CITY / CITYVerified city comparison
SofiavsTbilisi.
Sofia is stronger on 4 of 8 headline facts; Tbilisi on 2. Cost of living (single, excl. rent): Sofia $460/mo, Tbilisi $220/mo. Freelancer tax burden: Sofia 18.1%, Tbilisi 1%. Climate comfort: Sofia 6/12 mo, Tbilisi 4/12 mo.
VerifiedUpdated
14 compared criteria · 30 sources · country-level facts are clearly inherited
bg / ge · SettleMetric
01
The key differences
The key numbers head-to-head — the stronger side is marked. The overall score stays decoration; what matters is which facts fit you.
Headline result
Sofia leads on 4 of 8
Sofia
4
Tbilisi
2
NSI Bulgaria — Income, Expenditure and Consumption of Households in 2024 (Household Budget Survey)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- NSI HBS 2024 consumer expenditure per household member = BGN 9,466/yr (COICOP consumption, effectively rent-free — Bulgaria doesn't impute owner rent, ~85% ownership, housing line is utilities). 9,466 ÷ 12 = 788.83 BGN/mo ÷ 1.95583 = €403.32/mo × 1.1399 = $459.75/mo → $460. Household-Budget-Survey basis chosen for peer consistency (matching the capture ratio of the Spain/Czechia figures). Bulgaria is the cheapest of the peer set.
- Notes
- The cheapest vs peers (BG ~$460 < CZ ~$785 < ES ~$941), consistent with income levels. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2026 (1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN).
Geostat — Households Expenditures survey 2025
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Geostat 2025 average per-capita monthly consumption (603 GEL) split by the survey's COICOP category shares, with the imputed-housing portion removed, converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD (NBG 2026-07-02). Categories sum to this figure. Geostat has no clean single-person-excl-rent basket, so treat as a curated estimate.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best representative freelancer scheme at €60,000, single = свободна професия (scheme bg-svobodna-profesia): 25% deemed expenses → base €45,000; social 27.8% capped at €7,044.43 (max insurable income €2,111.64/mo); 10% tax on €37,955.57 = €3,795.56. Levies €10,839.99 → 18.1%. The ЕООД company chain (10% + 5% dividend) shows a lower headline (~14.5%) but excludes the compulsory owner-manager social insurance, so свободна професия is the honest freelancer burden.
SettleMetric tax engine over Tax Code (Small Business Status)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme ge-small-business-1pct at €60,000 = 180,738 GEL (NBG 3.0123 GEL/EUR), below the 500,000 GEL threshold → 1% turnover tax = 1,807 GEL, no mandatory social/pension. Effective burden ≈ 1.0%.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=BG)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (1.23). Downward trend from 2.29 in 2008; recent years 2020 0.96, 2021 1.29, 2022 1.11, 2023 1.15, 2024 1.23. Moderate by European standards.
UNODC (via World Bank mirror) — intentional homicide, Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2019
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- 2019 is the latest year UNODC publishes for Georgia. Low by global standards (world average ≈ 5.8); Georgia is widely regarded as very safe for residents. No city-level series is published.
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Sofia WMO 15614)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (16.7), May (21.4), Jun (25.2), Jul (27.8), Sep (23.3), Oct (17.6) = 6. Aug (28.3) just exceeds the 28°C ceiling; all months are well under 150mm. Sofia's 586 m elevation keeps summers milder than the lowland Bulgarian cities.
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precip < 150mm: Apr, May, Sep, Oct = 4. June (28.7°C) and Jul–Aug (~32°C) are too hot.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Bulgaria
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for BG in 2023 = 42.85 Mbps (139,790 download tests). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and understates real line speeds — Bulgaria has very fast, cheap fibre (commonly 100–1000 Mbps advertised) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- Bulgaria is known for fast, inexpensive fixed broadband; the M-Lab single-stream median is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians (download_MED), 47,852 download tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; the 2024 file is only Jan–Mar, and 2025/2026 are not yet published). Georgia sits under continent code AS in M-Lab.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. Cross-check: the World Bank's July-2024 median of ~20 Mbps (Ookla-derived, so not citable here) is consistent with this once the M-Lab-reads-low offset is accounted for. Speeds are trending up (~10%/yr: M-Lab yearly medians ran 9.7 in 2020 → 15.8 in 2023), so multi-year pooling would understate current speed; the latest full year is used instead. GNCC/comcom.ge publishes operator quality-of-service measurements (e.g. Magticom fixed ~56 Mb/s advertised-tier average, 2025/26) but no national measured median, and its own speed commentary relies on the same Ookla data we can't redistribute.
EF EPI 2025 — Bulgaria (score 594, rank 18/123, High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Bulgaria ranks #18 of 123, score 594 (global average 488), 'High Proficiency' band. English is broadly workable in Sofia's tech and service sectors and among younger Bulgarians; Bulgarian (Cyrillic) remains essential for administration and daily life outside the capital.
