Budapest vs Sofia: cost of living for digital nomads

Budapest, Hungary and Sofia, Bulgaria, line by line from the catalogue: what a month costs, rent, food, coworking, safety and internet. Every figure links back to its source on the city page.

The short version

  • Sofia is about 19% cheaper than Budapest for a month of nomad living ($1,300 vs $1,600).
  • Rent is the biggest gap: $600 in Sofia against $750 in Budapest.
  • Budapest scores higher on safety (9/10 vs 8/10).
  • Internet is faster in Budapest: 250 Mbps typical against 200 Mbps.
  • Budapest is temperate; Sofia is continental.

Budapest wins 2 of the measured lines; Sofia wins 5.

LineBudapestSofia
Monthly total (USD)$1,600$1,300
Rent$750$600
Food$420$360
Transport$40$35
Coworking$120$100
Safety (out of 10)9/108/10
Internet (Mbps)250200
Climatetemperatecontinental
City sizemetrometro
Settinginlandmountain
Nomad score (out of 10)8/108/10

Compare Budapest with

Compare Sofia with

Costs are typical monthly figures for one person in USD, from the sources named on each city page; safety and internet are the catalogue's own ratings. Check the city pages for the dates each was last verified.