3.2/5
730 reviews
Photo by Hristo Sahatchiev via Unsplash

Cost of Living in Sofia

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food

cheap

country

center

parks

good

beautiful

amazing

bad

bars

varna

una

ciudad

muy

linda

nice

nightlife

part

Sofia receives mixed reviews. Many agree it's very affordable, with low rent and cheap food (though restaurant quality can vary). The city has reliable, fast internet, making it attractive for remote workers. There are several parks, especially in the city center, and the area is easily walkable. Some nomads also mention a decent expat community, especially through WhatsApp and Facebook groups. Safety is generally okay, and some parts of nightlife are appreciated, particularly among students and young locals.

However, several issues consistently stand out. Air pollution is a serious problem, particularly in winter. The city can appear dirty, and many buildings are described as old or in poor shape. Locals are often reported as unfriendly or even hostile, with racism and homophobia mentioned repeatedly. Scams, fake alcohol, and corrupt nightlife practices are a problem, especially for visitors. Some also note boredom setting in quickly, saying there’s not much to do in town beyond parks or day trips.

Overall, Sofia may work well as a short-term base for budget travelers or digital nomads who value affordability and don't mind urban flaws. For others, especially long-term or non-white visitors, it could feel unwelcoming or difficult to enjoy fully.

AI-generated summary of reviews
6 months ago

Sofia is a pretty safe city, lots of nice parks, at least in some areas of town.
Pro's:
Safe, relatively well connected (airport), good nightlife (if you are a student or part of the support center crowd), nice hinterland for recreational activities.
Con's
No longer cheap, low service quality, low quality of food (I've seen Cosmos featured here and c'mon :), the expat scene is well developed but again, more at the level of support center staff

1 year ago

I've been here 2 years now. I pay for internet at 3 seperate places (home, office, 2nd apartment on seaside) I pay about $20 USD / month for 300Mbps/300Mbps at each of the 3. Internet here is super cheap, reliable and fast.

2 years ago

I think Sofia is a wonderful place to be right now - especially as a base. Rent is super affordable and there are decent apartments available.

There's a vibrant expat community with lots of WhatsApp groups. You can find a list of all the WA groups in the featured posts on the Sofia Digital Nomads and Remote Workers Facebook group.

It's a very convenient place to live - walkable, good transportation, lots of English-speaking people.

WiFi speeds are great. Most cafes have plugs. Best ones to work from I think are: Cafe 1920, Altruist, Barter Community Hub, The Steps, Boho, Barista Coffee and More, КОМПАНИЯТА, Coffee Fellows.

Unfortunately, food can be very hit and miss. Here are my favourite places after much exploring: StandArt, Niko'las 0/360, Contessa, HAMACHI, Cosmos, Royal Thai, Mediterraneo, Veda House, Satsanga, Under the Linden Trees, Umami.

In terms of things to do, there are plenty of parks, fun escape rooms, board games places, walking tours. Vitosha is a very popular hiking spot nearby.

Overall, I highly recommend paying a visit!

3 years ago

The city has some nice parks and is not too crowded. The center of the city is easily walkable. But it gets boring very quickly. Not much happening there. Airpolution can be China level bad during the winter. The food is good and cheap. Internet and mobile works well.

Overall the city/country feels very old, you hardly see any young people on the street. Most buildings and streets are in bad shape. The locals are a dealbreaker. People are argumentative, rude, and cold. Nobody ever smiles, people stare uncomfortably long at you. The service sector is bad, nobody does more than the bare minimum. People hang up on you on the phone in the middle of conversation. Traffic is dangerous, cars seem to actively hunt you at crosswalks.

Never felt this unwelcome in any other country. Romania or Serbia are far better choices in this region.

