Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zell am see and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,594 a month against $2,307 in Zell am see, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Zell am see
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Zell am see Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Zell am see

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,307

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,307 per month in Zell am see vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Zell am see $2,307
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $3,305 per month in Zell am see vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Zell am see $3,305
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $4,304 per month in Zell am see vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Zell am see $4,304
Sofia $3,361

Zell am see costs about 45% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zell am see and Sofia sit above the global median – Zell am see by 71%, Sofia by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.93 €15.06

$16.87 BGN 29.35

0.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 €75.0

$65.8 BGN 115

28.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 €8.94

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-11.13%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.87

$3.43 BGN 5.98

26.82%

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

$3.53 €3.14

$2.41 BGN 4.19

46.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.53

$1.85 BGN 3.22

53.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.85

$3.70 BGN 6.44

47.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 €4.74

$4.58 BGN 7.97

16.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.48

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.56 BGN 2.72

52.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$2.33 BGN 4.05

2.58%

Eggs

$4.68 €4.16

$4.36 BGN 7.59

7.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.25 €19.79

$11.76 BGN 20.47

89.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.68 €11.28

$8.83 BGN 15.37

43.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.27 €18.92

$17.46 BGN 30.38

21.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.58

$2.15 BGN 3.74

34.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.98 BGN 3.44

27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 €2.93

$1.93 BGN 3.37

70.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.66

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-2.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.20

$1.04 BGN 1.80

138.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 €2.84

$0.85 BGN 1.48

275.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.15 BGN 2.00

86.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$0.89 BGN 1.56

43.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.65 €6.81

$4.21 BGN 7.33

81.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.71 €7.74

$7.46 BGN 12.98

16.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.15 BGN 2.01

13.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.85 BGN 3.23

18.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.53

$0.87 BGN 1.51

226.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.40 €42.16

$28.53 BGN 49.65

66.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 €2.59

$1.68 BGN 2.93

73.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 €0.76

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-8.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.62 €27.24

$15.35 BGN 26.70

99.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.69 BGN 2.94

3.55%

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

$30.5K €27.1K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

2.29%

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

$30.1K €26.8K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

15.20%

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

$341 €304

$156 BGN 272

118.79%

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

$15.66 €13.93

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-27.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.35 €34.11

$15.24 BGN 26.51

151.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.40 €37.72

$46.08 BGN 80.2

-7.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.63 €20.13

$27.92 BGN 48.58

-18.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.52 €13.81

$10.18 BGN 17.72

52.46%

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

$454 €404

$774 BGN 1,347

-41.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K €14.0K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

22.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 €73.1

$89.9 BGN 157

-8.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.6 €52.1

$41.29 BGN 71.8

41.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.3

$105 BGN 183

4.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$107 BGN 186

19.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 €825

$783 BGN 1,362

18.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$928 €826

$597 BGN 1,038

55.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 €1,464

$1,516 BGN 2,638

8.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 €1,150

$1,030 BGN 1,792

25.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,851

$4,350 BGN 7,568

77.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,040 €5,372

$3,177 BGN 5,528

90.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

2.89

21.11%

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

Last update for Zell am see: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zell am see

$928 40.3%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 35.7% $332

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zell am see

$395 17.2%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 51.2% $203

Groceries & Markets

Zell am see

$392 17%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 25.9% $102

Eating Out

Zell am see

$281 12.2%

Sofia

$255 16% 9.4% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Zell am see

$170 7.4%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 9.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Zell am see

$73 3.2%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 9.5% $7

Getting Around

Zell am see

$66 2.9%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 41.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $928 in Zell am see 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Zell am see versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $290 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Zell am see

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

10:19 10:19 AM

1 h ahead of Zell am see

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,131

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

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Between locations

Zell am see Sofia 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Zell am see
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

Zell am see vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,307 in Zell am see, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,460 per month in Zell am see 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 $2,307 in Zell am see and $1,594 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 45%.

Public transport costs about 66% 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 Zell am see at $2,307. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zell am see 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 $2,307 in Zell am see. 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, Zell am see makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.