Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-'amarah and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-’amarah: $654 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Al-'amarah
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Al-'amarah Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$654

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-'amarah 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 Al-'amarah and in Sofia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $654 per month in Al-’amarah vs $1,585 in Sofia, rent included.

Al-'amarah $654
Sofia $1,585

A couple spends around $1,021 per month in Al-’amarah vs $2,486 in Sofia, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,021
Sofia $2,486

A family of three spends $1,388 per month in Al-’amarah vs $3,387 in Sofia, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,388
Sofia $3,387

Al-’amarah is about 59% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Al-’amarah sits 52% below the global median, while Sofia is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.01 IQD 6,059

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-75.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.19 IQD 32.0K

$67.7 BGN 118

-68.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 IQD 9,494

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-46.23%

Cappuccino

$2.47 IQD 3,735

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-27.57%

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

$0.35 IQD 531

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-85.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 332

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-86.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 IQD 5,038

$3.99 BGN 6.94

-16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 IQD 3,891

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-43.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 IQD 1,485

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-49.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,110

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-52.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 IQD 2,106

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-40.85%

Eggs

$1.61 IQD 2,428

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-65.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.92 IQD 5,920

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-65.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 IQD 5,297

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-59.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 IQD 18.1K

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-30.80%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 IQD 1,412

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-56.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 IQD 1,511

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-49.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,451

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-47.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 959

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-85.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 890

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-43.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 884

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-33.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 921

$1.19 BGN 2.06

-48.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 IQD 723

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-42.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 IQD 2,510

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-62.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 IQD 17.1K

$7.42 BGN 12.91

52.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 IQD 2,378

$1.16 BGN 2.01

35.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,707

$1.90 BGN 3.30

-5.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 515

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-63.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 IQD 2,718

$1.67 BGN 2.90

7.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 IQD 2,054

$0.85 BGN 1.49

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 IQD 8,296

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-66.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 809

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-68.97%

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

$16.3K IQD 24.7M

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

-45.44%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

-32.16%

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

$86.6 IQD 130.8K

$158 BGN 275

-45.15%

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

$13.27 IQD 20.1K

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-37.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.99 IQD 43.8K

$15.12 BGN 26.30

91.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.08 IQD 56.0K

$46.85 BGN 81.5

-20.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 IQD 13.4K

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-11.10%

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

$144 IQD 217.4K

$815 BGN 1,419

-82.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,770 IQD 4.2M

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

-81.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.92 IQD 31.6K

$87.1 BGN 152

-75.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.79 IQD 34.4K

$38.28 BGN 66.6

-40.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.3 IQD 88.1K

$106 BGN 184

-44.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.00 IQD 57.4K

$107 BGN 187

-64.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 IQD 312.4K

$769 BGN 1,338

-73.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 IQD 205.2K

$593 BGN 1,032

-77.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 IQD 576.6K

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-75.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 IQD 471.7K

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-70.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 IQD 1.3M

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-80.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$500 IQD 754.8K

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-83.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 IQD 666.0K

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-75.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

2.89

42.56%

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

Last update for Al-'amarah: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al-'amarah

$157 24%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 82.9% $130

Accommodation & Living

Al-'amarah

$136 20.8%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 337% $457

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-'amarah

$129 19.7%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 50.8% $65

Eating Out

Al-'amarah

$105 16%

Sofia

$254 16% 142% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Al-'amarah

$63 9.6%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 142% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Al-'amarah

$55 8.4%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 21.9% $12

Getting Around

Al-'amarah

$10 * 1.5%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 279% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $207 in Al-’amarah 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 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Al-’amarah versus $68 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $157 vs $288 – making Al-’amarah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-'amarah

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

22:48 10:48 PM

21:48 9:48 PM

1 h behind Al-'amarah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

511,542

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.514 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,689 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.94 BGN (1 BGN = 0.514 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al-'amarah Sofia 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Al-'amarah
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

Al-'amarah vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 142%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $982 per month in Al-’amarah 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 Al-’amarah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $207 there versus $769 in Sofia.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Al-’amarah and $68 in Sofia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 83% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-’amarah, where all-in costs run around $654, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Al-’amarah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-’amarah – 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 Al-’amarah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.