Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varese and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $2,082 in Varese, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Varese
Learn more

Varese Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Varese

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,082

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,082 per month in Varese vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Varese $2,082
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $3,466 per month in Varese vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Varese $3,466
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $4,849 per month in Varese vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Varese $4,849
Sofia $3,361

Varese costs about 31% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Varese and Sofia sit above the global median – Varese by 54%, Sofia by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.07 €19.63

$16.87 BGN 29.35

30.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.9

$65.8 BGN 115

53.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €12.37

$11.32 BGN 19.69

22.88%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.95

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-35.86%

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

$3.50 €3.11

$2.41 BGN 4.19

45.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-8.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 €5.84

$3.70 BGN 6.44

77.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 €5.87

$4.58 BGN 7.97

44.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-15.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 €2.30

$1.56 BGN 2.72

66.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 €3.06

$2.33 BGN 4.05

47.64%

Eggs

$5.11 €4.55

$4.36 BGN 7.59

17.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.18 €27.73

$11.76 BGN 20.47

165.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.83 €11.41

$8.83 BGN 15.37

45.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.34 €24.32

$17.46 BGN 30.38

56.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$2.15 BGN 3.74

31.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$1.98 BGN 3.44

40.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 €2.62

$1.93 BGN 3.37

52.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-22.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$1.04 BGN 1.80

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$0.85 BGN 1.48

162.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.15 BGN 2.00

100.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.56

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-29.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 €7.12

$4.21 BGN 7.33

90.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 €7.78

$7.46 BGN 12.98

17.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.15 BGN 2.01

45.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-12.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 €2.29

$0.87 BGN 1.51

195.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.71 €44.21

$28.53 BGN 49.65

74.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 €4.98

$1.68 BGN 2.93

233.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.94 BGN 1.63

142.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.25 €34.92

$15.35 BGN 26.70

155.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.69 BGN 2.94

26.63%

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

$36.5K €32.5K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

22.61%

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

$34.4K €30.6K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

31.66%

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

$220 €196

$156 BGN 272

41.12%

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

$12.94 €11.51

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-39.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 €28.73

$15.24 BGN 26.51

111.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €48.89

$46.08 BGN 80.2

19.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.63 €21.91

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-11.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 €9.94

$10.18 BGN 17.72

9.72%

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

$733 €652

$774 BGN 1,347

-5.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,069 €6,288

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-44.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €95.3

$89.9 BGN 157

19.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 €50.5

$41.29 BGN 71.8

37.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 €117

$105 BGN 183

25.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €148

$107 BGN 186

55.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 €838

$783 BGN 1,362

20.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 €631

$597 BGN 1,038

18.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 €1,528

$1,516 BGN 2,638

13.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,426

$1,030 BGN 1,792

55.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,525 €2,246

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-41.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 €1,519

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-46.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 €2,127

$1,735 BGN 3,019

37.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

2.89

29.07%

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

Last update for Varese: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varese

$709 34.1%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 15.8% $112

Groceries & Markets

Varese

$434 20.8%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 33.1% $144

Eating Out

Varese

$311 15%

Sofia

$255 16% 18.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varese

$266 12.8%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 27.4% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Varese

$208 10%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 25.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Varese

$77 3.7%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 14% $11

Getting Around

Varese

$77 3.7%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 50.2% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $942 in Varese 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 38% higher in Varese, 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 $101 in Varese versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $434 vs $290 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Varese

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

18:05 6:05 PM

19:05 7:05 PM

1 h ahead of Varese

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,511

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Varese Sofia 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Varese
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

Varese vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,082 in Varese, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,123 per month in Varese 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 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 $2,082 in Varese and $1,594 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 31%.

Public transport costs about 74% 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 $1,594, than in Varese at $2,082. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varese 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 $1,594 in Sofia to $2,082 in Varese. 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, Varese makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.