EF EPI 2025 (score 541, rank 35/123 — High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). English is workable in Tbilisi/Batumi tourism and the younger service sector; less so in government and older generations. Russian remains widely understood.
Curated market survey of Bulgarian voluntary health insurers (2026)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Bulgaria has mandatory public health insurance (НЗОК) with no full private-replacement market, so this is the VOLUNTARY supplementary premium: a comprehensive mid-tier plan (outpatient GP+specialist, labs, imaging, hospitalisation) ~€60/month = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range €30–60/mo (basic) to €60–120/mo (premium with dental/vision).
- Notes
- Supplementary to mandatory public НЗОК, not a replacement (like Austria's Sonderklasse). Main voluntary insurers: DZI, Bulstrad VIG, Generali, Allianz Bulgaria, DallBogg, UNIQA. Indicative premiums, vary with coverage caps and deductibles.
Georgian insurers (Ardi, GPI, Imedi L) — comprehensive-tier plans
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Midpoint of comprehensive local plans: Ardi Medi Premium from ~$340/yr up to market comprehensive ~$795/yr (converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD). Expat international plans run higher ($1,000–2,000/yr).
- Notes
- Georgian insurers quote by callback rather than public age-rated engines, so this is a curated market midpoint for local comprehensive cover, not a bound quote.
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Aug 28, 2026
- Method
- Row Sofia/BGR, year 2024, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), read from the published spreadsheet on 2026-08-28: pm25_concentration = 10.475 µg/m³ at 95% temporal coverage over 7 stations (three urban background, two urban traffic, one suburban background and one rural background), reference "European Environmental Agency", WHO footprint population 1,242,568. Reference year 2024 — the latest year this database carries a full-year PM2.5 figure for this city, and the year already used by the other European cities in this dataset. The database also holds a later row for this city — 2025 reads 12.28 µg/m³ but at 80% coverage, below the EU's 90% data-quality objective — so it is reported in notes rather than used. Identity checked against the row's own station centroid, which lies 3.0 km from this city's recorded coordinates — the file contains near-miss names such as "Playa Del Ingles/ESP" and "Porto Empedocle/ITA", so the check is not a formality.
- Notes
- Well below the non-authoritative estimates previously recorded here (ISGlobal modelled ~17 µg/m³, IQAir 2024 ~19 µg/m³). Those are modelling and low-cost-sensor products; this is what the reference network measured. The series also shows a genuine step down after 2020 — 13.58 in 2019 against 8.15 in 2021 — so older estimates describe a dirtier city than the current one. One of the seven stations is classified rural background, which pulls the city mean down; Sofia's winter peaks from solid-fuel domestic heating are real and are not visible in an annual mean. Preceding years in the same series: 2019 13.58 (79%), 2020 17.86 (42%), 2021 8.15 (70%), 2022 8.71 (88%), 2023 9.23 (82%).
IQAir 2024 World Air Quality Report
Research
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Attribution: IQAir (aggregator of ground stations + validated sensors). About 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25). Georgia's official NEA portal publishes only real-time readings, not an annual mean.
02
Which city fits your plan?
Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.
Remote IT / freelancer
Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.
Sofia fits better — 2 of 5
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best representative freelancer scheme at €60,000, single = свободна професия (scheme bg-svobodna-profesia): 25% deemed expenses → base €45,000; social 27.8% capped at €7,044.43 (max insurable income €2,111.64/mo); 10% tax on €37,955.57 = €3,795.56. Levies €10,839.99 → 18.1%. The ЕООД company chain (10% + 5% dividend) shows a lower headline (~14.5%) but excludes the compulsory owner-manager social insurance, so свободна професия is the honest freelancer burden.
SettleMetric tax engine over Tax Code (Small Business Status)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme ge-small-business-1pct at €60,000 = 180,738 GEL (NBG 3.0123 GEL/EUR), below the 500,000 GEL threshold → 1% turnover tax = 1,807 GEL, no mandatory social/pension. Effective burden ≈ 1.0%.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Bulgaria
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for BG in 2023 = 42.85 Mbps (139,790 download tests). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and understates real line speeds — Bulgaria has very fast, cheap fibre (commonly 100–1000 Mbps advertised) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- Bulgaria is known for fast, inexpensive fixed broadband; the M-Lab single-stream median is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians (download_MED), 47,852 download tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; the 2024 file is only Jan–Mar, and 2025/2026 are not yet published). Georgia sits under continent code AS in M-Lab.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. Cross-check: the World Bank's July-2024 median of ~20 Mbps (Ookla-derived, so not citable here) is consistent with this once the M-Lab-reads-low offset is accounted for. Speeds are trending up (~10%/yr: M-Lab yearly medians ran 9.7 in 2020 → 15.8 in 2023), so multi-year pooling would understate current speed; the latest full year is used instead. GNCC/comcom.ge publishes operator quality-of-service measurements (e.g. Magticom fixed ~56 Mb/s advertised-tier average, 2025/26) but no national measured median, and its own speed commentary relies on the same Ookla data we can't redistribute.
