Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Freetown and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,589 a month against $1,818 in Freetown, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Freetown outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

97

Cost of Living Index in Freetown
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Freetown Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Freetown

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,818

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,818 per month in Freetown vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Freetown $1,818
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $1,527 per month in Freetown vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Freetown $1,527
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $1,235 per month in Freetown vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Freetown $1,235
Sofia $3,324

Freetown costs about 14% more than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Freetown and Sofia sit above the global median – Freetown by 36%, Sofia by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.05 SLL 46.9K

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-88.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.07 SLL 915.6K

$66.9 BGN 117

-40.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 SLL 251.7K

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-6.37%

Cappuccino

$2.82 SLL 64.5K

$3.42 BGN 5.99

-17.54%

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

$1.88 SLL 42.9K

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-22.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 SLL 19.8K

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-53.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 SLL 52.5K

$3.33 BGN 5.83

-30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 SLL 79.3K

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-23.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 SLL 56.9K

$1.92 BGN 3.36

29.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 SLL 14.7K

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-56.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 SLL 30.3K

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-39.82%

Eggs

$1.80 SLL 41.0K

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-59.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 SLL 159.7K

$11.56 BGN 20.22

-39.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 SLL 231.4K

$8.79 BGN 15.38

15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.34 SLL 122.0K

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-68.53%

Apples (1kg)

$7.05 SLL 161.1K

$2.17 BGN 3.79

224.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 SLL 67.3K

$2.04 BGN 3.57

44.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 SLL 15.8K

$1.84 BGN 3.22

-62.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 SLL 112.0K

$4.29 BGN 7.51

14.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 SLL 46.7K

$1.03 BGN 1.80

99.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SLL 38.1K

$0.93 BGN 1.62

79.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 SLL 26.3K

$0.92 BGN 1.62

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 SLL 69.9K

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-28.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 SLL 179.0K

$7.33 BGN 12.83

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SLL 36.7K

$1.18 BGN 2.06

35.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SLL 44.2K

$1.87 BGN 3.28

3.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 SLL 10.3K

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-48.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 SLL 12.0K

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-70.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 SLL 11.2K

$0.96 BGN 1.68

-48.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 SLL 30.7K

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-25.14%

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

$12.1K SLL 276.2M

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

-59.68%

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

$25.0K SLL 571.5M

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

-5.14%

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

$58.9 SLL 1.3M

$156 BGN 273

-62.23%

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

$9.88 SLL 225.8K

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-53.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 SLL 1.2M

$15.64 BGN 27.37

247.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

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

$766 BGN 1,341

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.90 SLL 226.2K

$89.7 BGN 157

-88.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.77 SLL 451.7K

$106 BGN 186

-81.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.66 SLL 1.1M

$105 BGN 183

-52.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 SLL 21.0M

$796 BGN 1,393

15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 SLL 28.6M

$607 BGN 1,063

106.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,520 SLL 80.4M

$1,563 BGN 2,735

125.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,349 SLL 30.8M

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-22.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

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

Last update for Freetown: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Freetown

$1.3K 69.9%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 51.5% $646

Groceries & Markets

Freetown

$263 * 14.7%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 9.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Freetown

$123 6.9%

Sofia

$193 12% 56.5% $70

Eating Out

Freetown

$113 6.3%

Sofia

$256 16% 127% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Freetown

$36 * 2%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 330% $118

Getting Around

Freetown

$4.8 * 0.3%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 702% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Freetown

- * 0%

Sofia

$67 4.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $919 in Freetown 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 29% 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 $40.00 in Freetown versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $287 – making Freetown the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇱 Freetown

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

3 h ahead of Freetown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

951,000 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.9 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to SLL – Sierra Leonean Leone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇱 Sierra Leonean Leone (Le)

Sierra Leonean Leone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 22,848 SLL (100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD). 1 EUR = 25,626 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.9 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 = 0.509 EUR).

USD to SLL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Freetown Sofia 5,210 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Freetown
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

Freetown vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,818 in Freetown, $1,589 in Sofia – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,728 per month in Freetown 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 $40.00 in Freetown 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 $1,818 in Freetown and $1,589 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sofia, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Freetown at $1,818. In Sofia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Freetown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,589 in Sofia to $1,818 in Freetown. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Freetown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.