Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumasi and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumasi: $488 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kumasi
🇬🇭 Ghana
$488
/mo nomad
Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,594
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $488 per month in Kumasi vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Kumasi $488
  • Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $805 per month in Kumasi vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Kumasi $805
  • Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $1,123 per month in Kumasi vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

  • Kumasi $1,123
  • Sofia $3,361

Kumasi is about 69% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kumasi sits 64% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kumasi
Sofia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.50 GHS 40.74
$16.87 BGN 29.35
-79.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.71 GHS 392
$65.8 BGN 115
-48.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.15 GHS 118
$11.32 BGN 19.69
-10.34%
Cappuccino
$1.08 GHS 12.53
$3.43 BGN 5.98
-68.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 GHS 8.22
$2.41 BGN 4.19
-70.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 GHS 3.05
$1.85 BGN 3.22
-85.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.91 GHS 10.53
$3.70 BGN 6.44
-75.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 GHS 19.34
$4.58 BGN 7.97
-63.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kumasi
Sofia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 GHS 20.65
$2.02 BGN 3.51
-11.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.64 GHS 19.09
$1.56 BGN 2.72
5.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 GHS 20.35
$2.33 BGN 4.05
-24.89%
Eggs
$2.39 GHS 27.81
$4.36 BGN 7.59
-45.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.49 GHS 63.8
$11.76 BGN 20.47
-53.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.54 GHS 52.8
$8.83 BGN 15.37
-48.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.81 GHS 55.9
$17.46 BGN 30.38
-72.45%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 GHS 19.50
$2.15 BGN 3.74
-21.86%
Banana (1kg)
$0.83 GHS 9.66
$1.98 BGN 3.44
-58.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.84 GHS 9.73
$1.93 BGN 3.37
-56.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 GHS 24.39
$4.24 BGN 7.37
-50.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.66 GHS 19.34
$1.04 BGN 1.80
59.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.28 GHS 14.89
$0.85 BGN 1.48
50.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 GHS 8.70
$1.15 BGN 2.00
-34.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 GHS 6.59
$0.89 BGN 1.56
-35.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$0.87 GHS 10.18
$4.21 BGN 7.33
-79.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$1.25 GHS 14.56
$7.46 BGN 12.98
-83.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 GHS 14.22
$1.15 BGN 2.01
6.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 GHS 27.88
$1.85 BGN 3.23
29.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Kumasi
Sofia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 GHS 6.09
$0.87 BGN 1.51
-40.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.34 GHS 237
$28.53 BGN 49.65
-28.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.82 GHS 9.49
$1.68 BGN 2.93
-51.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.24 GHS 14.44
$0.94 BGN 1.63
31.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.72 GHS 20.03
$15.35 BGN 26.70
-88.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 GHS 13.18
$1.69 BGN 2.94
-33.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$7,902 GHS 91.9K
$29.8K BGN 51.9K
-73.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$9,972 GHS 116.0K
$26.1K BGN 45.5K
-61.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kumasi
Sofia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$41.97 GHS 488
$156 BGN 272
-73.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.43 GHS 226
$21.56 BGN 37.52
-9.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.24 GHS 491
$15.24 BGN 26.51
177.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kumasi
Sofia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.23 GHS 352
$46.08 BGN 80.2
-34.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$27.92 BGN 48.58
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.60 GHS 147
$10.18 BGN 17.72
23.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kumasi
Sofia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$459 GHS 5,337
$774 BGN 1,347
-40.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,536 GHS 64.4K
$12.8K BGN 22.3K
-56.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kumasi
Sofia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$14.50 GHS 169
$89.9 BGN 157
-83.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.32 GHS 213
$41.29 BGN 71.8
-55.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$35.88 GHS 417
$105 BGN 183
-65.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$51.8 GHS 602
$107 BGN 186
-51.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kumasi
Sofia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$783 BGN 1,362
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$597 BGN 1,038
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,516 BGN 2,638
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,030 BGN 1,792
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,350 BGN 7,568
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,177 BGN 5,528
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kumasi
Sofia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$408 GHS 4,750
$1,735 BGN 3,019
-76.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
26.75
2.89
825.61%

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

Last update for Kumasi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kumasi
$162
Sofia
$290 79% $128
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kumasi
$104
Sofia
$193 86.1% $89
Eating Out
Kumasi
$83
Sofia
$255 207% $172
Sport & Entertainment
Kumasi
$55
Sofia
$66 19.9% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Kumasi
$54
Sofia
$154 185% $100
Getting Around
Kumasi
$29
Sofia
$38 30.3% $8.9
Accommodation & Living
Kumasi
- *
Sofia
$597

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 325% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Kumasi versus $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $290 – making Kumasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇭 Kumasi
🇧🇬 Sofia
🕒 Local time
19:01 7:01 PM
22:01 10:01 PM
3 h ahead of Kumasi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,517,000
1,286,383 Capital
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to GHS – Ghanaian Cedi Converter

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 11.63 GHS (100 GHS = 8.6 USD). 1 EUR = 13.08 GHS (100 GHS = 7.65 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kumasi Sofia 4,690 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kumasi
  • 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
Kumasi vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Kumasi and in Sofia compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $488 in Kumasi, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 227% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Kumasi compared to Sofia?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $732 per month in Kumasi and $2,391 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 79% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Kumasi and $66.0 in Sofia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kumasi, where all-in costs run around $488, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Kumasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Kumasi and Sofia?
It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $488 in Kumasi to $1,594 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Kumasi or Sofia safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Kumasi and Sofia?
If budget matters most, go with Kumasi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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