EF EPI 2025 — Bulgaria (score 594, rank 18/123, High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Bulgaria ranks #18 of 123, score 594 (global average 488), 'High Proficiency' band. English is broadly workable in Sofia's tech and service sectors and among younger Bulgarians; Bulgarian (Cyrillic) remains essential for administration and daily life outside the capital.
EF EPI 2025 (score 541, rank 35/123 — High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). English is workable in Tbilisi/Batumi tourism and the younger service sector; less so in government and older generations. Russian remains widely understood.
NSI Bulgaria — Income, Expenditure and Consumption of Households in 2024 (Household Budget Survey)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- NSI HBS 2024 consumer expenditure per household member = BGN 9,466/yr (COICOP consumption, effectively rent-free — Bulgaria doesn't impute owner rent, ~85% ownership, housing line is utilities). 9,466 ÷ 12 = 788.83 BGN/mo ÷ 1.95583 = €403.32/mo × 1.1399 = $459.75/mo → $460. Household-Budget-Survey basis chosen for peer consistency (matching the capture ratio of the Spain/Czechia figures). Bulgaria is the cheapest of the peer set.
- Notes
- The cheapest vs peers (BG ~$460 < CZ ~$785 < ES ~$941), consistent with income levels. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2026 (1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN).
Geostat — Households Expenditures survey 2025
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Geostat 2025 average per-capita monthly consumption (603 GEL) split by the survey's COICOP category shares, with the imputed-housing portion removed, converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD (NBG 2026-07-02). Categories sum to this figure. Geostat has no clean single-person-excl-rent basket, so treat as a curated estimate.
Econt and Speedy — Bulgaria's dominant courier networks
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Econt and Speedy form a dense duopoly with nationwide office + automated-locker networks and next-day domestic delivery; cash-on-delivery ('наложен платеж') is the default e-commerce payment method. Fast, cheap, reliable → excellent.
Georgian Post + courier service pages (composite)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Georgian Post ~500 branches nationwide (1–3 day domestic parcels, some lockers/pickup points); Wolt Drive and Glovo last-mile in Tbilisi/Batumi; DHL/FedEx/UPS present. Dense and reliable in cities; locker density and nationwide same-day coverage thinner than EU leaders → good, not excellent.
Family
Relocating with a partner and school-age children.
Sofia fits better — 3 of 5
IB World Schools (ibo.org) + AEFE (French Ministry-accredited network) — accreditor registries
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 14, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Accreditor-verified floor for Sofia. IB World Schools: Anglo-American School of Sofia (also CIS/NEASC), The American College of Sofia, British School of Sofia (also Cambridge/COBIS), Uwekind International School, Meridian 22, Change the World Schools, Zlatarski International School, Cosmos International School, Discover Montessori School = 9; plus Victor Hugo Lycée Français de Sofia (AEFE) = 10.
- Notes
- ±2 uncertainty; verified floor. Not counted: Deutsche Schule Sofia (German curriculum, status not verified this pass) and Cambridge-only schools (St. George, Darbi College). Sofia is Bulgaria's deepest international-school market by far.
IB World Schools directory / IB Georgia association
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- IB World Schools in Tbilisi: New School (PYP+MYP+DP), Newton Free School, European School. At least 3; the ibo.org finder blocked automated access (±1).
- Notes
- ~16 international schools operate in Tbilisi; 3 are IB-authorized.
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=BG)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (1.23). Downward trend from 2.29 in 2008; recent years 2020 0.96, 2021 1.29, 2022 1.11, 2023 1.15, 2024 1.23. Moderate by European standards.
UNODC (via World Bank mirror) — intentional homicide, Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2019
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- 2019 is the latest year UNODC publishes for Georgia. Low by global standards (world average ≈ 5.8); Georgia is widely regarded as very safe for residents. No city-level series is published.
Curated market survey of Bulgarian voluntary health insurers (2026)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Bulgaria has mandatory public health insurance (НЗОК) with no full private-replacement market, so this is the VOLUNTARY supplementary premium: a comprehensive mid-tier plan (outpatient GP+specialist, labs, imaging, hospitalisation) ~€60/month = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range €30–60/mo (basic) to €60–120/mo (premium with dental/vision).
- Notes
- Supplementary to mandatory public НЗОК, not a replacement (like Austria's Sonderklasse). Main voluntary insurers: DZI, Bulstrad VIG, Generali, Allianz Bulgaria, DallBogg, UNIQA. Indicative premiums, vary with coverage caps and deductibles.
Georgian insurers (Ardi, GPI, Imedi L) — comprehensive-tier plans
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Midpoint of comprehensive local plans: Ardi Medi Premium from ~$340/yr up to market comprehensive ~$795/yr (converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD). Expat international plans run higher ($1,000–2,000/yr).
- Notes
- Georgian insurers quote by callback rather than public age-rated engines, so this is a curated market midpoint for local comprehensive cover, not a bound quote.
