Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazzaville and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $1,931 in Brazzaville, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brazzaville outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in Brazzaville
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Brazzaville Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Brazzaville

🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo

$1,931

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,931 per month in Brazzaville vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Brazzaville $1,931
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $2,959 per month in Brazzaville vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Brazzaville $2,959
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $3,986 per month in Brazzaville vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Brazzaville $3,986
Sofia $3,324

Brazzaville costs about 22% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Brazzaville and Sofia sit above the global median – Brazzaville by 44%, Sofia by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.22 FCFA 4,812

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-51.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.75 FCFA 29.1K

$66.9 BGN 117

-25.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 FCFA 2,839

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-58.79%

Cappuccino

$4.05 FCFA 2,370

$3.42 BGN 5.99

18.42%

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

$1.59 FCFA 929

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-34.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 FCFA 766

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-29.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 FCFA 3,264

$3.33 BGN 5.83

67.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 FCFA 2,157

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-18.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 FCFA 1,608

$1.92 BGN 3.36

43.23%

White Bread (500g)

$4.81 FCFA 2,813

$1.51 BGN 2.64

218.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 FCFA 1,754

$2.21 BGN 3.88

35.75%

Eggs

$2.87 FCFA 1,678

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-34.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.06 FCFA 9,399

$11.56 BGN 20.22

38.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 FCFA 5,527

$8.79 BGN 15.38

7.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 FCFA 8,422

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-15.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 FCFA 1,413

$2.17 BGN 3.79

11.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 FCFA 1,022

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-14.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 FCFA 2,089

$1.84 BGN 3.22

94.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 FCFA 1,701

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-32.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 FCFA 1,509

$1.03 BGN 1.80

150.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 FCFA 1,376

$0.93 BGN 1.62

152.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 FCFA 796

$1.20 BGN 2.11

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 FCFA 487

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-9.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 FCFA 2,181

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-13.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 FCFA 6,075

$7.33 BGN 12.83

41.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 FCFA 145

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-71.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.00 FCFA 13.5K

$28.14 BGN 49.24

-18.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 FCFA 1,011

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-0.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 FCFA 768

$0.96 BGN 1.68

36.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 FCFA 3,946

$15.54 BGN 27.19

-56.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 FCFA 798

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-24.02%

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

$29.5K FCFA 17.2M

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

-1.77%

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

$26.9K FCFA 15.7M

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

2.09%

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

$839 FCFA 491.1K

$156 BGN 273

438.18%

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

$17.27 FCFA 10.1K

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-18.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.17 FCFA 24.7K

$15.64 BGN 27.37

169.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.27 FCFA 15.4K

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-43.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.90 FCFA 8,133

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-49.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 FCFA 3,279

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-44.11%

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

$52.2 FCFA 30.5K

$766 BGN 1,341

-93.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 FCFA 687.2K

$796 BGN 1,393

47.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 FCFA 264.1K

$607 BGN 1,063

-25.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,203 FCFA 1.9M

$1,563 BGN 2,735

104.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 FCFA 848.0K

$1,060 BGN 1,855

36.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,458 FCFA 2.0M

$4,357 BGN 7,626

-20.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,979 FCFA 1.7M

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-8.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 FCFA 264.1K

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-74.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

2.89

126.30%

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

Last update for Brazzaville: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brazzaville

$899 46.5%

Sofia

$193 12% 78.5% $706

Accommodation & Living

Brazzaville

$451 23.4%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 34.5% $156

Groceries & Markets

Brazzaville

$338 * 17.5%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 14.9% $50

Eating Out

Brazzaville

$176 9.1%

Sofia

$256 16% 45.6% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Brazzaville

$37 1.9%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 78.2% $29

Getting Around

Brazzaville

$32 1.7%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 18.2% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

Brazzaville

- * 0%

Sofia

$154 9.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,175 in Brazzaville versus $796 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 285% higher in Sofia, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Brazzaville versus $67.0 in Sofia. Groceries tell a different story – $338 in Brazzaville vs $287 in Sofia – so Sofia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇬 Brazzaville

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

13:23 1:23 PM

2 h ahead of Brazzaville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,932,610 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brazzaville Sofia 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Brazzaville
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

Brazzaville vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazzaville costs about 22% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,897 per month in Brazzaville and $2,384 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Brazzaville and $67.0 in Sofia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,931 in Brazzaville and $1,589 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Brazzaville at $1,931. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brazzaville it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sofia costs $1,589 versus $1,931 in Brazzaville. 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 Sofia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brazzaville makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.