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Photo: Stella Ivanova
In 2025, Sofia ranks 301st globally for the cost of living, according to the latest data from Numbeo, a leading online database on living standards. This ranking reflects the expenses residents face for basic goods and services, including food, utilities, transportation, housing, and other everyday necessities. Compared internationally, Sofia is slightly less expensive than Istanbul, which occupies the 300th spot, but marginally pricier than Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
In comparison, the previous year saw Sofia positioned at 198th worldwide, just ahead of Bangkok and behind Shenzhen. Prices in the Bulgarian capital remain substantially lower than in New York, the global benchmark used by Numbeo. Currently, living costs in Sofia are 66.4 percent lower than in New York, compared with a 72.1 percent difference in 2025.
The world’s most expensive city continues to be New York, largely driven by high rental costs. Following it are Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland, with prices 2.9 percent and 6.4 percent below New York’s, respectively. In 2025, San Francisco briefly surpassed them in cost.
Other Bulgarian cities on Numbeo’s ranking include Varna (324th), Burgas (342nd), Plovdiv (352nd), and Stara Zagora (414th). The relative cost difference compared to New York is 69 percent in Varna, 71.8 percent in Burgas, 72.5 percent in Plovdiv, and 78.1 percent in Stara Zagora.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the cheapest cities globally are in India, with Coimbatore, Lucknow, and Patna reporting living costs nearly 90 percent lower than those in New York.
At the start of the year, Bulgaria’s fruit market has seen notable price swings, particularly for citrus fruits. Data from the State Commission for Commodity Exchanges and Markets (DCBMT) show that in January, tangerine prices surged by over 14 percent
Recent data indicate that the cost of basic foods in Bulgaria has surpassed that of several Western European countries despite the country’s formal entry into the Eurozone.
A tragic discovery was made in Sofia after the body of a newborn baby, placed inside a plastic bag, was found close to a playground in the Druzhba-1 residential area, the Sofia Police Directorate confirmed.
A fatal knife attack took place early this morning in Sofia’s Poduyane district, leaving one person dead and two others seriously injured, according to information from police and emergency services.
The Center for Urban Mobility (CGM) is close to launching a new mobile application that will eliminate the need for physical transport cards in Sofia.
Property values in Sofia have surged by approximately €500 per square metre over the past year, according to data from one of Bulgaria’s largest real estate agencies. Across the country’s main cities, housing costs climbed by 20% in the final quarter of 2
Today, February 14, Bulgarians across the country are raising their glasses to celebrate Trifon Zarezan, the traditional holiday honoring the patron saint of vineyards and wine.
Saturday will start with predominantly clear skies.
A tragic discovery was made in Sofia after the body of a newborn baby, placed inside a plastic bag, was found close to a playground in the Druzhba-1 residential area, the Sofia Police Directorate confirmed.
Bulgaria’s average salary for the fourth quarter of 2025 reached 2,678 leva, or 1,369 euros, marking an increase of over 5% compared to the previous quarter, according to the National Statistical Institute.
Bulgaria will face unsettled and wet weather on Friday, according to the forecast issued by the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology for February 13
A total of 320 complaints linked to unusually high electricity bills in Bulgaria had been filed with the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission by Tuesday
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