Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $537 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$537

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $537 per month in Mahajanga vs $1,585 in Sofia, rent included.

Mahajanga $537
Sofia $1,585

A couple spends around $788 per month in Mahajanga vs $2,486 in Sofia, rent included.

Mahajanga $788
Sofia $2,486

A family of three spends $1,040 per month in Mahajanga vs $3,387 in Sofia, rent included.

Mahajanga $1,040
Sofia $3,387

Mahajanga is about 66% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mahajanga sits 60% below the global median, while Sofia is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.93 MGA 8,840

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-88.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.36 MGA 79.3K

$67.7 BGN 118

-74.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

Cappuccino

$0.63 MGA 2,877

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-81.52%

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

$0.84 MGA 3,839

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-64.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MGA 4,195

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-44.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 MGA 4,673

$3.99 BGN 6.94

-74.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MGA 7,200

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-65.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 MGA 5,965

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-32.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 MGA 3,938

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-44.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,908

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-72.77%

Eggs

$2.15 MGA 9,816

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-53.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 MGA 29.4K

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-43.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 MGA 29.3K

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-25.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.49 MGA 15.9K

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-79.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 MGA 5,150

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-47.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,736

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-69.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,939

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-65.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,912

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-85.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 MGA 2,172

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-53.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 MGA 2,264

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-43.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,567

$1.19 BGN 2.06

-71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MGA 2,456

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-34.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 MGA 41.3K

$7.42 BGN 12.91

21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 MGA 3,380

$1.16 BGN 2.01

-36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 MGA 4,079

$1.90 BGN 3.30

-53.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 MGA 1,005

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-76.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

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)

$1.30 MGA 5,929

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-25.29%

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

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

$43.20 MGA 197.5K

$158 BGN 275

-72.63%

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

$6.50 MGA 29.7K

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-69.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.96 MGA 100.4K

$15.12 BGN 26.30

45.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.86 MGA 81.6K

$46.85 BGN 81.5

-61.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

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

$815 BGN 1,419

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 MGA 1.5M

$769 BGN 1,338

-57.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MGA 1.2M

$593 BGN 1,032

-55.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 MGA 3.0M

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-57.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MGA 2.0M

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-58.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

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

Last update for Mahajanga: 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

Mahajanga

–

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Sofia

$254 16%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $329 in Mahajanga 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Mahajanga versus $68 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $143 vs $288 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

22:11 10:11 PM

1 h behind Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4,572 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,132 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mahajanga Sofia 6,910 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
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

Mahajanga vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 195% more than Mahajanga, 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 $805 per month in Mahajanga and $2,378 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahajanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $329 there versus $769 in Sofia.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $537 in Mahajanga and $1,585 in Sofia. That makes Mahajanga about 66% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 101% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $537, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $537 in Mahajanga to $1,585 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.