3 years ago

I've been living for 20 years in the Uk abroad outside of Bulgaria, nothing in the world like Bulgaria, the best country in the world, of course, there's a bad side to the country like any other country in the world. Bulgaria has 4 seasons summer being very hot and winter snowing and going to ski resorts, it has one of the tastiest cuisines worldwide rich in history and in culture. Also has the most beautiful women there !! It's very cheap and affordable coming from abroad. Definitely, a place to visit at least once in a lifetime. Of course, there is downside like the economy, poverty, and corruption beggars however if you choose the best places in Bulgaria you won't regret it xохо Gabriela (обичам българия)

3 years ago

Spent 1 week in Sofia working remotely. I did not like it at all. Perhaps I was staying at some bad part of the center. But it was dirty, drunks(just peeing on the street was a nice sight) and beggars on the streets. Was also very unlucky with the food I took in some resturants/cafes. (expensive and below average taste/portion size). Street food was actually good. I did see many people speaking English around the center so definitely there are tourists there. Nightlife- quite expensive, tourist fees for entrance to the bars by security guards. For me it seemed strange that parties happens extremely late at nigh (3:00 AM when it was most crowded and I was already heading home.) Rented a car and outside of Sofia I found the country to be more authentic with beautiful mountains etc. I suggest skipping Sofia as a nomad and going to Varna instead.

3 years ago

I love Bulgaria, but Sofia wasn't my favorite part by far. It is quite an ugly city, mostly flat and grey in color. There are some decent hostel, decent bars and nightlife, but not really much for the tourist to do. Yes, the women are very attractive, and it's cheap to rent there... but why would you want to? I had a great time down on Varna, and along the coast of the black sea. Sofia is worth a visit or a place to stay a few weeks, but I wouldn't want to live there personally.

4 years ago

Its time to make a review about my hometown. I lived many years in Sofia and Varna, so you can trust my review as a Bulgarian who lived in longterm in Vietnam, Germany, Thailand, Spain etc...
1. Bulgaria is amazing in the Summer. (Varna!) Sofia is not. Will get boring super fast.
2. Life is a lot cheaper as listed here.
3. 90% of Bulgarians are racists and hate GAY people. Lesbians are tolerated.
4. Food is amazing and cheap
5. Its dirty and poluted
6. People will try scam you (not only foreigners even locals get scammed). You can get beat up pretty easily without a real reason. My friend (local from Sofia) got destroyed by the security, for putting a Flower Vase in the nightclub to another spot as an example.
7. Fake Alcohol is even common in the best nightclubs. You are never safe to order a expensive bottle. Only the cheapest Vodka is always safe because not worth faking it.
8. Women are STUNNING but english level is low. So you will have a hard time finding non gold digger that are more than 7/10 on the looks.
If you are a white male, you will have fun! If not better avoid it for more long term visits.

4 years ago

Sofia is a small city and it is very polluted. In fact it is one of the most polluted cities in Europe. The restaurants and bars are ok. For the rest there is not a lot to do. After a couple of days you have seen it all. The people are ok but Sofia misses an international vibe. Lets be honest here, you mostly get where you pay for.

5 years ago

Sofia is one of the most amazing cities ever, it has old buildings because of the low economic status of the country, but the main cause is from the low number of tourists visiting this lovely country. The food is amazing and cheap, the population is very fun, but they are a little bit homophobics and racists (not everyone, but there are a lot of people who really are). Bulgaria has amazing views, parks, coffeehouses and of course the most beautiful beaches and sunsets, the temperature of the water is around 27°, which is really warm compared to the ocean temperature. All day and night the city center has open mini markets and coffeehouses, you will see a lot of Bulgarians having fun out there. It is a great country to visit.

6 years ago

I lived in Sofia for 3 months and I loved it. The food scene is amazing; quality food in very cheap price. Very calm atmosphere with a lot of nature. Park everywhere! As Asian, I felt the least racism in the region. However, I did see a lot of Swastikas everywhere, even on a guy's calf. The city center has some cool bars.

6 years ago

I really enjoyed my ten days in Sofia. It was early Sept and the students were just arriving, so it wasn't too busy. At first glance it seemed sort of dead, and boring. But since I'd been all over Bulgaria I knew that most of the gems would be hidden, so I asked locals. Then I found cool nightlife spots, good cafe's, and met a few girls to date.

