Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Elizabeth: $1,233 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,233

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,233 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,233
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $1,847 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,847
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $2,461 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $2,461
Sofia $3,324

Port Elizabeth is about 22% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Port Elizabeth sits 8% below the global median, while Sofia is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 R 175

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-37.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.87 R 707

$66.9 BGN 117

-35.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 R 99.3

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-48.85%

Cappuccino

$2.12 R 35.03

$3.42 BGN 5.99

-38.01%

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

$1.04 R 17.24

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-57.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R 11.93

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-61.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 R 45.50

$3.33 BGN 5.83

-17.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 50.5

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-32.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 R 18.74

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-40.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.10

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-31.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.78

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-34.84%

Eggs

$2.81 R 46.33

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-36.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 R 142

$11.56 BGN 20.22

-25.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 R 90.2

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-37.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.28 R 137

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-51.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.80

$2.17 BGN 3.79

-2.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.46

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-24.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.56

$1.84 BGN 3.22

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.43

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-58.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.56

$1.03 BGN 1.80

67.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.46

$0.93 BGN 1.62

52.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 R 21.27

$1.20 BGN 2.11

7.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.70

$0.92 BGN 1.62

9.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 R 51.6

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-27.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 R 79.6

$7.33 BGN 12.83

-34.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 R 20.63

$1.18 BGN 2.06

5.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R 30.06

$1.87 BGN 3.28

-2.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R 17.96

$0.87 BGN 1.52

25.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.08 R 595

$28.14 BGN 49.24

28.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 R 35.03

$1.74 BGN 3.04

21.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.20

$0.96 BGN 1.68

-47.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 R 139

$15.54 BGN 27.19

-45.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 R 23.86

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-18.99%

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

$35.4K R 584.3K

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

18.11%

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

$34.0K R 561.2K

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

29.00%

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

$123 R 2,024

$156 BGN 273

-21.34%

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

$35.08 R 579

$21.21 BGN 37.11

65.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.22 R 746

$15.64 BGN 27.37

189.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.88 R 526

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-31.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.73 R 375

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-18.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.61 R 175

$10.02 BGN 17.53

5.89%

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

$176 R 2,902

$766 BGN 1,341

-77.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,192 R 102.2K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-51.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 R 1,164

$89.7 BGN 157

-21.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.27 R 631

$40.88 BGN 71.5

-6.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,807

$106 BGN 186

3.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 R 1,593

$105 BGN 183

-7.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 R 10.1K

$796 BGN 1,393

-23.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,891

$607 BGN 1,063

-31.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 R 13.3K

$1,563 BGN 2,735

-48.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 R 11.4K

$1,060 BGN 1,855

-34.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$750 R 12.4K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

-82.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 R 8,754

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-83.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,612 R 26.6K

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-7.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

2.89

313.15%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 3, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Elizabeth

$418 34.4%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 45.4% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Elizabeth

$203 16.7%

Sofia

$193 12% 5% $10

Groceries & Markets

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 46.1% $91

Eating Out

Port Elizabeth

$155 12.8%

Sofia

$256 16% 64.7% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 8.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Port Elizabeth

$53 4.4%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 25.8% $14

Getting Around

Port Elizabeth

$45 3.7%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 15.3% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $612 in Port Elizabeth 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 8% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Port Elizabeth versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $287 – making Port Elizabeth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

12:07 12:07 PM

13:07 1:07 PM

1 h ahead of Port Elizabeth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,050,000

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 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 = 0.51 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Elizabeth Sofia 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Elizabeth
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

Port Elizabeth vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 29% more than Port Elizabeth, 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 $1,849 per month in Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Port Elizabeth and $67.0 in Sofia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Elizabeth, where all-in costs run around $1,233, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Port Elizabeth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Port Elizabeth costs $1,233 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 Port Elizabeth. 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.