1.74 BGN 3.04

424.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 NOK 14.82

$0.96 BGN 1.68

61.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 NOK 569

$15.54 BGN 27.19

283.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.44 NOK 23.28

$1.79 BGN 3.14

36.31%

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

$45.7K NOK 436.7K

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

52.50%

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

$44.1K NOK 420.7K

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

67.08%

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

$274 NOK 2,618

$156 BGN 273

75.78%

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

$34.85 NOK 333

$21.21 BGN 37.11

64.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 782

$15.64 BGN 27.37

423.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.04 NOK 411

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-7.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.57 NOK 378

$27.74 BGN 48.54

42.65%

Cinema Ticket

$20.68 NOK 198

$10.02 BGN 17.53

106.39%

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

$291 NOK 2,776

$766 BGN 1,341

-62.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,315 NOK 41.2K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-66.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,021

$89.7 BGN 157

19.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 NOK 483

$40.88 BGN 71.5

23.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 NOK 1,122

$106 BGN 186

10.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NOK 1,493

$105 BGN 183

49.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 NOK 13.7K

$796 BGN 1,393

79.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 NOK 10.7K

$607 BGN 1,063

84.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,196 NOK 21.0K

$1,563 BGN 2,735

40.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 NOK 15.7K

$1,060 BGN 1,855

55.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,325 NOK 60.4K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

45.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,083 NOK 48.5K

$3,250 BGN 5,688

56.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,213 NOK 40.2K

$1,740 BGN 3,044

142.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

2.89

84.08%

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

Last update for Trondheim: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Trondheim

$1.1K 39.5%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 45.8% $513

Groceries & Markets

Trondheim

$504 17.8%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 43% $216

Eating Out

Trondheim

$408 14.4%

Sofia

$256 16% 37.2% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Trondheim

$391 13.8%

Sofia

$193 12% 50.7% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Trondheim

$194 6.8%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 20.9% $40

Getting Around

Trondheim

$135 4.8%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 71.8% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Trondheim

$84 3%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 20.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,432 in Trondheim versus $796 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 142% higher in Trondheim, 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 $105 in Trondheim versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $504 vs $287 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Trondheim

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

1 h ahead of Trondheim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,121

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.47 USD

100 NOK = 9.34 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.55 NOK (1 NOK = 0.105 USD). 1 EUR = 10.71 NOK (100 NOK = 9.34 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Trondheim Sofia 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Trondheim
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

Trondheim vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,836 in Trondheim, $1,589 in Sofia – roughly 78% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,254 per month in Trondheim and $2,384 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sofia, 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 $2,836 in Trondheim and $1,589 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 78%.

Public transport costs about 254% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Trondheim at $2,836. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Trondheim it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Trondheim has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,589 in Sofia to $2,836 in Trondheim. 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 Sofia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Trondheim makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.