Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,585 a month against $2,260 in Doha, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Doha
Learn more

Doha Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Doha

🇶🇦 Qatar

$2,260

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,260 per month in Doha vs $1,585 in Sofia, rent included.

Doha $2,260
Sofia $1,585

A couple spends around $3,532 per month in Doha vs $2,486 in Sofia, rent included.

Doha $3,532
Sofia $2,486

A family of three spends $4,805 per month in Doha vs $3,387 in Sofia, rent included.

Doha $4,805
Sofia $3,387

Doha costs about 43% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Doha and Sofia sit above the global median – Doha by 67%, Sofia by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 QAR 40.11

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-33.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 QAR 263

$67.7 BGN 118

6.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.26 QAR 30.06

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-29.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.33 QAR 44.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.57 QAR 49.38

Cappuccino

$6.05 QAR 22.01

$3.41 BGN 5.93

77.42%

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

$1.02 QAR 3.73

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-56.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 QAR 1.70

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-71.86%

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)

$2.08 QAR 7.56

$1.94 BGN 3.38

7.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 QAR 5.03

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-10.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 QAR 6.63

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-22.55%

Eggs

$3.33 QAR 12.10

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-27.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 QAR 40.25

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-3.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.28 QAR 30.13

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-4.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.76 QAR 42.81

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-32.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 QAR 8.36

$2.15 BGN 3.73

6.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 QAR 6.74

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 QAR 5.98

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-10.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 QAR 4.57

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-70.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 QAR 3.59

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 QAR 3.67

$0.89 BGN 1.54

13.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 QAR 5.04

$1.19 BGN 2.06

15.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 QAR 1.97

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-34.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.74 QAR 35.47

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 QAR 7.28

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 QAR 8.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.69 QAR 24.35

$4.40 BGN 7.66

52.05%

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)

$0.57 QAR 2.08

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-38.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.35 QAR 118

$28.11 BGN 48.91

15.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 QAR 7.14

$1.67 BGN 2.90

17.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 QAR 6.91

$0.85 BGN 1.49

123.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.42 QAR 48.84

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-19.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 QAR 2.10

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-66.67%

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

$24.3K QAR 88.3K

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

-18.97%

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

$21.2K QAR 77.1K

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

-15.34%

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

$90.1 QAR 328

$158 BGN 275

-42.90%

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

$35.20 QAR 128

$21.27 BGN 37.01

65.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.3 QAR 318

$15.12 BGN 26.30

477.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$196 QAR 715

$46.85 BGN 81.5

319.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.39 QAR 70.6

$27.82 BGN 48.41

-30.30%

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 QAR 44.46

$10.00 BGN 17.39

22.10%

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

$739 QAR 2,691

$815 BGN 1,419

-9.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K QAR 60.0K

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

12.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 QAR 224

$87.1 BGN 152

-29.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.92 QAR 178

$38.28 BGN 66.6

27.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 QAR 367

$106 BGN 184

-4.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 QAR 312

$107 BGN 187

-20.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 QAR 7,473

$769 BGN 1,338

167.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 QAR 4,506

$593 BGN 1,032

108.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,626 QAR 13.2K

$1,530 BGN 2,662

137.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,418 QAR 8,802

$1,061 BGN 1,846

127.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 QAR 15.2K

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-8.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,443 QAR 8,894

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-21.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,430 QAR 12.5K

$1,780 BGN 3,098

92.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

2.89

104.84%

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

Last update for Doha: 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

Doha

$1.2K 54.8%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 52.1% $645

Sport & Entertainment

Doha

$221 9.8%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 69.7% $154

Groceries & Markets

Doha

$217 9.6%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 32.3% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Doha

$213 9.4%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 8.6% $18

Eating Out

Doha

$191 8.5%

Sofia

$254 16% 32.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Doha

$134 5.9%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 13.9% $19

Getting Around

Doha

$46 2%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 18.1% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,053 in Doha versus $769 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 93% higher in Doha. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Doha versus $68 in Sofia. Groceries tell a different story – $217 in Doha vs $288 in Sofia – so Doha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇶🇦 Doha

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

20:03 8:03 PM

1 h behind Doha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,312,947 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.244 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to QAR – Qatari Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇶🇦 Qatari Riyal (ر.ق)

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.09 QAR (1 QAR = 0.244 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to QAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Doha Sofia 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Doha
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

Doha vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Doha is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,390 per month in Doha and $2,378 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $769 there versus $2,053 in Doha.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $739 per month in Doha and $815 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,585, than in Doha at $2,260. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Doha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sofia costs $1,585 versus $2,260 in Doha. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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