Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qapshaghay and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Qapshaghay: $1,086 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
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Qapshaghay Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,086

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,086 in Qapshaghay versus $1,585 in Sofia.

Qapshaghay $1,086
Sofia $1,585

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,629 in Qapshaghay versus $2,486 in Sofia.

Qapshaghay $1,629
Sofia $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,173 in Qapshaghay versus $3,387 in Sofia.

Qapshaghay $2,173
Sofia $3,387

Living in Qapshaghay costs roughly 32% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Qapshaghay is 20% below, Sofia is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 ₸4,986

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-33.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.89 ₸9,870

$67.7 BGN 118

-67.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₸3,006

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-42.89%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ₸815

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-46.92%

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

$1.03 ₸463

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-56.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₸294

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-61.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ₸611

$3.99 BGN 6.94

-65.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸591

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-71.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₸753

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-13.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ₸217

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-69.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 ₸899

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-15.32%

Eggs

$2.44 ₸1,102

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-46.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.65 ₸5,703

$11.47 BGN 19.96

10.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 ₸3,058

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-21.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 ₸4,929

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-36.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ₸802

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-17.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,036

$1.98 BGN 3.45

16.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₸1,350

$1.83 BGN 3.18

63.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ₸1,261

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-34.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 ₸352

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸263

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-34.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 ₸750

$1.19 BGN 2.06

39.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸448

$0.83 BGN 1.45

19.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 ₸750

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-62.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ₸4,921

$7.42 BGN 12.91

47.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₸554

$1.16 BGN 2.01

6.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₸1,066

$1.90 BGN 3.30

24.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸81.9

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-80.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.96 ₸7,645

$28.11 BGN 48.91

-39.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₸382

$1.67 BGN 2.90

-49.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₸297

$0.85 BGN 1.49

-22.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 ₸1,779

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-76.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 ₸258

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-67.24%

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

$28.6K ₸12.9M

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

-4.55%

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

$31.5K ₸14.2M

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

25.94%

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

$89.1 ₸40.2K

$158 BGN 275

-43.58%

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

$10.97 ₸4,947

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-48.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.61 ₸7,937

$15.12 BGN 26.30

16.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.73 ₸19.3K

$46.85 BGN 81.5

-8.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 ₸3,081

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-31.70%

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

$147 ₸66.2K

$815 BGN 1,419

-81.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,423 ₸2.0M

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

-69.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 ₸41.1K

$87.1 BGN 152

4.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.06 ₸22.1K

$38.28 BGN 66.6

28.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ₸62.5K

$106 BGN 184

31.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸59.8K

$107 BGN 187

23.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 ₸197.7K

$769 BGN 1,338

-42.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ₸140.2K

$593 BGN 1,032

-47.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ₸330.1K

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-52.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₸223.1K

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-53.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,061 ₸478.5K

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-76.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$870 ₸392.2K

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-72.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

2.89

614.53%

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

Last update for Qapshaghay: 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

Qapshaghay

$311 28.6%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 90.8% $282

Groceries & Markets

Qapshaghay

$247 22.8%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 16.3% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Qapshaghay

$185 17.1%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 17.9% $33

Eating Out

Qapshaghay

$146 13.5%

Sofia

$254 16% 73.3% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qapshaghay

$118 10.8%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 65.1% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Qapshaghay

$56 5.2%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 18.5% $10

Getting Around

Qapshaghay

$22 2%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 72.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Qapshaghay and $769 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22 in Qapshaghay vs $68 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $288 per month, with Qapshaghay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

09:33 9:33 AM

06:33 6:33 AM

3 h behind Qapshaghay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,167

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 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 KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Qapshaghay Sofia 4,270 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Qapshaghay
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

Qapshaghay vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qapshaghay wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Qapshaghay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,629 in Qapshaghay and $2,378 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $439 in Qapshaghay versus $769 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 in Qapshaghay versus $815 in Sofia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Qapshaghay is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Qapshaghay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.