Bucharest vs Sofia - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Bucharest Sofia
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1116
$1244
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2864
$3082
🏠 One person rent
$525
$629
🏘️ Family rent
$907
$1103
🍽️ Food expenses
$389
$406
🚐 Transport expenses
$80
$92.4
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1391
$1061
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
8 km
🎓 Higher education
77
70
😀 Quality of life
81
78
🏙️ Population
1.72M
1.4M

The cost of living in Bucharest is 10% less expensive than in Sofia. Cities ranked 4913th and 4611th ($1116 vs $1244) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd 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 0.9 months in Sofia. Bucharest ranked 1st best city to live in Romania vs Sofia ranked 1st in Bulgaria, while ranked 646th and 1070th 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
$11.7
$11.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$54.8
$50.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.27
$9.44
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.41
$2.98
☕ Cappuccino
$3.45
$2.59
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.33
$1.7
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$576
$661
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$376
$485
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1044
$1209
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$667
$875
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$98.4
$94.1
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$153
$147
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$10.6
$14.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
7.28%
3.03%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3651
$3978
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2102
$2572
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.15
$0.95
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$22.3
$29.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.02
$9.21
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.68
$1.53
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.73
$1.9
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.16
$1.26
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.43
$1.98
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.41
$3.85
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.89
$12.1
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.34
$8.26
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.4
$13
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.33
$1.85
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.74
$1.91
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$1.87
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.68
$2.72
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1
$1.1
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.03
$0.93
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.59
$0.48
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.38
$1.84
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$8.07
$7.4
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.21
$1.03
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.39
$3.89
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.09
$11.6
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.47
$3.43
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.81
$2.05
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.18
$3.13
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$47.8
$43.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.84
$10.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$61.8
$44.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$12.1
$11.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$79.4
$71.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$92.7
$110
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$664
$659
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$14350
$9717

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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
$970
56 km or 35 mi Giurgiu
$910
60 km or 37 mi Ploiesti
$885
62 km or 39 mi Ruse
$777
77 km or 48 mi Targoviste
$802
77 km or 48 mi Alexandria
$692
102 km or 63 mi Buzau
$857
102 km or 63 mi Calarasi
$775
103 km or 64 mi Slobozia
$762
108 km or 67 mi Pitesti
$873
137 km or 85 mi Slatina
$675
143 km or 89 mi Shumen
$681
144 km or 90 mi Brasov
$1056
151 km or 94 mi Veliko Tarnovo
$752
156 km or 97 mi Ramnicu Valcea
$835
161 km or 100 mi Pleven
$667
164 km or 102 mi Sfantu Gheorghe
$712
168 km or 104 mi Dobrich
$789
168 km or 105 mi Focsani
$898
177 km or 110 mi Braila
$871
180 km or 112 mi Craiova
$909
181 km or 112 mi Gabrovo
$643
192 km or 119 mi Galati
$895
192 km or 119 mi Sliven
$591
198 km or 123 mi Varna
$1039
203 km or 126 mi Mamaia
$1024
205 km or 127 mi Constanta
$1103
216 km or 134 mi Yambol
$618
217 km or 135 mi Sibiu
$805
223 km or 138 mi Stara Zagora
$703
232 km or 144 mi Tulcea
$854
233 km or 145 mi Targu Jiu
$832
236 km or 146 mi Cahul
$926
237 km or 147 mi Barlad
$797
238 km or 148 mi Medias
$706
239 km or 148 mi Burgas
$848
243 km or 151 mi Vratsa
$766
251 km or 156 mi Bacau
$724
260 km or 161 mi Vidin
$668
267 km or 166 mi Targu Mures
$749

Cities near Sofia

Distance City Cost of living
26 km or 16 mi Pernik
$730
59 km or 37 mi Vratsa
$766
77 km or 48 mi Blagoevgrad
$707
97 km or 60 mi Bansko
$854
100 km or 62 mi Pazardzhik
$776
132 km or 82 mi Pleven
$667
132 km or 82 mi Plovdiv
$836
135 km or 84 mi Nis
$819
142 km or 88 mi Stip
$575
146 km or 91 mi Kumanovo
$642
148 km or 92 mi Vidin
$668
149 km or 92 mi Asenovgrad
$702
151 km or 94 mi Strumica
$670
164 km or 102 mi Gabrovo
$643
168 km or 104 mi Veles
$572
175 km or 108 mi Skopje
$849
176 km or 110 mi Pristina
$655
178 km or 110 mi Kavadarci
$595
180 km or 112 mi Serres
$1080
185 km or 115 mi Drama
$964
186 km or 116 mi Craiova
$909
191 km or 119 mi Stara Zagora
$703
193 km or 120 mi Veliko Tarnovo
$752
202 km or 125 mi Mitrovica
$557
202 km or 126 mi Haskovo
$678
208 km or 129 mi Tetovo
$720
210 km or 130 mi Prilep
$592
210 km or 131 mi Slatina
$675
215 km or 134 mi Kavala
$996
215 km or 134 mi Alexandria
$692
217 km or 135 mi Xanthi
$1048
222 km or 138 mi Drobeta-Turnu Severin
$699
224 km or 139 mi Giannitsa
$1091
232 km or 144 mi Thessaloniki
$1225
234 km or 145 mi Novi Pazar
$828
242 km or 150 mi Kragujevac
$918
245 km or 152 mi Sliven
$591
246 km or 153 mi Komotini
$1013
248 km or 154 mi Bitola
$667
248 km or 154 mi Ruse
$777