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Aug 28, 2026
- Method
- Row Sofia/BGR, year 2024, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), read from the published spreadsheet on 2026-08-28: pm25_concentration = 10.475 µg/m³ at 95% temporal coverage over 7 stations (three urban background, two urban traffic, one suburban background and one rural background), reference "European Environmental Agency", WHO footprint population 1,242,568. Reference year 2024 — the latest year this database carries a full-year PM2.5 figure for this city, and the year already used by the other European cities in this dataset. The database also holds a later row for this city — 2025 reads 12.28 µg/m³ but at 80% coverage, below the EU's 90% data-quality objective — so it is reported in notes rather than used. Identity checked against the row's own station centroid, which lies 3.0 km from this city's recorded coordinates — the file contains near-miss names such as "Playa Del Ingles/ESP" and "Porto Empedocle/ITA", so the check is not a formality.
- Notes
- Well below the non-authoritative estimates previously recorded here (ISGlobal modelled ~17 µg/m³, IQAir 2024 ~19 µg/m³). Those are modelling and low-cost-sensor products; this is what the reference network measured. The series also shows a genuine step down after 2020 — 13.58 in 2019 against 8.15 in 2021 — so older estimates describe a dirtier city than the current one. One of the seven stations is classified rural background, which pulls the city mean down; Sofia's winter peaks from solid-fuel domestic heating are real and are not visible in an annual mean. Preceding years in the same series: 2019 13.58 (79%), 2020 17.86 (42%), 2021 8.15 (70%), 2022 8.71 (88%), 2023 9.23 (82%).
IQAir 2024 World Air Quality Report
Research
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Attribution: IQAir (aggregator of ground stations + validated sensors). About 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25). Georgia's official NEA portal publishes only real-time readings, not an annual mean.
EF EPI 2025 — Bulgaria (score 594, rank 18/123, High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Bulgaria ranks #18 of 123, score 594 (global average 488), 'High Proficiency' band. English is broadly workable in Sofia's tech and service sectors and among younger Bulgarians; Bulgarian (Cyrillic) remains essential for administration and daily life outside the capital.
EF EPI 2025 (score 541, rank 35/123 — High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). English is workable in Tbilisi/Batumi tourism and the younger service sector; less so in government and older generations. Russian remains widely understood.
Money & crypto
Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.
Tbilisi fits better — 2 of 3
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Crypto is legal. Individual gains from crypto disposals are taxed as investment income at the 10% flat rate (a 10% deemed-cost deduction makes the effective rate ~9%), declared on Annex 5 of the annual return. MiCA is fully in force EU-wide; crypto-asset service providers must be licensed by the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC), transitional-regime deadline 1 July 2026. Supervisor FSC (fsc.bg); tax authority НАП (nap.bg).
National Bank of Georgia — Virtual Asset Service Providers
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Individuals pay 0% income tax on crypto gains (Minister of Finance Public Decision N201, 2019 — crypto is not Georgian-source income for individuals) and crypto↔fiat exchange is VAT-exempt. Service providers must register as VASPs with the NBG (regime since 1 July 2023). Very favourable for individual holders, hence legal-friendly.
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Composite: Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2026 (fixed 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN); EU member with full free movement of capital, no capital controls or currency-conversion limits. The only notable restriction is a domestic cash-payment ceiling (Law on Limitation of Cash Payments): payments at/above ~€5,113 (BGN 10,000) must be non-cash — a routine AML measure. The EU-wide €10,000 cash cap applies from 2027. No limits on holding foreign currency or cross-border transfers → 'low'.
US State Dept 2025 Investment Climate Statement (Georgia) / trade.gov
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GEL freely convertible (float since 1998; IMF Article VIII since 1996); no capital controls; funds transfer abroad freely (except sanctioned destinations); no routine cash caps or resident foreign-account exit restrictions.
- Notes
- Caveat: since Georgia joined CRS (2024) and post-2022 de-risking, non-resident bank account onboarding has become notably stricter (source-of-funds documentation, some rejections). The FX regime itself is open; the friction is at bank KYC.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best representative freelancer scheme at €60,000, single = свободна професия (scheme bg-svobodna-profesia): 25% deemed expenses → base €45,000; social 27.8% capped at €7,044.43 (max insurable income €2,111.64/mo); 10% tax on €37,955.57 = €3,795.56. Levies €10,839.99 → 18.1%. The ЕООД company chain (10% + 5% dividend) shows a lower headline (~14.5%) but excludes the compulsory owner-manager social insurance, so свободна професия is the honest freelancer burden.
SettleMetric tax engine over Tax Code (Small Business Status)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme ge-small-business-1pct at €60,000 = 180,738 GEL (NBG 3.0123 GEL/EUR), below the 500,000 GEL threshold → 1% turnover tax = 1,807 GEL, no mandatory social/pension. Effective burden ≈ 1.0%.
Calm lifestyle
Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.
Sofia fits better — 3 of 4
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=BG)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (1.23). Downward trend from 2.29 in 2008; recent years 2020 0.96, 2021 1.29, 2022 1.11, 2023 1.15, 2024 1.23. Moderate by European standards.
