Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Erbil: $960 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$960

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $960 per month in Erbil vs $1,585 in Sofia, rent included.

Erbil $960
Sofia $1,585

A couple spends around $1,439 per month in Erbil vs $2,486 in Sofia, rent included.

Erbil $1,439
Sofia $2,486

A family of three spends $1,918 per month in Erbil vs $3,387 in Sofia, rent included.

Erbil $1,918
Sofia $3,387

Erbil is about 39% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Erbil sits 29% below the global median, while Sofia is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 IQD 10.1K

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-59.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.28 IQD 56.3K

$67.7 BGN 118

-44.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 IQD 11.0K

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-37.76%

Cappuccino

$3.25 IQD 4,914

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-4.69%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,350

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-62.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 IQD 545

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-78.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 IQD 8,706

$3.99 BGN 6.94

44.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 IQD 6,834

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 IQD 1,587

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-45.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 IQD 970

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-58.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 IQD 2,180

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-38.72%

Eggs

$1.52 IQD 2,298

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-66.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-38.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 IQD 6,661

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-49.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 IQD 19.1K

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-27.10%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,501

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-53.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,493

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,612

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-41.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,050

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-83.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 972

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 865

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-35.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 IQD 998

$1.19 BGN 2.06

-44.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 770

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-38.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 IQD 3,209

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-51.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.56 IQD 16.0K

$7.42 BGN 12.91

42.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 IQD 2,209

$1.16 BGN 2.01

25.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,750

$1.90 BGN 3.30

-4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 IQD 759

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-45.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.67 IQD 59.9K

$28.11 BGN 48.91

41.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,520

$1.67 BGN 2.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 IQD 2,325

$0.85 BGN 1.49

81.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 IQD 8,286

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-66.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 884

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-66.67%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

-44.09%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

-31.93%

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

$116 IQD 174.8K

$158 BGN 275

-26.73%

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

$11.96 IQD 18.1K

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-43.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.50 IQD 37.0K

$15.12 BGN 26.30

62.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$46.85 BGN 81.5

21.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.43 IQD 20.3K

$27.82 BGN 48.41

-51.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-0.10%

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

$297 IQD 448.2K

$815 BGN 1,419

-63.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,080 IQD 6.2M

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

-72.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.29 IQD 39.7K

$87.1 BGN 152

-69.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.72 IQD 58.5K

$38.28 BGN 66.6

1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.8 IQD 91.8K

$106 BGN 184

-42.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 IQD 88.9K

$107 BGN 187

-45.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 IQD 666.1K

$769 BGN 1,338

-42.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 IQD 404.7K

$593 BGN 1,032

-54.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 IQD 1.1M

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-54.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 IQD 626.0K

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-60.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-76.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$600 IQD 906.7K

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-80.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 IQD 776.4K

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-71.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

2.89

-12.46%

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

Last update for Erbil: 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

Erbil

$268 27.9%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 121% $325

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$172 18%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 66.9% $115

Eating Out

Erbil

$157 16.3%

Sofia

$254 16% 61.6% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$152 15.8%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 27.7% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$83 8.7%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 83.2% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$77 8%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 13.1% $10

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 26.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Erbil 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 in Sofia are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil versus $68 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $288 – making Erbil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

20:03 8:03 PM

1 h behind Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,698 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 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 IQD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Erbil Sofia 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Erbil
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

Erbil vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,441 per month in Erbil 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 Erbil, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $441 there versus $769 in Sofia.

Groceries cost about 67% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil and $68 in Sofia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Erbil – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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