Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maun and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Maun: $2.99 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 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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Maun

🇧🇼 Botswana

$2.99

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2.99 in Maun versus $1,589 in Sofia.

Maun $2.99
Sofia $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5.03 in Maun versus $2,456 in Sofia.

Maun $5.03
Sofia $2,456

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7.06 in Maun versus $3,324 in Sofia.

Maun $7.06
Sofia $3,324

Living in Maun costs roughly 100% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maun is 100% below, Sofia is 19% above.

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)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 P 7.76

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 P 7.69

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-67.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

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

$156 BGN 273

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

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

$293 P 3,930

$766 BGN 1,341

-61.73%

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)

$796 BGN 1,393

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

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)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

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 Maun: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maun

–

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Groceries & Markets

Maun

–

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Eating Out

Maun

–

Sofia

$256 16%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maun

–

Sofia

$193 12%

Clothing & Footwear

Maun

–

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Maun

–

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Getting Around

Maun

–

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Good to know

🇧🇼 Maun

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

1 h ahead of Maun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,784

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Botswana Pula BWP P

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 BWP = 7.46 USD

100 BWP = 6.65 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to BWP – Botswana Pula Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇼 Botswana Pula (P)

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 13.4 BWP (100 BWP = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 15.03 BWP (100 BWP = 6.65 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 BWP in detail →

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Between locations

Maun Sofia 6,970 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Maun
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

Maun vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maun is cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. The 53048% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4.49 in Maun and $2,384 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.

Childcare runs $293 in Maun versus $766 in Sofia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you'll spend $2.99 per month in Maun versus $1,589 in Sofia – a 53048% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2.99 in Maun versus $1,589 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maun but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Maun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maun is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sofia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Maun 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 Maun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53048% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.