UNODC (via World Bank mirror) — intentional homicide, Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2019
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- 2019 is the latest year UNODC publishes for Georgia. Low by global standards (world average ≈ 5.8); Georgia is widely regarded as very safe for residents. No city-level series is published.
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Aug 28, 2026
- Method
- Row Sofia/BGR, year 2024, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), read from the published spreadsheet on 2026-08-28: pm25_concentration = 10.475 µg/m³ at 95% temporal coverage over 7 stations (three urban background, two urban traffic, one suburban background and one rural background), reference "European Environmental Agency", WHO footprint population 1,242,568. Reference year 2024 — the latest year this database carries a full-year PM2.5 figure for this city, and the year already used by the other European cities in this dataset. The database also holds a later row for this city — 2025 reads 12.28 µg/m³ but at 80% coverage, below the EU's 90% data-quality objective — so it is reported in notes rather than used. Identity checked against the row's own station centroid, which lies 3.0 km from this city's recorded coordinates — the file contains near-miss names such as "Playa Del Ingles/ESP" and "Porto Empedocle/ITA", so the check is not a formality.
- Notes
- Well below the non-authoritative estimates previously recorded here (ISGlobal modelled ~17 µg/m³, IQAir 2024 ~19 µg/m³). Those are modelling and low-cost-sensor products; this is what the reference network measured. The series also shows a genuine step down after 2020 — 13.58 in 2019 against 8.15 in 2021 — so older estimates describe a dirtier city than the current one. One of the seven stations is classified rural background, which pulls the city mean down; Sofia's winter peaks from solid-fuel domestic heating are real and are not visible in an annual mean. Preceding years in the same series: 2019 13.58 (79%), 2020 17.86 (42%), 2021 8.15 (70%), 2022 8.71 (88%), 2023 9.23 (82%).
IQAir 2024 World Air Quality Report
Research
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Attribution: IQAir (aggregator of ground stations + validated sensors). About 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25). Georgia's official NEA portal publishes only real-time readings, not an annual mean.
NSI Bulgaria — Income, Expenditure and Consumption of Households in 2024 (Household Budget Survey)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- NSI HBS 2024 consumer expenditure per household member = BGN 9,466/yr (COICOP consumption, effectively rent-free — Bulgaria doesn't impute owner rent, ~85% ownership, housing line is utilities). 9,466 ÷ 12 = 788.83 BGN/mo ÷ 1.95583 = €403.32/mo × 1.1399 = $459.75/mo → $460. Household-Budget-Survey basis chosen for peer consistency (matching the capture ratio of the Spain/Czechia figures). Bulgaria is the cheapest of the peer set.
- Notes
- The cheapest vs peers (BG ~$460 < CZ ~$785 < ES ~$941), consistent with income levels. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2026 (1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN).
Geostat — Households Expenditures survey 2025
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Geostat 2025 average per-capita monthly consumption (603 GEL) split by the survey's COICOP category shares, with the imputed-housing portion removed, converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD (NBG 2026-07-02). Categories sum to this figure. Geostat has no clean single-person-excl-rent basket, so treat as a curated estimate.
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Sofia WMO 15614)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (16.7), May (21.4), Jun (25.2), Jul (27.8), Sep (23.3), Oct (17.6) = 6. Aug (28.3) just exceeds the 28°C ceiling; all months are well under 150mm. Sofia's 586 m elevation keeps summers milder than the lowland Bulgarian cities.
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precip < 150mm: Apr, May, Sep, Oct = 4. June (28.7°C) and Jul–Aug (~32°C) are too hot.
03
The full comparison
Open any fact to see what it measures, how fresh it is and the complete source trail for both cities.
01
Taxes
01+−Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileSofia18.1Tbilisistronger1
What this measures
Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.
Sofia
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best representative freelancer scheme at €60,000, single = свободна професия (scheme bg-svobodna-profesia): 25% deemed expenses → base €45,000; social 27.8% capped at €7,044.43 (max insurable income €2,111.64/mo); 10% tax on €37,955.57 = €3,795.56. Levies €10,839.99 → 18.1%. The ЕООД company chain (10% + 5% dividend) shows a lower headline (~14.5%) but excludes the compulsory owner-manager social insurance, so свободна професия is the honest freelancer burden.
Tbilisi
SettleMetric tax engine over Tax Code (Small Business Status)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme ge-small-business-1pct at €60,000 = 180,738 GEL (NBG 3.0123 GEL/EUR), below the 500,000 GEL threshold → 1% turnover tax = 1,807 GEL, no mandatory social/pension. Effective burden ≈ 1.0%.
02
Legalization
01+−Remote-work legalization easeSofiastrongerDedicated nomad visaTbilisiLong stay path
What this measures
Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.
Sofia
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Bulgaria created a dedicated digital-nomad residence route via the June 2025 Foreigners Act amendment, opened to applications for 2026 — for non-EU remote workers earning from abroad (income ≥ 50× the previous year's monthly minimum wage, ~€27,500/year). Combined with the 10% flat tax and low cost of living it is one of the EU's most attractive nomad setups. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens simply exercise free movement.
