Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Sofia 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Sofia is 2.5% lower than in Bucharest (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Sofia is 0.1% higher than in Bucharest | |
| Rent Prices in Sofia are 9.4% higher than in Bucharest | |
| Restaurant Prices in Sofia are 13.6% lower than in Bucharest | |
| Groceries Prices in Sofia are 2.4% higher than in Bucharest | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Sofia is 18.0% higher than in Bucharest | |
Restaurants | Bucharest Edit |
Sofia Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant |
11.79 € (60.00 lei) |
10.22 € (20.00 лв) |
-13.3 % |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) |
58.95 € (300.00 lei) |
46.01 € (90.00 лв) |
-22.0 % |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) |
6.88 € (35.00 lei) |
8.18 € (16.00 лв) |
+18.9 % |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) |
2.95 € (15.00 lei) |
2.56 € (5.00 лв) |
-13.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
2.95 € (15.00 lei) |
2.81 € (5.50 лв) |
-4.6 % |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) |
2.82 € (14.38 lei) |
2.28 € (4.45 лв) |
-19.5 % |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) |
1.95 € (9.93 lei) |
1.54 € (3.02 лв) |
-20.9 % |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) |
1.75 € (8.92 lei) |
1.22 € (2.38 лв) |
-30.4 % |
Markets | Bucharest Edit |
Sofia Edit | |
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) |
1.51 € (7.66 lei) |
1.62 € (3.18 лв) |
+7.8 % |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) |
1.08 € (5.52 lei) |
0.98 € (1.92 лв) |
-9.4 % |
| White Rice (1 lb) |
0.71 € (3.63 lei) |
0.78 € (1.52 лв) |
+9.2 % |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) |
3.18 € (16.20 lei) |
3.30 € (6.46 лв) |
+3.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
3.85 € (19.59 lei) |
4.81 € (9.41 лв) |
+24.9 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
2.97 € (15.14 lei) |
3.17 € (6.21 лв) |
+6.6 % |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) |
4.88 € (24.81 lei) |
5.19 € (10.16 лв) |
+6.5 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
0.56 € (2.87 lei) |
0.74 € (1.45 лв) |
+31.2 % |
| Bananas (1 lb) |
0.68 € (3.47 lei) |
0.74 € (1.44 лв) |
+8.2 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
0.72 € (3.69 lei) |
0.72 € (1.41 лв) |
-0.4 % |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
1.03 € (5.24 lei) |
1.07 € (2.08 лв) |
+3.4 % |
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
0.41 € (2.11 lei) |
0.43 € (0.83 лв) |
+2.8 % |
| Onions (1 lb) |
0.41 € (2.08 lei) |
0.36 € (0.71 лв) |
-11.5 % |
| Lettuce (1 Head) |
0.78 € (3.97 lei) |
0.89 € (1.74 лв) |
+14.4 % |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) |
0.78 € (3.95 lei) |
0.61 € (1.19 лв) |
-21.6 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
6.88 € (35.00 lei) |
6.39 € (12.50 лв) |
-7.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) |
1.10 € (5.60 lei) |
0.90 € (1.75 лв) |
-18.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
1.65 € (8.39 lei) |
1.53 € (2.99 лв) |
-7.2 % |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) |
5.70 € (29.00 lei) |
3.43 € (6.70 лв) |
-39.9 % |
Transportation | Bucharest Edit |
Sofia Edit | |
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) |
0.98 € (5.00 lei) |
0.82 € (1.60 лв) |
-16.7 % |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) |
19.65 € (100.00 lei) |
25.56 € (50.00 лв) |
+30.1 % |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) |
0.59 € (3.00 lei) |
1.33 € (2.60 лв) |
+125.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) |
0.95 € (4.83 lei) |
1.32 € (2.57 лв) |
+38.8 % |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) |
5.89 € (30.00 lei) |
12.27 € (24.00 лв) |
+108.1 % |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) |
1.46 € (7.41 lei) |
1.30 € (2.54 лв) |
-10.9 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) |
