Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Limbe and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Limbe: $880 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Limbe
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Limbe Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Limbe

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$880

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $880 in Limbe versus $1,594 in Sofia.

Limbe $880
Sofia $1,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,521 in Limbe versus $2,478 in Sofia.

Limbe $1,521
Sofia $2,478

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,162 in Limbe versus $3,361 in Sofia.

Limbe $2,162
Sofia $3,361

Living in Limbe costs roughly 45% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Limbe is 35% below, Sofia is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.18 FCFA 2,445

$16.87 BGN 29.52

-75.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 FCFA 69.9K

$65.8 BGN 115

81.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 FCFA 4,083

$11.32 BGN 19.80

-38.43%

Cappuccino

$1.07 FCFA 628

$3.43 BGN 6.01

-68.80%

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

$1.57 FCFA 922

$2.41 BGN 4.22

-34.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 FCFA 460

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-57.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 FCFA 709

$3.70 BGN 6.48

-67.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 FCFA 1,525

$4.58 BGN 8.02

-43.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 FCFA 1,486

$2.02 BGN 3.53

25.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.40 FCFA 235

$1.56 BGN 2.74

-74.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 FCFA 942

$2.33 BGN 4.07

-30.90%

Eggs

$1.92 FCFA 1,124

$4.36 BGN 7.63

-55.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 FCFA 5,547

$11.76 BGN 20.59

-19.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.62 FCFA 2,704

$8.83 BGN 15.46

-47.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.24 FCFA 3,652

$17.46 BGN 30.56

-64.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 FCFA 1,070

$2.15 BGN 3.76

-14.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 FCFA 649

$1.98 BGN 3.46

-43.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 FCFA 1,111

$1.93 BGN 3.39

-1.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 FCFA 798

$4.24 BGN 7.42

-67.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 FCFA 1,077

$1.04 BGN 1.81

76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 FCFA 1,220

$0.85 BGN 1.49

144.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 FCFA 441

$1.15 BGN 2.02

-34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 FCFA 388

$0.89 BGN 1.57

-25.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.50 FCFA 1,462

$4.21 BGN 7.37

-40.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 FCFA 4,966

$7.46 BGN 13.05

13.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 FCFA 859

$1.15 BGN 2.02

27.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 FCFA 1,040

$1.85 BGN 3.25

-3.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 FCFA 505

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-1.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.24 FCFA 14.8K

$28.53 BGN 49.93

-11.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 FCFA 313

$1.68 BGN 2.95

-68.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 FCFA 117

$0.94 BGN 1.64

-78.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 FCFA 973

$15.35 BGN 26.86

-89.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 FCFA 671

$1.69 BGN 2.96

-31.95%

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

$30.4K FCFA 17.8M

$29.8K BGN 52.1K

1.87%

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

$15.4K FCFA 9.0M

$26.1K BGN 45.7K

-41.19%

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

$85.8 FCFA 50.3K

$156 BGN 273

-45.02%

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

$25.49 FCFA 14.9K

$21.56 BGN 37.74

18.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 FCFA 48.0K

$15.24 BGN 26.66

437.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.70 FCFA 25.0K

$46.08 BGN 80.6

-7.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.86

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 FCFA 2,519

$10.18 BGN 17.82

-57.76%

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

$344 FCFA 201.6K

$774 BGN 1,355

-55.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,670 FCFA 978.1K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-86.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 FCFA 46.0K

$89.9 BGN 157

-12.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.5 FCFA 39.5K

$41.29 BGN 72.3

63.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 FCFA 79.7K

$105 BGN 184

29.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 FCFA 87.3K

$107 BGN 187

39.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,370

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 FCFA 76.5K

$597 BGN 1,044

-78.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,653

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 FCFA 79.7K

$1,030 BGN 1,803

-86.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,612

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,560

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,037

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.04

2.89

558.82%

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

Last update for Limbe: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Clothing & Footwear

Limbe

$194 22.1%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 20.5% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Limbe

$193 22%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 0.2% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

Limbe

$192 21.9%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 51% $98

Accommodation & Living

Limbe

$131 14.9%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 357% $466

Eating Out

Limbe

$88 10%

Sofia

$255 16% 190% $167

Sport & Entertainment

Limbe

$51 5.8%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 29.5% $15

Getting Around

Limbe

$30 3.4%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 27% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $119 in Limbe vs $66.0 in Sofia. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $290, with Limbe cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Limbe

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

18:50 6:50 PM

20:50 8:50 PM

2 h ahead of Limbe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

118,210

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 586 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Limbe Sofia 4,520 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Limbe
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

Limbe vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Limbe and Sofia differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($880 vs $1,594 including rent). Limbe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,320 in Limbe and $2,391 in Sofia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Limbe – a meal for two runs $119 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $880 in Limbe versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Limbe but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Limbe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Limbe and Sofia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Limbe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.