Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Mukalla and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mukalla: $847 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sofia outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Al Mukalla

🇾🇪 Yemen

$847

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $847 in Al Mukalla versus $1,585 in Sofia.

Al Mukalla $847
Sofia $1,585

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,661 in Al Mukalla versus $2,486 in Sofia.

Al Mukalla $1,661
Sofia $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,475 in Al Mukalla versus $3,387 in Sofia.

Al Mukalla $2,475
Sofia $3,387

Living in Al Mukalla costs roughly 47% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Mukalla is 37% below, Sofia is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.84 YER 3,972

$16.57 BGN 28.84

1.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 YER 19.7K

$67.7 BGN 118

23.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

Cappuccino

$8.36 YER 1,972

$3.41 BGN 5.93

145.16%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 YER 206

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-47.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

Eggs

$10.81 YER 2,551

$4.60 BGN 8.00

135.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.96 YER 3,528

$11.47 BGN 19.96

30.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.94 YER 6,120

$8.65 BGN 15.04

199.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$60.0 YER 14.2K

$17.34 BGN 30.17

246.02%

Apples (1kg)

$14.89 YER 3,514

$2.15 BGN 3.73

592.56%

Banana (1kg)

$6.19 YER 1,460

$1.98 BGN 3.45

212.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 YER 1,212

$1.83 BGN 3.18

180.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 YER 819

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-18.74%

Potato (1kg)

$7.47 YER 1,763

$1.04 BGN 1.82

618.27%

Onion (1kg)

$4.16 YER 980

$0.89 BGN 1.54

367.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 YER 602

$0.83 BGN 1.45

207.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

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)

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

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

$158 BGN 275

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

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

$815 BGN 1,419

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

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

Last update for Al Mukalla: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Mukalla

–

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Groceries & Markets

Al Mukalla

–

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Eating Out

Al Mukalla

–

Sofia

$254 16%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Mukalla

–

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Al Mukalla

–

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Al Mukalla

–

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Getting Around

Al Mukalla

–

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $83 in Al Mukalla vs $68 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $609 vs $288 per month, with Sofia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Al Mukalla

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

15:03 3:03 PM

1 h behind Al Mukalla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,942

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to YER – Yemeni Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇾🇪 Yemeni Rial (﷼)

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 265 YER (1,000 YER = 3.77 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 YER in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al Mukalla Sofia 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Al Mukalla
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 Mukalla vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Mukalla is about 47% cheaper overall, especially in eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,271 in Al Mukalla and $2,378 in Sofia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Sofia pay roughly 53% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Sofia – a meal for two runs $68 versus $83 in Al Mukalla. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $847 in Al Mukalla versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Mukalla but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Al Mukalla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.