24,561.98 € (125,000.00 lei) |
26,582.84 € (52,000.00 лв) |
+8.2 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) |
25,514.55 € (129,847.79 lei) |
25,696.92 € (50,267.02 лв) |
+0.7 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Bucharest Edit |
Sofia Edit | |
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) |
159.56 € (812.02 lei) |
131.18 € (256.60 лв) |
-17.8 % |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) |
7.33 € (37.30 lei) |
15.61 € (30.53 лв) |
+113.0 % |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) |
9.88 € (50.29 lei) |
12.55 € (24.54 лв) |
+27.0 % |
Sports And Leisure | Bucharest Edit |
Sofia Edit | |
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership |
45.14 € (229.74 lei) |
38.97 € (76.22 лв) |
-13.7 % |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) |
25.44 € (129.45 lei) |
18.36 € (35.91 лв) |
-27.8 % |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) |
8.84 € (45.00 lei) |
8.69 € (17.00 лв) |
-1.7 % |
Childcare | Bucharest Edit |
Sofia Edit | |
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child |
576.64 € (2,934.64 lei) |
563.48 € (1,102.25 лв) |
-2.3 % |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child |
12,462.26 € (63,422.50 lei) |
8,828.61 € (17,270.08 лв) |
-29.2 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Bucharest Edit |
Sofia Edit | |
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) |
69.54 € (353.91 lei) |
62.77 € (122.79 лв) |
-9.7 % |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) |
37.97 € (193.24 lei) |
32.73 € (64.03 лв) |
-13.8 % |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
81.55 € (415.00 lei) |
94.01 € (183.89 лв) |
+15.3 % |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes |
92.67 € (471.60 lei) |
99.90 € (195.41 лв) |
+7.8 % |
Rent Per Month | Bucharest Edit |
Sofia Edit | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
574.52 € (2,923.85 lei) |
634.28 € (1,240.75 лв) |
+10.4 % |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
374.42 € (1,905.51 lei) |
477.44 € (933.95 лв) |
+27.5 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
1,126.73 € (5,734.12 lei) |
1,138.93 € (2,227.92 лв) |
+1.1 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
711.42 € (3,620.54 lei) |
799.37 € (1,563.69 лв) |
+12.4 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Bucharest Edit |
Sofia Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
291.21 € (1,482.04 lei) |
326.29 € (638.28 лв) |
+12.0 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
170.10 € (865.65 lei) |
206.18 € (403.33 лв) |
+21.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | Bucharest Edit |
Sofia Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
1,193.91 € (6,076.02 lei) |
1,410.14 € (2,758.44 лв) |
+18.1 % |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 7.23 | 3.01 | -58.3 % |
| Last update: | 6 November 2025 | 4 November 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 403 | 451 |
Moving to Bucharest? Explore:
Moving to Sofia? Explore:
Cities near Bucharest: | Cost of Living in Bolintin-Vale | 23.86 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ploiesti | 39.03 miles |
| Cost of Living in Campina | 59.84 miles |
| Cost of Living in Pitesti | 75.29 miles |
| Cost of Living in Calarasi | 80.25 miles |
| Cost of Living in Brasov | 106.02 miles |
| Cost of Living in Focsani | 113.83 miles |
| Cost of Living in Braila | 135.65 miles |
| Cost of Living in Constanta | 138.37 miles |
| Cost of Living in Craiova | 144.55 miles |
Cities near Sofia: | Cost of Living in Dupnica | 40.45 miles |
| Cost of Living in Blagoevgrad | 60.12 miles |
| Cost of Living in Plovdiv | 89.49 miles |
| Cost of Living in Pleven | 102.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Veliko Tarnovo | 138.42 miles |
| Cost of Living in Vidin | 155.77 miles |
| Cost of Living in Sliven | 185.51 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ruse | 193.95 miles |