Tbilisi
Government Ordinance N255 — visa-free entry
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Exceptionally easy in practice: ~94 nationalities (incl. all EU, US, UK, Ukraine, Russia) may stay visa-free for a full year and register an Individual Entrepreneur with 1% Small Business Status the same day — no residence permit needed. Scored as a long-stay path; there is no formal 'digital nomad visa' and the year of visa-free stay does not itself build toward permanent residence.
03
Cost of living
01+−Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentSofia460Tbilisi220
What this measures
Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.
Sofia
NSI Bulgaria — Income, Expenditure and Consumption of Households in 2024 (Household Budget Survey)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- NSI HBS 2024 consumer expenditure per household member = BGN 9,466/yr (COICOP consumption, effectively rent-free — Bulgaria doesn't impute owner rent, ~85% ownership, housing line is utilities). 9,466 ÷ 12 = 788.83 BGN/mo ÷ 1.95583 = €403.32/mo × 1.1399 = $459.75/mo → $460. Household-Budget-Survey basis chosen for peer consistency (matching the capture ratio of the Spain/Czechia figures). Bulgaria is the cheapest of the peer set.
- Notes
- The cheapest vs peers (BG ~$460 < CZ ~$785 < ES ~$941), consistent with income levels. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2026 (1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN).
Tbilisi
Geostat — Households Expenditures survey 2025
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Geostat 2025 average per-capita monthly consumption (603 GEL) split by the survey's COICOP category shares, with the imputed-housing portion removed, converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD (NBG 2026-07-02). Categories sum to this figure. Geostat has no clean single-person-excl-rent basket, so treat as a curated estimate.
Monthly spending by category (excl. rent)
NSI Bulgaria — Household Budget Survey 2024 (consumer expenditure by group)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Each NSI 2024 COICOP group (BGN/capita/yr) converted ÷12 ÷1.95583 ×1.1399. Items sum ≈ $460, matching the headline. NSI merges recreation+culture+education and folds restaurants/hotels into food/misc; housing line is utilities only (no rent, per the HBS convention).
Geostat — Households Expenditures survey 2025 (category shares)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Geostat 2025 per-capita consumption shares (food 38.7%, transport 11.4%, healthcare 11.0%, etc.) applied to the ~$220/mo excl-rent base and converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD. Georgia's very high food share is characteristic of the income level. National average — rent shown separately.
04
Housing
Rent by apartment type
Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 14, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- €/m²/month × standard sizes (studio 30, 1br 40, 2br 60, 3br 85 m²), converted EUR→USD at 1.1399. Center €11.5/m² (imoti.net central-district 1-bed asking: Center €10.61, Oborishte €11.72, Lozenets €10.20, Krastova Vada €11.74), outside €8.0/m² (Levski €7.71, plus large panel districts Lyulin/Nadezhda/Druzhba ~€7–8). E.g. 1br center 40×11.5 = €460 → $524; 3br center 85×11.5 = €977.5 → $1,114.
- Notes
- Sofia is the priciest Bulgarian rental market. A flat €/m² is applied across sizes, so studios are slightly understated and large units slightly overstated vs true listing medians. Bulgarian listings are quoted in EUR (euro adopted 1 Jan 2026 at 1.95583 BGN/EUR). Center = prime/central districts; outside = peripheral panel districts.
ss.ge / korter.ge listing samples (Tbilisi)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Typical asking-rent medians from active listings (portals quote USD), central = Vake/Saburtalo/Old Tbilisi, outside = outer districts. Small samples — indicative ranges. Georgian portal room counts mapped (a '2-room' listing ≈ a 1-bedroom).
- Notes
- Asking, not transacted; indicative from small listing samples. Room-count convention: Georgian portals count total rooms, mapped to Western studio/1BR/2BR/3BR.
05
Safety
01+−Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearSofiastronger1.2Tbilisi2
What this measures
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).
Sofia
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB, geo=BG)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (1.23). Downward trend from 2.29 in 2008; recent years 2020 0.96, 2021 1.29, 2022 1.11, 2023 1.15, 2024 1.23. Moderate by European standards.
Tbilisi
UNODC (via World Bank mirror) — intentional homicide, Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2019
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- 2019 is the latest year UNODC publishes for Georgia. Low by global standards (world average ≈ 5.8); Georgia is widely regarded as very safe for residents. No city-level series is published.
06
Climate
01+−Climate comfortpleasant months/yearSofiastronger6Tbilisi4
What this measures
Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.
Sofia
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Sofia WMO 15614)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (16.7), May (21.4), Jun (25.2), Jul (27.8), Sep (23.3), Oct (17.6) = 6. Aug (28.3) just exceeds the 28°C ceiling; all months are well under 150mm. Sofia's 586 m elevation keeps summers milder than the lowland Bulgarian cities.
Tbilisi
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precip < 150mm: Apr, May, Sep, Oct = 4. June (28.7°C) and Jul–Aug (~32°C) are too hot.
