Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amman and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Amman: $1,179 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Amman
Learn more

Amman Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Amman

🇯🇴 Jordan

$1,179

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,179 per month in Amman vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Amman $1,179
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $1,877 per month in Amman vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Amman $1,877
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $2,575 per month in Amman vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Amman $2,575
Sofia $3,361

Amman is about 26% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Amman sits 13% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.14 JOD 5.05

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-57.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 JOD 49.25

$65.8 BGN 115

5.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 JOD 4.86

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-39.40%

Cappuccino

$4.37 JOD 3.09

$3.43 BGN 5.98

27.41%

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

$0.61 JOD 0.43

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-74.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 JOD 0.42

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-67.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 JOD 5.89

$3.70 BGN 6.44

124.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.05 JOD 7.83

$4.58 BGN 7.97

141.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 JOD 1.17

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 JOD 0.48

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-56.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JOD 1.11

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-32.62%

Eggs

$2.32 JOD 1.64

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-46.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 JOD 6.73

$11.76 BGN 20.47

-19.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 JOD 4.52

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-27.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 JOD 8.79

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-28.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 JOD 1.80

$2.15 BGN 3.74

18.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 JOD 1.41

$1.98 BGN 3.44

0.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 JOD 1.26

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-7.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 JOD 0.59

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-80.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 JOD 0.67

$1.04 BGN 1.80

-8.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 JOD 0.58

$0.85 BGN 1.48

-3.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 JOD 0.45

$1.15 BGN 2.00

-44.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 JOD 0.50

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-21.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 JOD 2.73

$4.21 BGN 7.33

-8.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.04 JOD 14.90

$7.46 BGN 12.98

182.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.04 JOD 3.57

$1.15 BGN 2.01

338.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 JOD 3.50

$1.85 BGN 3.23

167.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 JOD 0.53

$0.87 BGN 1.51

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.28 JOD 29.94

$28.53 BGN 49.65

48.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 JOD 0.45

$1.68 BGN 2.93

-61.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 JOD 0.99

$0.94 BGN 1.63

47.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.85 JOD 4.85

$15.35 BGN 26.70

-55.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 JOD 1.20

$1.69 BGN 2.94

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

$36.0K JOD 25.5K

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

20.65%

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

$35.3K JOD 25.0K

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

34.98%

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

$129 JOD 91.0

$156 BGN 272

-17.66%

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

$15.71 JOD 11.12

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-27.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.12 JOD 22.74

$15.24 BGN 26.51

110.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 JOD 36.96

$46.08 BGN 80.2

13.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.02 JOD 24.80

$27.92 BGN 48.58

25.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 JOD 7.94

$10.18 BGN 17.72

10.12%

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

$493 JOD 349

$774 BGN 1,347

-36.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,733 JOD 6,891

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-23.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 JOD 45.62

$89.9 BGN 157

-28.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.9 JOD 59.4

$41.29 BGN 71.8

103.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 JOD 89.5

$105 BGN 183

20.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.1 JOD 60.9

$107 BGN 186

-19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$469 JOD 332

$783 BGN 1,362

-40.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 JOD 176

$597 BGN 1,038

-58.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 JOD 549

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-48.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 JOD 298

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-59.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,642 JOD 1,163

$4,350 BGN 7,568

-62.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,008 JOD 714

$3,177 BGN 5,528

-68.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$756 JOD 535

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-56.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

2.89

135.64%

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

Last update for Amman: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Amman

$265 22.5%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 9.6% $25

Accommodation & Living

Amman

$249 21.1%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 140% $348

Eating Out

Amman

$199 16.9%

Sofia

$255 16% 28.3% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amman

$176 15%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 9.4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Amman

$162 13.8%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 4.9% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Amman

$75 6.3%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 10.9% $8.2

Getting Around

Amman

$53 4.5%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 27.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $469 in Amman versus $783 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 run about 129% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Amman versus $66.0 in Sofia. Groceries tell a different story – $265 in Amman vs $290 in Sofia – so Amman wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇴 Amman

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

Same time as Amman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,000,000 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to JOD – Jordanian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇴 Jordanian Dinar (د.ا)

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.796 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to JOD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Amman Sofia 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Amman
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

Amman vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 35% more than Amman, 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 $1,768 per month in Amman and $2,391 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Amman, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Amman. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Amman and $774 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Amman, where all-in costs run around $1,179, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Amman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Amman costs $1,179 versus $1,594 in Sofia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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