Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha'il and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ha’il: $1,073 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Ha'il
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Ha'il Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Ha'il

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,073

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,073 in Ha’il versus $1,585 in Sofia.

Ha'il $1,073
Sofia $1,585

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Ha’il versus $2,486 in Sofia.

Ha'il $1,623
Sofia $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,174 in Ha’il versus $3,387 in Sofia.

Ha'il $2,174
Sofia $3,387

Living in Ha’il costs roughly 32% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ha’il is 21% below, Sofia is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.40 SAR 20.28

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-67.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.86 SAR 138

$67.7 BGN 118

-45.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 SAR 22.17

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-49.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 SAR 4.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SAR 8.32

Cappuccino

$2.60 SAR 9.77

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-23.75%

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

$0.61 SAR 2.30

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-74.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-86.23%

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)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-12.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 SAR 3.21

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-44.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-20.00%

Eggs

$1.93 SAR 7.26

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-58.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.68 SAR 25.08

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-41.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 SAR 33.31

$8.65 BGN 15.04

2.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.15 SAR 30.58

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-53.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 SAR 5.59

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-30.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 SAR 5.70

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-23.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.77

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-30.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 SAR 7.28

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-54.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$1.04 BGN 1.82

24.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$0.89 BGN 1.54

80.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$1.19 BGN 2.06

3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 SAR 1.79

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-42.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.64 SAR 9.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SAR 6.47

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 SAR 25.42

$4.40 BGN 7.66

53.86%

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)

$0.91 SAR 3.43

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-1.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.03 SAR 135

$28.11 BGN 48.91

28.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 SAR 10.04

$1.67 BGN 2.90

59.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

$0.85 BGN 1.49

108.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.27 SAR 49.82

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-20.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-63.22%

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

$31.0K SAR 116.5K

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

3.65%

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

$21.8K SAR 81.8K

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

-12.87%

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

$52.8 SAR 198

$158 BGN 275

-66.53%

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

$21.29 SAR 79.9

$21.27 BGN 37.01

0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.84 SAR 172

$15.12 BGN 26.30

203.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.0 SAR 248

$46.85 BGN 81.5

40.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.26 SAR 98.6

$27.82 BGN 48.41

-5.61%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 SAR 55.1

$10.00 BGN 17.39

46.70%

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

$419 SAR 1,571

$815 BGN 1,419

-48.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K SAR 45.5K

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

-17.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.92 SAR 161

$87.1 BGN 152

-50.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 SAR 208

$38.28 BGN 66.6

44.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 SAR 367

$106 BGN 184

-7.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 SAR 313

$107 BGN 187

-22.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 SAR 904

$769 BGN 1,338

-68.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 SAR 1,525

$593 BGN 1,032

-31.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 SAR 1,355

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-76.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 SAR 2,321

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-41.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,982 SAR 7,437

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-56.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 SAR 4,507

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-61.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,081 SAR 4,056

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-39.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

2.89

91.70%

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

Last update for Ha'il: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ha'il

$406 37.9%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 45.9% $187

Groceries & Markets

Ha'il

$179 16.7%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 61.1% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Ha'il

$126 11.7%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 20.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ha'il

$120 11.2%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 61.9% $74

Eating Out

Ha'il

$96 8.9%

Sofia

$254 16% 166% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Ha'il

$95 8.9%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 29.9% $28

Getting Around

Ha'il

$51 4.8%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 26.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Ha’il and $769 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Ha’il vs $68 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $288 per month, with Ha’il cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Ha'il

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

06:34 6:34 AM

1 h behind Ha'il

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

310,897

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ha'il Sofia 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ha'il
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

Ha'il vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ha’il wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ha’il the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Ha’il. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $241 in Ha’il versus $769 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $419 in Ha’il versus $815 in Sofia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ha’il is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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

It comes down to priorities – Ha’il wins on affordability, Sofia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.