02+−Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5Sofiastronger10.5Tbilisi15.1
What this measures
Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.
Sofia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Aug 28, 2026
- Method
- Row Sofia/BGR, year 2024, of the WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026), read from the published spreadsheet on 2026-08-28: pm25_concentration = 10.475 µg/m³ at 95% temporal coverage over 7 stations (three urban background, two urban traffic, one suburban background and one rural background), reference "European Environmental Agency", WHO footprint population 1,242,568. Reference year 2024 — the latest year this database carries a full-year PM2.5 figure for this city, and the year already used by the other European cities in this dataset. The database also holds a later row for this city — 2025 reads 12.28 µg/m³ but at 80% coverage, below the EU's 90% data-quality objective — so it is reported in notes rather than used. Identity checked against the row's own station centroid, which lies 3.0 km from this city's recorded coordinates — the file contains near-miss names such as "Playa Del Ingles/ESP" and "Porto Empedocle/ITA", so the check is not a formality.
- Notes
- Well below the non-authoritative estimates previously recorded here (ISGlobal modelled ~17 µg/m³, IQAir 2024 ~19 µg/m³). Those are modelling and low-cost-sensor products; this is what the reference network measured. The series also shows a genuine step down after 2020 — 13.58 in 2019 against 8.15 in 2021 — so older estimates describe a dirtier city than the current one. One of the seven stations is classified rural background, which pulls the city mean down; Sofia's winter peaks from solid-fuel domestic heating are real and are not visible in an annual mean. Preceding years in the same series: 2019 13.58 (79%), 2020 17.86 (42%), 2021 8.15 (70%), 2022 8.71 (88%), 2023 9.23 (82%).
Tbilisi
IQAir 2024 World Air Quality Report
Research
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Attribution: IQAir (aggregator of ground stations + validated sensors). About 3× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25). Georgia's official NEA portal publishes only real-time readings, not an annual mean.
07
Healthcare
01+−Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldSofia820Tbilisistronger450
What this measures
Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.
Sofia
Curated market survey of Bulgarian voluntary health insurers (2026)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Bulgaria has mandatory public health insurance (НЗОК) with no full private-replacement market, so this is the VOLUNTARY supplementary premium: a comprehensive mid-tier plan (outpatient GP+specialist, labs, imaging, hospitalisation) ~€60/month = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range €30–60/mo (basic) to €60–120/mo (premium with dental/vision).
- Notes
- Supplementary to mandatory public НЗОК, not a replacement (like Austria's Sonderklasse). Main voluntary insurers: DZI, Bulstrad VIG, Generali, Allianz Bulgaria, DallBogg, UNIQA. Indicative premiums, vary with coverage caps and deductibles.
Tbilisi
Georgian insurers (Ardi, GPI, Imedi L) — comprehensive-tier plans
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Midpoint of comprehensive local plans: Ardi Medi Premium from ~$340/yr up to market comprehensive ~$795/yr (converted at 2.6431 GEL/USD). Expat international plans run higher ($1,000–2,000/yr).
- Notes
- Georgian insurers quote by callback rather than public age-rated engines, so this is a curated market midpoint for local comprehensive cover, not a bound quote.
08
Money & crypto
01+−Crypto regulationSofiaLegal regulatedTbilisistrongerLegal friendly
What this measures
Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.
Sofia
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Crypto is legal. Individual gains from crypto disposals are taxed as investment income at the 10% flat rate (a 10% deemed-cost deduction makes the effective rate ~9%), declared on Annex 5 of the annual return. MiCA is fully in force EU-wide; crypto-asset service providers must be licensed by the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC), transitional-regime deadline 1 July 2026. Supervisor FSC (fsc.bg); tax authority НАП (nap.bg).
Tbilisi
National Bank of Georgia — Virtual Asset Service Providers
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Individuals pay 0% income tax on crypto gains (Minister of Finance Public Decision N201, 2019 — crypto is not Georgian-source income for individuals) and crypto↔fiat exchange is VAT-exempt. Service providers must register as VASPs with the NBG (regime since 1 July 2023). Very favourable for individual holders, hence legal-friendly.
02+−Financial control levelSofiaLowTbilisiLow
What this measures
Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.
Sofia
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Composite: Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2026 (fixed 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN); EU member with full free movement of capital, no capital controls or currency-conversion limits. The only notable restriction is a domestic cash-payment ceiling (Law on Limitation of Cash Payments): payments at/above ~€5,113 (BGN 10,000) must be non-cash — a routine AML measure. The EU-wide €10,000 cash cap applies from 2027. No limits on holding foreign currency or cross-border transfers → 'low'.
Tbilisi
US State Dept 2025 Investment Climate Statement (Georgia) / trade.gov
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- GEL freely convertible (float since 1998; IMF Article VIII since 1996); no capital controls; funds transfer abroad freely (except sanctioned destinations); no routine cash caps or resident foreign-account exit restrictions.
- Notes
- Caveat: since Georgia joined CRS (2024) and post-2022 de-risking, non-resident bank account onboarding has become notably stricter (source-of-funds documentation, some rejections). The FX regime itself is open; the friction is at bank KYC.