It's close to the mountains and there is hiking and winter sports.

Sofia doesn't have the vibe of a top tier Euro city, but if you're a single man looking for an easy place to find a beautiful apartment for cheap, and maybe a beautiful girlfriend, Sofia could be up your alley. And if not, there are many cool places nearby, like Plovdiv, Banksko, and Varna further down.

6 years ago

Sofia is a pretty cool city if you know where to go. It's also next to high mountains (ski available) and feels very green. However, Bulgaria has a very strongly marked Soviet past, so it might be a bit of a shock to some.

7 years ago

the best city in the world lol

7 years ago

It’s the poorest country I’ve ever soon

7 years ago

Incredible cheap, great food (if you like meat) and lots of parks. Many bars and coffee shops in the city centre. Downside: Many aggressive gipsy's and beggars. Bulgarian people rather rude and everybody is staring at you uncomfortably long.

7 years ago

Sofia es una ciudad muy linda

7 years ago

Sofia es una ciudad muy linda

7 years ago

Sofia es una ciudad muy linda

7 years ago

Sofia es una ciudad muy linda

7 years ago

Sofia es una ciudad muy linda

7 years ago

Sofia is quite peaceful despite the medium to heavy traffic. It is very easy to travel this city, even without the metro, but public transportation is simple as well.
Many beautiful parks, and access to wifi, make it easy to work anywhere. My favorite part is grabbing a coffee for .40 lev and getting to work. Also, grabbing a beer and lounging anywhere in the city is no concern. There are also plenty of outdoor, free events to experience if you want to meet other people, or travelers.

Price of clothing and electronics is comparable to US/UK standard, some places even charge more. For this reason, I recommend having a good idea of the price range for any items you are looking to purchase.

7 years ago

It’s one of the most homofobic cities in Europe

8 years ago

✅ Very affordable

✅ Fast internet

✅ Safe

✅ Good parks

✅ Walkable

✅ Pretty safe

✅ Good air quality today

✅ Many Nomads.com members here all year round

✅ Spacious and not crowded

✅ Easy to do business

✅ High quality of education

✅ Great hospitals

✅ Roads are very safe

✅ Freedom of speech

✅ Democratic

✅ Safe for women

❌ Very polluted

❌ Racism and homophobia

❌ Dirty

❌ Unfriendly locals

❌ Scamming and corruption

❌ Low service quality

❌ Boring after a few days

❌ Expensive

❌ Not much to do

❌ Cold now

❌ Gets cold in the winter

❌ Very damp now

❌ People don't speak English well

❌ Not family friendly

❌ Hostile towards LGBTQ+

❌ Many people smoke tobacco

❌ High alcohol consumption

❌ Marijuana is illegal

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Feels (median)

-0°C / 32°F freezing

7°C / 45°F cold

3°C / 37°F cold

13°C / 55°F cool

19°C / 66°F mild

22°C / 72°F mild

33°C / 91°F hot

27°C / 81°F warm

21°C / 70°F mild

10°C / 50°F cold

9°C / 48°F cold

7°C / 45°F cold

Real (median)

