Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilifi and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Kilifi: $637 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Kilifi, Kenya
Sofia, Bulgaria
Kilifi
🇰🇪 Kenya
$637
/mo nomad
Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,585
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $637 per month in Kilifi vs $1,585 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Kilifi $637
  • Sofia $1,585

A couple spends around $1,050 per month in Kilifi vs $2,486 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Kilifi $1,050
  • Sofia $2,486

A family of three spends $1,463 per month in Kilifi vs $3,387 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Kilifi $1,463
  • Sofia $3,387

Kilifi is about 60% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kilifi sits 53% below the global median, while Sofia is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kilifi
Sofia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.89 KES 246
$16.57 BGN 28.84
-88.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.85 KES 6,473
$67.7 BGN 118
-26.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.26 KES 293
$11.68 BGN 20.33
-80.65%
Cappuccino
$1.97 KES 255
$3.41 BGN 5.93
-42.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 KES 103
$2.36 BGN 4.11
-66.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 KES 105
$1.67 BGN 2.91
-51.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.49 KES 194
$3.99 BGN 6.94
-62.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.53 BGN 7.88
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kilifi
Sofia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 KES 137
$1.94 BGN 3.38
-45.88%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 KES 112
$1.55 BGN 2.70
-44.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.00 KES 260
$2.35 BGN 4.09
-14.89%
Eggs
$1.94 KES 252
$4.60 BGN 8.00
-57.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$11.47 BGN 19.96
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$8.65 BGN 15.04
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.62 KES 989
$17.34 BGN 30.17
-56.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 KES 293
$2.15 BGN 3.73
5.12%
Banana (1kg)
$0.71 KES 91.9
$1.98 BGN 3.45
-64.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.72 KES 223
$1.83 BGN 3.18
-6.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.44 KES 57.6
$4.27 BGN 7.43
-89.70%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 KES 102
$1.04 BGN 1.82
-24.04%
Onion (1kg)
$0.79 KES 103
$0.89 BGN 1.54
-11.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.19 BGN 2.06
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.24 KES 31.26
$0.83 BGN 1.45
-71.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.40 BGN 7.66
-
Wine (Bottle)
$12.47 KES 1,619
$7.42 BGN 12.91
68.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 KES 220
$1.16 BGN 2.01
45.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.90 BGN 3.30
-
🚌 Getting Around
Kilifi
Sofia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 KES 97.1
$0.92 BGN 1.60
-18.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.63 KES 3,458
$28.11 BGN 48.91
-5.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$1.67 BGN 2.90
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.85 BGN 1.49
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.59 BGN 28.87
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 KES 175
$1.74 BGN 3.03
-22.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$29.9K BGN 52.1K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$25.0K BGN 43.5K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kilifi
Sofia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$15.41 KES 2,001
$158 BGN 275
-90.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.19 KES 1,324
$21.27 BGN 37.01
-52.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.06 KES 3,253
$15.12 BGN 26.30
65.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kilifi
Sofia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.23 KES 3,665
$46.85 BGN 81.5
-39.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$27.82 BGN 48.41
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.84 KES 1,018
$10.00 BGN 17.39
-21.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kilifi
Sofia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$161 KES 20.9K
$815 BGN 1,419
-80.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,014 KES 651.1K
$14.6K BGN 25.5K
-65.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kilifi
Sofia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$9.36 KES 1,216
$87.1 BGN 152
-89.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$8.78 KES 1,140
$38.28 BGN 66.6
-77.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$15.19 KES 1,973
$106 BGN 184
-85.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$17.57 KES 2,282
$107 BGN 187
-83.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kilifi
Sofia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$333 KES 43.2K
$769 BGN 1,338
-56.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$308 KES 40.0K
$593 BGN 1,032
-48.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$274 KES 35.6K
$1,530 BGN 2,662
-82.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$569 KES 73.8K
$1,061 BGN 1,846
-46.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,526 BGN 7,875
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,109 BGN 5,410
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kilifi
Sofia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$233 KES 30.3K
$1,780 BGN 3,098
-86.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8
2.89
176.82%

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

Last update for Kilifi: 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
Kilifi
–
Sofia
$593
Groceries & Markets
Kilifi
–
Sofia
$288
Eating Out
Kilifi
–
Sofia
$254
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kilifi
–
Sofia
$194
Clothing & Footwear
Kilifi
–
Sofia
$152
Sport & Entertainment
Kilifi
–
Sofia
$67
Getting Around
Kilifi
–
Sofia
$38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $333 in Kilifi 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 7.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Kilifi versus $68 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $123 vs $288 – making Kilifi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇪 Kilifi
🇧🇬 Sofia
🕒 Local time
12:29 12:29 PM
11:29 11:29 AM
1 h behind Kilifi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
122,899
1,286,383 Capital
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kilifi Sofia 5,410 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kilifi
  • 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
Kilifi vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Kilifi and in Sofia compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $637 in Kilifi, $1,585 in Sofia – Kilifi comes out roughly 60% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Kilifi compared to Sofia?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $956 per month in Kilifi and $2,378 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Kilifi and Sofia?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kilifi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $333 there versus $769 in Sofia.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kilifi and Sofia?
Kindergarten costs $161 per month in Kilifi and $815 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 135% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kilifi, where all-in costs run around $637, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Kilifi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Kilifi or Sofia?
Families tend to lean toward Kilifi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Kilifi and Sofia?
If budget matters most, go with Kilifi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Kilifi vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?