09
Infrastructure
01+−Domestic delivery qualitySofiastrongerExcellentTbilisiGood
What this measures
Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.
Sofia
Econt and Speedy — Bulgaria's dominant courier networks
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Econt and Speedy form a dense duopoly with nationwide office + automated-locker networks and next-day domestic delivery; cash-on-delivery ('наложен платеж') is the default e-commerce payment method. Fast, cheap, reliable → excellent.
Tbilisi
Georgian Post + courier service pages (composite)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Georgian Post ~500 branches nationwide (1–3 day domestic parcels, some lockers/pickup points); Wolt Drive and Glovo last-mile in Tbilisi/Batumi; DHL/FedEx/UPS present. Dense and reliable in cities; locker density and nationwide same-day coverage thinner than EU leaders → good, not excellent.
02+−International delivery easeSofiaMinor frictionTbilisiMinor friction
What this measures
Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.
Sofia
European Commission — removal of the €150 duty-free import threshold (EU-wide, from 1 July 2026)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market/customs union). From 1 July 2026 the EU removes the €150 duty-free threshold for non-EU imports (a transitional flat per-item customs duty applies; VAT already collected since 2021). Minor friction on non-EU inbound parcels — the same EU regime as other member states.
Tbilisi
Revenue Service of Georgia — customs procedures
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Georgia is outside the EU/EAEU. Personal-import de minimis: 300 GEL (≈ $113) and ≤ 30 kg, once per calendar month, exempt; above that, 18% import VAT + 0–12% duty + a small customs fee. All major integrators (DHL, FedEx, UPS, Aramex) present. Predictable but the low monthly de-minimis cap adds friction.
03+−Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadSofiastronger42.8Tbilisi15.8
What this measures
Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.
Sofia
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Bulgaria
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 343 daily country-median download values for BG in 2023 = 42.85 Mbps (139,790 download tests). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and understates real line speeds — Bulgaria has very fast, cheap fibre (commonly 100–1000 Mbps advertised) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- Bulgaria is known for fast, inexpensive fixed broadband; the M-Lab single-stream median is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
Tbilisi
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Georgia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Median of 343 daily country medians (download_MED), 47,852 download tests (2023 — latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API; the 2024 file is only Jan–Mar, and 2025/2026 are not yet published). Georgia sits under continent code AS in M-Lab.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. Cross-check: the World Bank's July-2024 median of ~20 Mbps (Ookla-derived, so not citable here) is consistent with this once the M-Lab-reads-low offset is accounted for. Speeds are trending up (~10%/yr: M-Lab yearly medians ran 9.7 in 2020 → 15.8 in 2023), so multi-year pooling would understate current speed; the latest full year is used instead. GNCC/comcom.ge publishes operator quality-of-service measurements (e.g. Magticom fixed ~56 Mb/s advertised-tier average, 2025/26) but no national measured median, and its own speed commentary relies on the same Ookla data we can't redistribute.
10
Language
01+−English proficiencySofiaHighTbilisiHigh
What this measures
Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.
Sofia
EF EPI 2025 — Bulgaria (score 594, rank 18/123, High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): Bulgaria ranks #18 of 123, score 594 (global average 488), 'High Proficiency' band. English is broadly workable in Sofia's tech and service sectors and among younger Bulgarians; Bulgarian (Cyrillic) remains essential for administration and daily life outside the capital.
Tbilisi
EF EPI 2025 (score 541, rank 35/123 — High band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI (attribution: EF Education First). English is workable in Tbilisi/Batumi tourism and the younger service sector; less so in government and older generations. Russian remains widely understood.
11
Education
01+−International schoolsaccredited international schools, countSofiastronger10Tbilisi3
What this measures
Count of international schools in the metro area accredited by or member of IB, CIS, COBIS, or an equivalent national-curriculum-abroad body (verified against the accreditor's public registry, not aggregator sites).
Sofia
IB World Schools (ibo.org) + AEFE (French Ministry-accredited network) — accreditor registries
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 14, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Accreditor-verified floor for Sofia. IB World Schools: Anglo-American School of Sofia (also CIS/NEASC), The American College of Sofia, British School of Sofia (also Cambridge/COBIS), Uwekind International School, Meridian 22, Change the World Schools, Zlatarski International School, Cosmos International School, Discover Montessori School = 9; plus Victor Hugo Lycée Français de Sofia (AEFE) = 10.
- Notes
- ±2 uncertainty; verified floor. Not counted: Deutsche Schule Sofia (German curriculum, status not verified this pass) and Cambridge-only schools (St. George, Darbi College). Sofia is Bulgaria's deepest international-school market by far.
Tbilisi
IB World Schools directory / IB Georgia association
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 3, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- IB World Schools in Tbilisi: New School (PYP+MYP+DP), Newton Free School, European School. At least 3; the ibo.org finder blocked automated access (±1).
- Notes
- ~16 international schools operate in Tbilisi; 3 are IB-authorized.