Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,585 a month against $3,421 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,421

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,421 in Ashgabat versus $1,585 in Sofia.

Ashgabat $3,421
Sofia $1,585

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,126 in Ashgabat versus $2,486 in Sofia.

Ashgabat $5,126
Sofia $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,831 in Ashgabat versus $3,387 in Sofia.

Ashgabat $6,831
Sofia $3,387

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 116% more expensive than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashgabat 153% above, Sofia 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.59 TMT 106

$16.57 BGN 28.84

90.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 TMT 289

$67.7 BGN 118

27.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 TMT 43.34

$11.68 BGN 20.33

10.45%

Cappuccino

$6.98 TMT 23.46

$3.41 BGN 5.93

104.69%

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

$1.61 TMT 5.42

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-31.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 TMT 3.01

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-46.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 TMT 19.41

$3.99 BGN 6.94

44.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.56 TMT 45.55

$4.53 BGN 7.88

199.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.46 TMT 14.99

$1.94 BGN 3.38

129.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 TMT 6.81

$1.55 BGN 2.70

30.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.89 TMT 19.79

$2.35 BGN 4.09

150.64%

Eggs

$6.19 TMT 20.80

$4.60 BGN 8.00

34.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$37.71 TMT 127

$11.47 BGN 19.96

228.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.99 TMT 67.2

$8.65 BGN 15.04

131.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.57 TMT 79.2

$17.34 BGN 30.17

35.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 TMT 17.63

$2.15 BGN 3.73

144.19%

Banana (1kg)

$8.59 TMT 28.88

$1.98 BGN 3.45

333.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.49 TMT 25.16

$1.83 BGN 3.18

309.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 TMT 12.82

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-10.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 TMT 7.83

$1.04 BGN 1.82

124.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 TMT 4.80

$0.89 BGN 1.54

60.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 TMT 8.96

$1.19 BGN 2.06

124.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 TMT 3.68

$0.83 BGN 1.45

32.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.93 TMT 87.1

$4.40 BGN 7.66

489.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.76 TMT 140

$7.42 BGN 12.91

462.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 TMT 17.53

$1.16 BGN 2.01

350.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 TMT 9.85

$1.90 BGN 3.30

54.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.12 TMT 0.41

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-86.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 TMT 33.73

$28.11 BGN 48.91

-64.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 TMT 9.98

$1.67 BGN 2.90

77.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 TMT 3.01

$0.85 BGN 1.49

5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 TMT 29.89

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-46.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.45 TMT 1.50

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-74.14%

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

$44.7K TMT 150.1K

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

49.20%

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

$57.9K TMT 194.4K

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

131.34%

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

$571 TMT 1,920

$158 BGN 275

261.92%

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

$56.9 TMT 191

$21.27 BGN 37.01

167.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$106 TMT 355

$15.12 BGN 26.30

598.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$198 TMT 666

$46.85 BGN 81.5

323.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.91 TMT 154

$27.82 BGN 48.41

65.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.82 TMT 29.64

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-11.80%

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

$23.34 TMT 78.4

$815 BGN 1,419

-97.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K TMT 91.5K

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

85.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 TMT 186

$87.1 BGN 152

-36.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$114 TMT 382

$38.28 BGN 66.6

197.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$365 TMT 1,226

$106 BGN 184

245.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$194 TMT 652

$107 BGN 187

80.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 TMT 4,850

$769 BGN 1,338

87.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 TMT 3,398

$593 BGN 1,032

70.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,270 TMT 7,627

$1,530 BGN 2,662

48.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 TMT 6,466

$1,061 BGN 1,846

81.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,521 TMT 11.8K

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-22.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,844 TMT 9,556

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-8.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$767 TMT 2,576

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-56.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

2.89

228.72%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: 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

Ashgabat

$1K 29.6%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 41.4% $418

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashgabat

$734 21.5%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 73.5% $540

Groceries & Markets

Ashgabat

$673 19.7%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 57.2% $385

Eating Out

Ashgabat

$441 12.9%

Sofia

$254 16% 42.5% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Ashgabat

$328 9.6%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 53.5% $175

Sport & Entertainment

Ashgabat

$216 6.3%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 69% $149

Getting Around

Ashgabat

$18 0.5%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 110% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,443 in Ashgabat and $769 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays about 2.3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $86 in Ashgabat vs $68 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $673 vs $288 per month, with Sofia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

10:17 10:17 AM

3 h behind Ashgabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

909,000 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to TMT – Turkmenistani Manat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇲 Turkmenistani Manat (m)

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.77 TMT (1 TMT = 0.265 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 TMT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ashgabat Sofia 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ashgabat
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

Ashgabat vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,421 in Ashgabat and $1,585 in Sofia, so Sofia is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Ashgabat. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,443 in Ashgabat versus $769 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $23 in Ashgabat versus $815 in Sofia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 134% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,585 in Sofia versus $3,421 in Ashgabat, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia 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.

Safety-wise, Ashgabat and Sofia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.