1°C / 33°F
very cold

7°C / 44°F
cold

4°C / 39°F
very cold

12°C / 54°F
cool

19°C / 66°F
mild

22°C / 71°F
mild

30°C / 86°F
very warm

27°C / 80°F
warm

20°C / 68°F
mild

10°C / 50°F
cold

9°C / 48°F
cold

7°C / 45°F
cold

Humidity

damp
80%

damp
76%

nice
67%

nice
65%

nice
70%

nice
73%

nice
60%

nice
52%

nice
59%

damp
72%

damp
81%

damp
78%

Most common

☀️ Clear

☔️ Rain

☀️ Clear

☔️ Rain

☀️ Clear

Rain

dry
44mm

dry
20mm

rainy
68mm

rainy
70mm

rainy
76mm

rainy
66mm

dry
26mm

dry
37mm

dry
45mm

dry
49mm

dry
41mm

rainy
57mm

Cloud

pockets
42%

pockets
31%

pockets
39%

pockets
37%

pockets
39%

pockets
35%

pockets
20%

pockets
29%

pockets
35%

pockets
44%

pockets
49%

Air quality

bad
113 US AQI

bad
105 US AQI

okay
95 US AQI

okay
80 US AQI

okay
68 US AQI

okay
76 US AQI

okay
67 US AQI

okay
78 US AQI

okay
84 US AQI

bad
110 US AQI

okay
96 US AQI

okay
99 US AQI

Sun

safe
1 UVI

safe
2 UVI

seek shade
3 UVI

seek shade
4 UVI

seek shade
5 UVI

avoid sun
7 UVI

avoid sun
9 UVI

avoid sun
8 UVI

seek shade
5 UVI

seek shade
3 UVI

safe
2 UVI

safe
1 UVI

Remote workers

963 people

982 people

1,083 people

1,173 people

1,188 people

2,073 people

2,277 people

1,741 people

2,246 people

1,293 people

943 people

987 people

Green is good. Red is bad. Values shown are the medians of all daily highs in a month based on past few years, not necessarily current numbers. Remote worker count is estimated based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members.

If you'd like to filter destinations based on their climate, try Nomads.com's Climate Finder

Based on Sofia's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:

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✈️2h

$4,135 / mo

42 Mbps

Romania

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😙 Affordable

📡 InternetWiFi 🏎 Fast

👍 Liked mediocre

👮 Safety mediocre

Tap to open

🌨 Feels -5° 23° -2° 28° AQI 34

✈️24min

$2,218 / mo

🌇 Also went here258 people

Germany

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 🧐 Very expensive

📡 InternetWiFi 🏎 Fast

👍 Liked mediocre

👮 Safety good

Tap to open

☀️ Feels -7° 19° -4° 24° AQI 70 😷

✈️2h

$4,135 / mo

🌇 Also went here308 people

Amsterdam

Netherlands

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😳 Extremely expensive

📡 InternetWiFi 🏎 Fast

👍 Liked mediocre

👮 Safety good

Tap to open

🌤 Feels -6° 21° -1° 30° AQI 26

✈️2h

$5,428 / mo

🌇 Also went here299 people

Barcelona

Spain

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 🧐 Very expensive

📡 InternetWiFi 🏎 Fast

👍 Liked mediocre

👮 Safety good

Tap to open

🌧 Feels 6° 43° 7° 45° AQI 38

✈️2h

$4,511 / mo

🌇 Also went here333 people

Paris

France

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😳 Extremely expensive

📡 InternetWiFi 🏎 Fast

👍 Liked good

👮 Safety mediocre

Tap to open

🌤 Feels 3° 37° 5° 42°

✈️10h

$7,093 / mo

🌇 Also went here256 people

Bangkok

Thailand

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😙 Affordable

📡 InternetWiFi 🏎 Fast

👍 Liked mediocre

👮 Safety good

Tap to open

☀️ Feels 38° 100° 32° 90° 🥵 AQI 134 😷

✈️11h

$1,643 / mo

🌇 Also went here327 people

1,200 remote workers in Sofia now, of which 6+ members checked in (some members are set to private)

Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

Values shown are estimated visits by traveling remote workers based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members. Visits to a place are only counted once per year per user, even if they visit more in that year. Visits are also normalized by overall trips added per month on the site, so if site usage goes up or down it does not affect trends. Not all digital nomads are on Nomads.com, and not all Nomads.com members log their trips. So the data is only indicative.

The chart below shows visitors by nationality normalized for population size. This means we take all trips logged on Nomads.com, check which country of origin the user is from, then divide that total visit count by the country of origin's population. If we didn't, it'd just show the big countries like US, Brazil and India always on top. Instead, this shows which nationalities worldwide proportionally visit more or less, which is more useful.

