Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dammam and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Dammam: $1,226 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Dammam
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Dammam Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,226

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,226 in Dammam versus $1,609 in Sofia.

Dammam $1,226
Sofia $1,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,857 in Dammam versus $2,495 in Sofia.

Dammam $1,857
Sofia $2,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,488 in Dammam versus $3,381 in Sofia.

Dammam $2,488
Sofia $3,381

Living in Dammam costs roughly 24% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dammam is 10% below, Sofia is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.49 SAR 24.35

$16.88 BGN 29.70

-61.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.23 SAR 147

$66.5 BGN 117

-40.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 SAR 29.20

$11.59 BGN 20.40

-32.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Cappuccino

$3.71 SAR 13.94

$3.52 BGN 6.20

5.40%

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

$0.81 SAR 3.02

$2.42 BGN 4.25

-66.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.04

$1.77 BGN 3.11

-84.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.48

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.70

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.96 BGN 3.44

-12.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$1.51 BGN 2.65

-31.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.71

$2.20 BGN 3.87

5.45%

Eggs

$2.54 SAR 9.52

$4.40 BGN 7.75

-42.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 SAR 25.47

$11.76 BGN 20.70

-42.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.34 SAR 27.55

$8.68 BGN 15.28

-15.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 SAR 48.50

$17.37 BGN 30.57

-25.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.85

$2.13 BGN 3.75

10.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

$2.05 BGN 3.61

-21.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

$1.93 BGN 3.40

-16.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$4.17 BGN 7.34

-60.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.67

$1.08 BGN 1.90

15.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

$0.91 BGN 1.60

45.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$1.18 BGN 2.08

14.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$0.84 BGN 1.47

-29.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.84 SAR 10.65

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 SAR 27.22

$4.18 BGN 7.36

73.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.90

$0.87 BGN 1.52

19.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.52 SAR 152

$29.06 BGN 51.1

39.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 SAR 9.83

$1.68 BGN 2.96

55.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

$0.87 BGN 1.54

117.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 SAR 50.8

$15.76 BGN 27.74

-14.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.42

$1.73 BGN 3.04

-62.43%

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

$27.1K SAR 101.8K

$29.7K BGN 52.2K

-8.52%

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

$23.4K SAR 87.7K

$25.6K BGN 45.0K

-8.60%

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

$105 SAR 395

$161 BGN 283

-34.54%

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

$33.70 SAR 126

$21.08 BGN 37.10

59.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 SAR 271

$15.19 BGN 26.73

375.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.5 SAR 354

$48.34 BGN 85.1

95.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.96 SAR 139

$27.47 BGN 48.35

34.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 SAR 54.8

$10.16 BGN 17.88

43.80%

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

$346 SAR 1,299

$785 BGN 1,382

-55.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,665 SAR 28.8K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-39.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 SAR 210

$89.8 BGN 158

-37.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.8 SAR 236

$41.29 BGN 72.7

52.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 SAR 315

$108 BGN 189

-21.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 SAR 305

$109 BGN 192

-25.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,652

$789 BGN 1,389

-44.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 SAR 1,441

$604 BGN 1,063

-36.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 SAR 3,336

$1,517 BGN 2,670

-41.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 SAR 2,351

$1,037 BGN 1,825

-39.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,788 SAR 6,707

$4,407 BGN 7,756

-59.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,073 SAR 4,024

$3,137 BGN 5,521

-65.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,056

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

2.89

52.94%

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

Last update for Dammam: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dammam

$384 31.4%

Sofia

$604 37.5% 57.2% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dammam

$211 17.2%

Sofia

$197 12.3% 6.7% $14

Groceries & Markets

Dammam

$198 16.1%

Sofia

$288 17.9% 45.6% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Dammam

$128 10.4%

Sofia

$157 9.7% 22.4% $29

Eating Out

Dammam

$124 10.1%

Sofia

$256 15.9% 106% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Dammam

$124 10.1%

Sofia

$69 4.3% 44.5% $55

Getting Around

Dammam

$57 4.6%

Sofia

$39 2.4% 32% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Dammam and $789 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39 in Dammam vs $66 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $288 per month, with Dammam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Dammam

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

02:10 2:10 AM

1 h behind Dammam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

903,312

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BGN (1 BGN = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dammam Sofia 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dammam
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

Dammam vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dammam is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,839 in Dammam and $2,413 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $440 in Dammam versus $789 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,226 per month in Dammam versus $1,609 in Sofia – Dammam is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Sofia runs roughly 28% less than in Dammam. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,226 in Dammam versus $1,609 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dammam but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dammam is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sofia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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