Living in Sofia

In Sofia, unemployment is 4.6% (2021).

A monthly public-transport pass cost €25.50 at the operator's published fare in October 2026. Sofia is the national capital of Bulgaria. The population and air-quality figures use different observation years.

Last checked 2026-10-1020 sources

Population1,221,172people1 Jan 2022Official source · BG001C - Sofia City Statistics, population row

Average gross salary1,650EUR/month31 Dec 2024District figureOfficial source · Average annual wages and salaries of the employees under labour contract by statistical regions and districts in 2024 (EUR)

Average net rent3.83EUR/m²/monthcountry median €1.92 — 99% aboveOfficial source · NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2

Unemployment rate4.6%country median 9.2% — 50% belowOfficial source · NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality

Recorded crime1,302incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025District figureOfficial source · Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population

PM2.5, annual mean15µg/m³country median 17.0 — 12% belowOfficial source · EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — BG 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement

Pricier rent than 94% of Bulgarian cities that publish it and lower unemployment than any other Bulgarian city that publishes it.

Which Bulgaria-wide rules apply when you move to Sofia?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in BulgariaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Sofia.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Practical estimates in July 2026 placed basic utilities for an 85 m² home at €72.35 per month, fixed internet at €6.78 per month, and an inexpensive restaurant meal at €7.41. A monthly estimate placed a mobile plan with at least 10 GB of data at €9 in July 2026. A monthly estimate placed a fitness-club membership at €20.73 in July 2026.

How much does it cost to rent in Sofia?

Average net cold rent is 3.83 EUR/m² per month (2020), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

Average net rent (nettokalt): 3.83 EUR/m²/month · NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2¹¹

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€317

Utilities, 85 m² flat€72

Transport pass€26

Fitness club€21

Mobile plan, 10 GB€9

Internet, 60 Mbps€7

Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club, Internet, 60 Mbps, Mobile plan, 10 GB. The others are published prices.

Net rent across major citiesSofia highlighted among comparable cities

net rent, € / m² / month

Sofia€3.83

Plovdiv€2.75

Varna€2.42

Shumen€2.33

Stara Zagora€1.75

Pazardzhik€1.67

Show the other 6 cities

Blagoevgrad€2.25

Vratsa€2.20

Burgas€2.00

Veliko Tarnovo€1.92

Ruse€1.92

Haskovo€1.83

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	20.73 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Sofia¹⁸Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Grocery basket, monthly	64.5 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo¹⁹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	6.78 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Sofia¹⁸Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	316.9 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Sofia¹⁸Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	7.41 EUR	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Sofia¹⁸Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	9.45 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Sofia¹⁸Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	25.5 EUR/month	31 Oct 2026	Sofia Urban Mobility Centre — 2026 transport documents¹⁷Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	72.35 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Sofia¹⁸Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Average net rent (nettokalt)	3.83 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €1.92	31 Dec 2020	NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2¹¹Official

Is Sofia a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker66%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 57–75%

Skilled employee72%strong on work, weak on safety · range 64–80%

Student72%strong on education, weak on work · range 64–80%

Family66%strong on family, weak on cost · range 57–75%

Retirement56%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 45–67%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 230 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 3.83 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2020

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 4.6% in September 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Sofia?

The unemployment rate is 4.6 % (September 2021). Source: NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality¹²

Unemployment across cities in BulgariaUnemployment in Sofia is 4.6%. Of 36 cities with data, 12 have unemployment of 8 to under 10%.

4–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1622–24

Sofia 4.6%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average gross earnings	1,650 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Average annual wages and salaries of the employees under labour contract by statistical regions and districts in 2024 (EUR)¹Official · county
Public employment offices	4 count	15 Sept 2026	Bulgarian Employment Agency — Sofia labour offices³Official
Unemployment rate	4.6 %country median 9.2%	7 Sept 2021	NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality¹²Official

Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 2009–2022

1.2%

3.7%

6.2%

8.7%

2.1%20092015201720192022

Unemployment rate fell 14.9% between 2009 and 2022, from 2.5% to 2.1%.

Public employment offices in Sofia

Bulgarian Employment Agency lists 4 public employment offices in Sofia (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.

Office count verified

Employment Agency — Public employment service

Bulgarian Employment Agency

Job Search

Search jobs

Open the Bulgaria service overview

The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.

