City comparison
Cost of living in Amsterdam vs Sofia
One person needs about €2,767 a month in Amsterdam and €1,050 in Sofia, rent included — Sofia is 62% cheaper overall.
Salary you'd need to keep the same lifestyle
Enter your current net monthly pay. We scale it by the full cost basket — rent, groceries, transport, utilities, eating out and internet.
To live in Sofia the way you live in Amsterdam on €3,000, you need
€1,138/ month net
62% less than today (-€1,862)
- Amsterdam today
- Basket €2,767 · left over €233 (8%)
- Sofia at the matched salary
- Basket €1,050 · left over €88 (8%)
Local pay context: average tech net pay covers the basket 210% over in Sofia (strong) vs 181% in Amsterdam. Purchasing power index · How we calculate this
🇳🇱 Amsterdam
High pay and a 30% ruling for expats, wiped out by one of Europe's tightest housing markets.
Monthly budget: €2,767
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
🇧🇬 Sofia
Flat 10% income tax, mountains at the tram terminus, and very low fixed costs.
Monthly budget: €1,050
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
Should you move to Amsterdam or Sofia?
On salary, Amsterdam pays more for tech roles (€5,000 versus €2,200 a month), so the money left over after costs is €2,233 in Amsterdam at the top end.
Rent drives most of the gap: €1,900 in Amsterdam against €600 in Sofia. Groceries, transport and utilities move far less between the two.
For remote workers, the nomad index scores Amsterdam at 70 and Sofia at 76 — see the full nomad index and our data methodology.