⭐️ Total score	3.2/5 (Rank #32) 730 reviews
❤️ Liked by members	👍12 liked it 👎4 disliked it
👍 Quality of life score	Okay
👶 Family score	Okay
🎒 Community score	Okay
🤯 Overcrowding score	0% is nomad here
💵 Cost	🙂 Okay: $2,560 / mo
📡 Internet	😡 Slow: 24 Mbps (avg)
😝 Fun	Okay
⛅️ Temperature (now)	🥶 Too cold: 1°C33°F (feels 1°C34°F)
💦 Humidity (now)	💦 Damp: 95%
❄️ % of buildings with AC	🥵 Low: 22%
💨 Air quality (now)	🌱 Great: 11 US AQI
💨 Air quality (annual)	😐 Moderate: 84 US AQI
👌 Safety	Good
👩 Safe for women	Okay
🌈 Safe for LGBTQ+	Bad
🤮 Food safety*	Great
👮‍♀️ Lack of crime*	Good
🤝 Lack of racism*	Bad
🎓 Education level*	High
⚡️ Power grid	Great
🌊 Vulnerability to climate change	Good
💰 Income level*	Very low: $622 / mo
🙊 English speaking*	Okay
🚶 Walkability	Great
🚦 Traffic safety*	Okay
✈️ Airline scores*	Great
🧳 Lost luggage*	Great
🏥 Hospitals	Good
😄 Happiness*	Bad
🍸 Nightlife	Good
📶 Free WiFi in city	Great
🖥 Places to work from	Great
❄️ A/C or heating	Great
😁 Friendly to foreigners	Good
🗯 Freedom of speech*	Good
🎅 Startup Score	Okay

🌍 Continent	Europe
🚩 Country	Bulgaria
🗓️ Average trip length	7 days
📡 Internet speed (avg)	24 Mbps
⛅️ Weather (now)	🌧 1°C 33°F + 💦 Damp (95%) = feels 1°C 34°F
💨 Air quality (now)	👍 11 US AQI 🍃 OK
💨 Air quality (annual avg)	👎😷 84 US AQI = 🚬 / day
🔌 Power	230V 50Hz
🧔 Best neighborhood to stay	Sredec
🚀 Upcoming neighborhood	Krasno selo
🚕 Best taxi app*	TaxiMe
🚑 Travel medical insurance	Safetywing
💸 10 BGN in USD	USD 6.03
🏧 Suggested ATM take out:	BGN 100 = USD 60
💸 Tipping	Yes, 10%
💻 Best coworking space	Betahaus
💻 Best alt. coworking space	Soho
🚰 Tap water	👌 Yes, safe to drink
♻️ Return rate	👍14% of visitors return
📸 Visitors per year	1,010,000 visitors
📸 Tourists now	19,357 tourists
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population	1,200,000 people
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 GDP per capita*	$7,465 / year
👫 Gender ratio (population)	👨 45% 👱‍♀️ 55%
👫 Gender ratio (young adults)	👨 54% 👱‍♀️ 46%
👫 Gender ratio (nomads)	👨 83% 👱‍♀️ 17%
⛪️ Religious government	Non-religious
💻 Online electronics shop	Emag
🏠 Apartment listings	Imoti
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier	WizzAir
✈️ Best int'l air carrier	Bulgaria Air

💵 Cost of living for nomad	$2,560 / month
💵 Cost of living for expat	$1,388 / month
💵 Cost of living for family	$2,489 / month
💵 Cost of living for local	$711 / month
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$1,209 / month
🏡 Airbnb (median price)	$1,551 / month
🏠 1br studio rent in center	$439 / month
🏠 Median home price	$117,490
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$57 / night
🏠 Airbnb (median price)	$51 / night
🏢 Coworking hot desk	$297 / month
🍛 Dinner	$13
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L)	$1
🍺 Beer in cafe (0.5L)	$2
☕️ Coffee in cafe	$2
👩‍🏫 International school	$9,146 / year
📱 Mobile data (~10GB)	$20 / month
🚕 Taxi price (avg trip ~3km/2mi)	$2 / trip