Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktau and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $798 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$798

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aktau and in Sofia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aktau and in Sofia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $798 per month in Aktau vs $1,585 in Sofia, rent included.

Aktau $798
Sofia $1,585

A couple spends around $1,321 per month in Aktau vs $2,486 in Sofia, rent included.

Aktau $1,321
Sofia $2,486

A family of three spends $1,844 per month in Aktau vs $3,387 in Sofia, rent included.

Aktau $1,844
Sofia $3,387

Aktau is about 50% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Aktau sits 41% below the global median, while Sofia is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₸5,070

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-32.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.53 ₸19.6K

$67.7 BGN 118

-35.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 ₸4,552

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-13.44%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₸1,153

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-24.93%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₸339

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-68.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₸205

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-73.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₸581

$3.99 BGN 6.94

-67.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₸691

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-66.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ₸655

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-25.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 ₸256

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-63.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 ₸822

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-22.55%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸779

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-62.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 ₸4,402

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-14.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ₸1,898

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-51.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.55 ₸3,852

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-50.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 ₸680

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-29.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 ₸1,003

$1.98 BGN 3.45

12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₸1,082

$1.83 BGN 3.18

31.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 ₸1,289

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-33.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸296

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-36.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 ₸235

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-41.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 ₸659

$1.19 BGN 2.06

22.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₸430

$0.83 BGN 1.45

14.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₸1,169

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-40.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 ₸4,275

$7.42 BGN 12.91

27.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₸340

$1.16 BGN 2.01

-34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸407

$1.90 BGN 3.30

-52.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ₸72.0

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-82.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 ₸507

$1.67 BGN 2.90

-32.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.85 BGN 1.49

-24.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 ₸300

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-61.49%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.2K ₸14.1M

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

24.84%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$46.54 ₸21.0K

$158 BGN 275

-70.52%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.14 ₸3,665

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-61.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.99 ₸4,952

$15.12 BGN 26.30

-27.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.51 ₸16.4K

$46.85 BGN 81.5

-22.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$3.12 ₸1,406

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-68.80%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$146 ₸65.6K

$815 BGN 1,419

-82.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,643 ₸1.2M

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

-81.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.5 ₸30.4K

$87.1 BGN 152

-22.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 ₸17.6K

$38.28 BGN 66.6

2.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ₸32.3K

$106 BGN 184

-32.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ₸39.6K

$107 BGN 187

-17.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$325 ₸146.5K

$769 BGN 1,338

-57.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ₸89.7K

$593 BGN 1,032

-66.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 ₸246.3K

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-64.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₸177.0K

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-62.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$810 ₸365.0K

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-82.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$645 ₸290.5K

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-79.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$569 ₸256.2K

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-68.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

384.43%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aktau: October 31, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Aktau

$200 25.1%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 43.7% $88

Accommodation & Living

Aktau

$199 25%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 198% $394

Eating Out

Aktau

$165 20.7%

Sofia

$254 16% 53.3% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Aktau

$120 15%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 27% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktau

$66 8.2%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 196% $129

Sport & Entertainment

Aktau

$43 5.4%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 56.4% $24

Getting Around

Aktau

$5 * 0.6%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 659% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $325 in Aktau versus $769 in Sofia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sofia are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Aktau versus $68 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $288 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktau

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

05:49 5:49 AM

3 h behind Aktau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,830

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Aktau Sofia 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Aktau
Sofia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aktau vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 99% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,197 per month in Aktau and $2,378 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $325 there versus $769 in Sofia.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Aktau and $68 in Sofia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Aktau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.