Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mazar-i-Sharif and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $290 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 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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Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$290

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $290 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,585 in Sofia.

Mazar-i-Sharif $290
Sofia $1,585

Estimated couple costs with rent: $460 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $2,486 in Sofia.

Mazar-i-Sharif $460
Sofia $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $629 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $3,387 in Sofia.

Mazar-i-Sharif $629
Sofia $3,387

Living in Mazar-i-Sharif costs roughly 82% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mazar-i-Sharif is 79% below, Sofia is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 ؋149

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-86.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.53 ؋1,010

$67.7 BGN 118

-77.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.05 ؋263

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-65.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 ؋514

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 ؋510

Cappuccino

$1.18 ؋76.8

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-65.40%

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

$0.58 ؋37.69

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-75.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ؋19.48

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-82.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

Milk (1 liter)

$0.64 ؋41.35

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-67.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.18 ؋11.90

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-88.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 ؋137

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-10.64%

Eggs

$1.61 ؋104

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-65.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 ؋498

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-33.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ؋221

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-60.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.29 ؋409

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-63.73%

Apples (1kg)

$0.56 ؋36.14

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-73.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 ؋73.2

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-42.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 ؋52.7

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-55.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ؋42.18

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-84.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 ؋30.97

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-53.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ؋25.10

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-56.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ؋34.09

$1.19 BGN 2.06

-56.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ؋20.95

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-61.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.90 ؋123

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 ؋102

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-64.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ؋48.58

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-18.48%

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)

$1.55 ؋101

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-90.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ؋98.3

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-13.22%

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

$9,767 ؋635.0K

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

-67.37%

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)

$80.3 ؋5,221

$158 BGN 275

-49.13%

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

$17.25 ؋1,122

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-18.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.61 ؋755

$46.85 BGN 81.5

-75.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.89 ؋253

$27.82 BGN 48.41

-86.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.69 ؋305

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-53.10%

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

$77.0 ؋5,006

$815 BGN 1,419

-90.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.23 ؋860

$87.1 BGN 152

-84.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.44 ؋1,199

$107 BGN 187

-82.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

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)

$231 ؋15.0K

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-87.04%

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 Mazar-i-Sharif: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Groceries & Markets

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Eating Out

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Sofia

$254 16%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Getting Around

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Cost Breakdown

Sofia pays about 7.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $68 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $106 vs $288 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

20:26 8:26 PM

2 h 30 min behind Mazar-i-Sharif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300,600

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 65.02 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 73.02 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to AFN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mazar-i-Sharif Sofia 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mazar-i-Sharif
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

Mazar-i-Sharif vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif is about 82% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Mazar-i-Sharif. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 171% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $290 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,585 in Sofia – Mazar-i-Sharif is about 82% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $290 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mazar-i-Sharif but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Mazar-i-Sharif 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.

It comes down to priorities – Mazar-i-Sharif wins on affordability, Sofia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.