Bucharest vs Sofia - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Bucharest Sofia
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1036
$1043
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2606
$2606
🏠 One person rent
$496
$494
🏘️ Family rent
$863
$874
🍽️ Food expenses
$354
$362
🚐 Transport expenses
$72.4
$83.5
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1242
$1389
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
8 km
🎓 Higher education
76
69
😀 Quality of life
78
78
🏙️ Population
1.72M
1.4M

The cost of living in Bucharest is 0.6% less expensive than in Sofia. Cities ranked 5404th and 5350th ($1036 vs $1043) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 1st in Romania and Bulgaria, respectively. Check Romania vs Bulgaria comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.2 months in Bucharest compared to 1.3 months in Sofia. Bucharest ranked 1st best city to live in Romania vs Sofia ranked 1st in Bulgaria, while ranked 642nd and 707th among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Bucharest vs Sofia

Prices for goods and services in Bucharest and Sofia are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Bucharest Sofia
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.6
$9.9
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$47
$39.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.53
$8.45
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.06
$2.32
☕ Cappuccino
$3.18
$2.37
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.11
$1.42
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$545
$475
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$348
$359
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$948
$943
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$640
$651
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$99
$98
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$152
$151
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$9.34
$13.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
7.21%
3.18%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2831
$3253
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1759
$2109
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.67
$0.9
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$18.6
$27.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$5.92
$7.6
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.64
$1.55
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.77
$1.82
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.03
$0.96
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$1.59
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.32
$3.79
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.2
$11
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.76
$8.72
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.6
$12.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.67
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.74
$1.89
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.71
$1.78
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2
$2.49
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.08
$1.15
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.05
$1.08
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.6
$0.48
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.11
$1.58
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.93
$7.55
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.18
$1.07
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.06
$3.68
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.85
$8.05
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.36
$3.32
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.78
$1.98
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.29
$2.85
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$44.3
$34.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.19
$8.22
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$55
$34.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$11.1
$9.66
👖 Brand Jeans
$78.8
$66.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$87.9
$111
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$532
$556
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$10286
$7369

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Bucharest

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 8.3 mi Voluntari
$900
56 km or 35 mi Giurgiu
$852
60 km or 37 mi Ploiesti
$786
62 km or 39 mi Ruse
$668
77 km or 48 mi Targoviste
$757
77 km or 48 mi Alexandria
$663
102 km or 63 mi Buzau
$795
102 km or 63 mi Calarasi
$727
103 km or 64 mi Slobozia
$759
108 km or 67 mi Pitesti
$772
137 km or 85 mi Slatina
$631
143 km or 89 mi Shumen
$644
144 km or 90 mi Brasov
$955
151 km or 94 mi Veliko Tarnovo
$793
156 km or 97 mi Ramnicu Valcea
$688
161 km or 100 mi Pleven
$684
164 km or 102 mi Sfantu Gheorghe
$751
168 km or 104 mi Dobrich
$755
168 km or 105 mi Focsani
$751
177 km or 110 mi Braila
$721
180 km or 112 mi Craiova
$744
181 km or 112 mi Gabrovo
$589
192 km or 119 mi Galati
$831
192 km or 119 mi Sliven
$624
198 km or 123 mi Varna
$931
203 km or 126 mi Mamaia
$961
205 km or 127 mi Constanta
$1035
216 km or 134 mi Yambol
$561
217 km or 135 mi Sibiu
$837
223 km or 138 mi Stara Zagora
$693
232 km or 144 mi Tulcea
$832
233 km or 145 mi Targu Jiu
$761
236 km or 146 mi Cahul
$846
237 km or 147 mi Barlad
$759
238 km or 148 mi Medias
$584
239 km or 148 mi Burgas
$573
243 km or 151 mi Vratsa
$876
251 km or 156 mi Bacau
$735
260 km or 161 mi Vidin
$640
267 km or 166 mi Targu Mures
$721

Cities near Sofia

Distance City Cost of living
26 km or 16 mi Pernik
$712
59 km or 37 mi Vratsa
$876
77 km or 48 mi Blagoevgrad
$610
97 km or 60 mi Bansko
$943
100 km or 62 mi Pazardzhik
$706
132 km or 82 mi Pleven
$684
132 km or 82 mi Plovdiv
$770
135 km or 84 mi Nis
$743
142 km or 88 mi Stip
$571
146 km or 91 mi Kumanovo
$589
148 km or 92 mi Vidin
$640
149 km or 92 mi Asenovgrad
$634
151 km or 94 mi Strumica
$529
164 km or 102 mi Gabrovo
$589
168 km or 104 mi Veles
$549
175 km or 108 mi Skopje
$785
176 km or 110 mi Pristina
$661
178 km or 110 mi Kavadarci
$595
180 km or 112 mi Serres
$1043
185 km or 115 mi Drama
$912
186 km or 116 mi Craiova
$744
191 km or 119 mi Stara Zagora
$693
193 km or 120 mi Veliko Tarnovo
$793
202 km or 125 mi Mitrovica
$521
202 km or 126 mi Haskovo
$661
208 km or 129 mi Tetovo
$641
210 km or 130 mi Prilep
$545
210 km or 131 mi Slatina
$631
215 km or 134 mi Kavala
$947
215 km or 134 mi Alexandria
$663
217 km or 135 mi Xanthi
$1055
222 km or 138 mi Drobeta-Turnu Severin
$668
224 km or 139 mi Giannitsa
$1086
232 km or 144 mi Thessaloniki
$1223
234 km or 145 mi Novi Pazar
$692
242 km or 150 mi Kragujevac
$737
245 km or 152 mi Sliven
$624
246 km or 153 mi Komotini
$985
248 km or 154 mi Bitola
$685
248 km or 154 mi Ruse
$668