Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lagos and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Lagos: $941 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Lagos
Learn more

Lagos Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Lagos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$941

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $941 per month in Lagos vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Lagos $941
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $1,837 per month in Lagos vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Lagos $1,837
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $2,734 per month in Lagos vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Lagos $2,734
Sofia $3,324

Lagos is about 41% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lagos sits 30% below the global median, while Sofia is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 ₦5,143

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-77.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.34 ₦65.5K

$66.9 BGN 117

-26.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 ₦9,876

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-36.87%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ₦3,713

$3.42 BGN 5.99

-18.13%

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

$0.44 ₦583

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-81.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₦290

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-88.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ₦1,295

$3.33 BGN 5.83

-70.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₦2,621

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-56.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 ₦4,048

$1.92 BGN 3.36

58.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ₦1,931

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-3.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 ₦1,672

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-42.99%

Eggs

$2.27 ₦3,015

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-48.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.57 ₦4,739

$11.56 BGN 20.22

-69.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.82 ₦5,076

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-56.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.37 ₦5,804

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-74.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 ₦2,178

$2.17 BGN 3.79

-24.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₦1,673

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-38.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 ₦1,449

$1.84 BGN 3.22

-40.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ₦1,775

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-68.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ₦1,760

$1.03 BGN 1.80

28.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ₦1,811

$0.93 BGN 1.62

46.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ₦1,116

$1.20 BGN 2.11

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₦487

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-59.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.59 ₦782

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-86.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.43 ₦3,227

$7.33 BGN 12.83

-66.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₦718

$1.18 BGN 2.06

-54.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₦662

$1.87 BGN 3.28

-73.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₦540

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-52.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.01 ₦26.6K

$28.14 BGN 49.24

-28.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₦882

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-62.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 ₦1,280

$0.96 BGN 1.68

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 ₦2,893

$15.54 BGN 27.19

-85.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₦1,086

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-54.19%

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

$11.4K ₦15.1M

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

-61.99%

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

$13.8K ₦18.4M

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

-47.59%

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

$115 ₦152.2K

$156 BGN 273

-26.55%

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

$14.89 ₦19.8K

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-29.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.78 ₦43.5K

$15.64 BGN 27.37

109.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.31 ₦37.6K

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-39.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.98 ₦9,266

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-74.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ₦8,093

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-39.22%

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

$654 ₦869.3K

$766 BGN 1,341

-14.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ₦26.4M

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

55.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.85 ₦19.7K

$89.7 BGN 157

-83.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.57 ₦24.7K

$40.88 BGN 71.5

-54.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.39 ₦48.3K

$106 BGN 186

-65.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.64 ₦65.9K

$105 BGN 183

-52.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ₦968.2K

$796 BGN 1,393

-8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 ₦560.2K

$607 BGN 1,063

-30.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,827 ₦3.8M

$1,563 BGN 2,735

80.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ₦2.0M

$1,060 BGN 1,855

40.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,191 ₦4.2M

$4,357 BGN 7,626

-26.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,647 ₦2.2M

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-49.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$118 ₦157.2K

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-93.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

2.89

536.33%

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

Last update for Lagos: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lagos

$422 44.1%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 44% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lagos

$162 17%

Sofia

$193 12% 18.8% $31

Groceries & Markets

Lagos

$152 15.9%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 89.2% $135

Eating Out

Lagos

$98 10.3%

Sofia

$256 16% 161% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Lagos

$54 5.6%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 186% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Lagos

$41 4.2%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 64.9% $26

Getting Around

Lagos

$27 2.8%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 40.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Lagos 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 1370% 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 $49.00 in Lagos versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $152 vs $287 – making Lagos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Lagos

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

06:18 6:18 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

2 h ahead of Lagos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,404,112

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.53 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.71 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,328 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.53 USD). 1 EUR = 1,490 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.71 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 NGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lagos Sofia 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lagos
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

Lagos vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 69% more than Lagos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,411 per month in Lagos 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 Lagos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $654 per month in Lagos and $766 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 89% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lagos, where all-in costs run around $941, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Lagos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lagos costs $941 versus $1,589 in Sofia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Lagos. 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.