Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzini and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $354 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$354

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $354 per month in Manzini vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Manzini $354
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $515 per month in Manzini vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Manzini $515
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $677 per month in Manzini vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Manzini $677
Sofia $3,324

Manzini is about 78% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Manzini sits 74% below the global median, while Sofia is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 SZL 21.19

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-32.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SZL 15.84

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-36.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 SZL 29.52

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-19.00%

Eggs

$1.18 SZL 19.51

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-73.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 SZL 124

$11.56 BGN 20.22

-35.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 SZL 48.83

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-66.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.85 SZL 30.51

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-89.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 SZL 21.91

$2.17 BGN 3.79

-38.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 SZL 9.73

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-71.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 SZL 13.65

$1.84 BGN 3.22

-54.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 SZL 8.48

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-88.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 SZL 9.60

$1.03 BGN 1.80

-43.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 SZL 7.73

$0.93 BGN 1.62

-49.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 SZL 7.36

$1.20 BGN 2.11

-62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 SZL 11.47

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 SZL 51.7

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-27.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.20 SZL 52.8

$7.33 BGN 12.83

-56.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SZL 10.39

$1.18 BGN 2.06

-46.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 SZL 12.80

$1.87 BGN 3.28

-58.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 SZL 9.89

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 SZL 21.79

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-26.26%

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

$17.1K SZL 282.0K

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

-42.93%

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

$15.7K SZL 259.3K

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

-40.34%

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

$72.4 SZL 1,193

$156 BGN 273

-53.58%

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

$12.23 SZL 202

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-42.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 SZL 494

$15.64 BGN 27.37

91.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

Cinema Ticket

$3.68 SZL 60.6

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-63.27%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$170 SZL 2,801

$796 BGN 1,393

-78.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$105 SZL 1,734

$607 BGN 1,063

-82.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$367 SZL 6,054

$1,563 BGN 2,735

-76.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 SZL 4,517

$1,060 BGN 1,855

-74.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$404 SZL 6,657

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-76.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

246.02%

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

Last update for Manzini: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manzini

–

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Groceries & Markets

Manzini

–

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Eating Out

Manzini

–

Sofia

$256 16%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manzini

–

Sofia

$193 12%

Clothing & Footwear

Manzini

–

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Manzini

–

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Getting Around

Manzini

–

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $170 in Manzini 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 331% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Manzini

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

06:02 6:02 AM

07:02 7:02 AM

1 h ahead of Manzini

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,508

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 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 SZL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manzini Sofia 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Manzini
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

Manzini vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 350% more than Manzini, 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 $530 per month in Manzini 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 Manzini, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $354 in Manzini and $1,589 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 350%.

Groceries cost about 145% 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 Manzini, where all-in costs run around $354, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manzini costs $354 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 Manzini. 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.