Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Venice and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $2,111 in Venice, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Venice
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Venice Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Venice

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,111

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,111 per month in Venice vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Venice $2,111
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $3,226 per month in Venice vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Venice $3,226
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $4,340 per month in Venice vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Venice $4,340
Sofia $3,361

Venice costs about 32% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Venice and Sofia sit above the global median – Venice by 56%, Sofia by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.45 €19.97

$16.87 BGN 29.35

33.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 €86.9

$65.8 BGN 115

48.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 €10.84

$11.32 BGN 19.69

7.60%

Cappuccino

$2.15 €1.92

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-37.32%

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

$3.45 €3.07

$2.41 BGN 4.19

43.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.85 BGN 3.22

5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.83 €6.08

$3.70 BGN 6.44

84.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.64

$4.58 BGN 7.97

13.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.73

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-3.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 €2.40

$1.56 BGN 2.72

72.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 €3.44

$2.33 BGN 4.05

65.67%

Eggs

$5.35 €4.76

$4.36 BGN 7.59

22.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.28 €12.70

$11.76 BGN 20.47

21.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.61 €13.88

$8.83 BGN 15.37

76.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.24 €25.12

$17.46 BGN 30.38

61.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 €3.10

$2.15 BGN 3.74

62.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 €2.54

$1.98 BGN 3.44

44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 €2.58

$1.93 BGN 3.37

50.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 €4.86

$4.24 BGN 7.37

29.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.04 BGN 1.80

89.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$0.85 BGN 1.48

154.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 €1.84

$1.15 BGN 2.00

79.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.66

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-16.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 €6.07

$4.21 BGN 7.33

62.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 €6.05

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-8.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.15 BGN 2.01

50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.85 BGN 3.23

22.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.87 BGN 1.51

87.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 €36.34

$28.53 BGN 49.65

43.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €4.01

$1.68 BGN 2.93

168.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 €1.55

$0.94 BGN 1.63

86.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.69 €29.97

$15.35 BGN 26.70

119.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.82

$1.69 BGN 2.94

21.30%

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

$36.1K €32.1K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

21.22%

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

$35.8K €31.8K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

36.80%

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

$272 €242

$156 BGN 272

74.20%

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

$10.21 €9.08

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-52.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.40 €28.82

$15.24 BGN 26.51

112.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 €80.3

$46.08 BGN 80.2

96.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.61 €21.00

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-15.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 €9.94

$10.18 BGN 17.72

9.82%

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

$620 €551

$774 BGN 1,347

-19.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 €5,873

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-48.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €82.1

$89.9 BGN 157

2.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.33 €34.09

$41.29 BGN 71.8

-7.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €108

$105 BGN 183

15.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 €153

$107 BGN 186

61.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 €1,138

$783 BGN 1,362

63.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 €630

$597 BGN 1,038

18.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,706 €2,407

$1,516 BGN 2,638

78.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €984

$1,030 BGN 1,792

7.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,205 €6,409

$4,350 BGN 7,568

65.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,526 €2,247

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-20.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,627 €1,447

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-6.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.15

2.89

9.00%

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

Last update for Venice: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Venice

$708 33.5%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 15.7% $111

Groceries & Markets

Venice

$417 19.7%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 30.3% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Venice

$315 14.9%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 38.7% $122

Eating Out

Venice

$308 14.6%

Sofia

$255 16% 17.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Venice

$191 9.1%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 19.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Venice

$113 5.3%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 41% $46

Getting Around

Venice

$61 2.9%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 36.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,279 in Venice 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 7% higher in Sofia, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Venice versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $417 vs $290 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Venice

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

00:01 12:01 AM

1 h ahead of Venice

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,879

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

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Between locations

Venice Sofia 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Venice
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

Venice vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,111 in Venice, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 32% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,167 per month in Venice 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 $2,111 in Venice and $1,594 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 32%.

Public transport costs about 43% 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 Venice at $2,111. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Venice 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 $2,111 in Venice. 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, Venice makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.