Family and education

A monthly estimate placed private kindergarten fees at €317 in July 2026.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	4 count	10 Aug 2026	Official accepted language-service location records¹³Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 7 to 16, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Free Bulgarian-language training for migrant children (school-based intensive language preparation). How to enrol a child (mon.gov.bg).

A country-wide rule for Bulgaria; Sofia's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Safety

How safe is Sofia?

Police recorded about 1,302 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population¹⁶

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	1,302 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2025	Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population¹⁶Official · county

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	41 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁴Official
Nearest airport	SOF	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁵Official
Distance to nearest airport	8 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁵Official
Public transport monthly pass	25.5 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo¹⁹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Language courses and integration in Sofia

4 exact course-location records are linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

4verified local records

4publicly funded course providers

Bulgarian Red Cross

Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi Blvd. 168, Sofia

View official record

Karitas Sofia

Center for Integration of Refugees “St. Anna”, Struma 1 Street

View official record

Foundation Reachout

View official record

Check courses in Sofia How the country programme works

Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Showing 3 representative locations from 4 verified records. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Sofia

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were −0.5°C in January and 21.6°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 35 mm in January and 64 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 15 µg/m³ in 2025. Average July highs reached 27.8°C.

Is the air quality good in Sofia?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 15 µg/m³ (2025) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — BG 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement⁴

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

4°-4°

6°-2°

11°1°

17°5°

21°10°

25°13°

28°15°

23°11°

18°6°

11°2°

5°-2°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

117

169

196

234

267

313

307

226

166

107

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.515WHO 5 · EU 25

PM1028WHO 15 · EU 40

NO₂27WHO 10 · EU 40

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	27 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	EEA air quality statistics — BG NO2 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Hipodruma-Sofia)⁵Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean	28 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	EEA air quality statistics — BG PM10 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Hipodruma-Sofia)⁶Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5 — annual mean	15 µg/m³country median 17.0	31 Dec 2025	EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — BG 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement⁴Official
Annual mean temperature (modelled)	9.73 °C	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology¹⁰Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Annual precipitation (modelled)	704.9 mm/year	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology¹⁰Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
January mean temperature (modelled)	-2.27 °C	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology¹⁰Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
January minimum temperature (modelled)	-24.74 °C	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology¹⁰Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
July maximum temperature (modelled)	39.63 °C	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology¹⁰Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
July mean temperature (modelled)	21.06 °C	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology¹⁰Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Daily precipitation rate (modelled)	1.93 mm/day	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology¹⁰Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Solar exposure (modelled)	3.84 kWh/m²/day	2001-2020	NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology¹⁰Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate
Average daytime high by month	Jan 3.5 · Feb 6.5 · Mar 11.4 · Apr 16.7 · May 21.4 · Jun 25.2 · Jul 27.8 · Aug 28.3 · Sep 23.3 · Oct 17.6 · Nov 10.7 · Dec 4.6 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁰Independent
Average night-time low by month	Jan -3.9 · Feb -2.4 · Mar 1.1 · Apr 5.3 · May 9.8 · Jun 13.4 · Jul 15.3 · Aug 15 · Sep 10.9 · Oct 6.3 · Nov 1.9 · Dec -2.4 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁰Independent
Average temperature by month	Jan -0.5 · Feb 1.7 · Mar 5.9 · Apr 10.9 · May 15.5 · Jun 19.4 · Jul 21.6 · Aug 21.5 · Sep 16.8 · Oct 11.4 · Nov 5.9 · Dec 0.8 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁰Independent
Average precipitation by month	Jan 35 · Feb 36 · Mar 45 · Apr 52 · May 73 · Jun 79 · Jul 64 · Aug 55 · Sep 53 · Oct 54 · Nov 38 · Dec 40 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁰Independent
Average sunshine by month	Jan 88 · Feb 117 · Mar 169 · Apr 196 · May 234 · Jun 267 · Jul 313 · Aug 307 · Sep 226 · Oct 166 · Nov 107 · Dec 69 hours	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁰Independent

Population and city profile

Sofia had a population of 1,221,172 at the start of 2022.

How many people live in Sofia?

The published population was 1,221,172 people in January 2022. Source: BG001C - Sofia City Statistics, population row²

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport97.1%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	1,342 km²	31 Dec 2024	Eurostat GISCO, European Commission⁸Official
Foreign-resident share	2.9 %	31 Dec 2022	Eurostat⁷Official
Foreign residents	35,503 people	1 Jan 2022	BG001C - Sofia City Statistics²Official
City area	1,349 km²	31 Dec 2024	migrationfit.com⁹Official
Population density	969 people/km²	31 Dec 2024	migrationfit.com⁹Official
Population	1,221,172 people	1 Jan 2022	BG001C - Sofia City Statistics, population row²Official

Population over time33 published observations, 1990–2022

1,079,708

1,138,016

1,196,324

1,254,632

1,221,172199019962002201020162022

Population rose 7.0% between 1990 and 2022, from 1,141,142 to 1,221,172.

Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2011–2022

9,582

18,862

28,143

37,423

35,50320112015201720192022

Foreign residents rose 208.7% between 2011 and 2022, from 11,502 to 35,503.

Alternatives for people set on Sofia

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Varna as a Sofia alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

Rent: €2.42/m² Varna vs €3.83/m² Sofia−37%
Unemployment: 6.7% Varna vs 4.6% Sofia+46%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,573 Varna vs 1,302 Sofia+21%
Foreign residents: 3.3% Varna vs 2.9% Sofia+14%
Nearest airport: 7.0 km Varna vs 8.0 km Sofia−13%
Transport pass: €26 Varna vs €26 Sofiasame level

Full comparison More about Varna

Alternative cities in Bulgaria

Other cities in Bulgaria to compare with Sofia, nearest in population first.

All Bulgaria cities

Plovdiv333,994 residents Varna331,260 residents Burgas195,912 residents Stara Zagora141,748 residents Ruse136,112 residents Sliven109,879 residents

How does Sofia compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Sofia's.

Open the full comparison

Sofia in rankings

#1 of 30 in Cities with lowest unemployment in Bulgaria #1 of 30 in Largest cities in Bulgaria #2 of 16 in Most international cities in Bulgaria #6 of 13 in Cities with cleanest air in Bulgaria #14 of 30 in Major cities with the highest modelled solar exposure #17 of 17 in Cheapest cities to rent in Bulgaria

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Sofia when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Sofia?

The published population was 1,221,172 people in January 2022. Source: BG001C - Sofia City Statistics, population row.

How much does it cost to rent in Sofia?

Average net cold rent is 3.83 EUR/m² per month (2020), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 268 EUR a month before utilities. Source: NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2.

Is the air quality good in Sofia?

How safe is Sofia?

What is the unemployment rate in Sofia?

The unemployment rate is 4.6 % (September 2021). Source: NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality.

How many foreign residents live in Sofia?

35,503 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: BG001C - Sofia City Statistics.

Is Sofia a good place to live?

Sofia may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 29). Sofia, Bulgaria: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 7eddcaf5f2d491917790de6a91bbb298]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/sofia/ Retrieved 2026-10-29. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_sofia-bulgaria-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_7f3827c714bd,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Sofia, Bulgaria: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-29},
  version = {7eddcaf5f2d491917790de6a91bbb298},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/sofia/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-29. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Sofia, Bulgaria: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/bg/sofia/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 7eddcaf5f2d491917790de6a91bbb298; retrieved 2026-10-29; built 2026-10-29.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Average annual wages and salaries of the employees under labour contract by statistical regions and districts in 2024 (EUR) nsi.bg · checked 2026-09-23
BG001C - Sofia City Statistics nsi.bg · checked 2026-07-29
Bulgarian Employment Agency — Sofia labour offices Bulgarian Employment Agency · identity.egov.bg · checked 2026-09-15
EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — BG 2025 PM2.5 exact station temporal replacement EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
EEA air quality statistics — BG NO2 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Hipodruma-Sofia) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
EEA air quality statistics — BG PM10 annual mean 2024 (station AMS Hipodruma-Sofia) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
Eurostat GISCO, European Commission gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
migrationfit.com migrationfit.com · checked 2026-06-14
NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology NASA POWER · power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-10-29

Show 10 more sources

NSI City Statistics — Average annual rent for housing (per m2), Euro/m2 NSI City Statistics · nsi.bg · checked 2026-09-18
NSI Infostat 2016 — activity, employment and unemployment rates by municipality NSI Infostat 2016 · nsi.bg · checked 2026-07-27
Official accepted language-service location records ukraine.gov.bg · checked 2026-09-15
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Report on the activity of the Ministry of Interior in 2025, Figure 2: registered crimes per 100,000 population mvr.bg · checked 2026-09-28
Sofia Urban Mobility Centre — 2026 transport documents Sofia Urban Mobility Centre · sofiatraffic.bg · checked 2026-10-08
Lebenshaltungskosten in Sofia de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-26
Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.