Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabat: $834 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Rabat
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Rabat Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Rabat

🇲🇦 Morocco

$834

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $834 per month in Rabat vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Rabat $834
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $1,433 per month in Rabat vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Rabat $1,433
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $2,031 per month in Rabat vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Rabat $2,031
Sofia $3,324

Rabat is about 48% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Rabat sits 38% below the global median, while Sofia is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 MAD 41.59

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-75.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.69 MAD 396

$66.9 BGN 117

-39.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 MAD 67.3

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-41.29%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MAD 18.64

$3.42 BGN 5.99

-43.86%

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

$0.56 MAD 5.48

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-76.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MAD 3.42

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-81.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 MAD 49.31

$3.33 BGN 5.83

52.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MAD 30.08

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-31.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 MAD 8.37

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-55.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MAD 6.29

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-56.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MAD 18.58

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-13.57%

Eggs

$1.84 MAD 17.94

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-58.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 MAD 107

$11.56 BGN 20.22

-4.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 MAD 64.6

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-24.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 MAD 117

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-29.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 MAD 15.49

$2.17 BGN 3.79

-26.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 MAD 13.19

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 MAD 8.08

$1.84 BGN 3.22

-54.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 MAD 8.57

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-79.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 6.93

$1.03 BGN 1.80

-31.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.65

$0.93 BGN 1.62

-15.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.83

$1.20 BGN 2.11

-67.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MAD 5.65

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-36.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MAD 39.89

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-4.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 MAD 69.6

$7.33 BGN 12.83

-2.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MAD 25.54

$1.18 BGN 2.06

122.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 25.42

$1.87 BGN 3.28

39.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 MAD 4.77

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-43.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.98 MAD 243

$28.14 BGN 49.24

-11.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 MAD 6.99

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-58.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MAD 5.66

$0.96 BGN 1.68

-39.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 14.37

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-17.32%

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

$30.2K MAD 293.8K

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

0.65%

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

$29.6K MAD 288.2K

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

12.27%

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

$35.22 MAD 343

$156 BGN 273

-77.42%

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

$9.44 MAD 91.9

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-55.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.23 MAD 324

$15.64 BGN 27.37

112.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.99 MAD 272

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-40.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.54 MAD 229

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-15.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 MAD 58.1

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-40.42%

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

$180 MAD 1,753

$766 BGN 1,341

-76.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,210 MAD 89.7K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-27.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.06 MAD 448

$89.7 BGN 157

-48.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.15 MAD 381

$40.88 BGN 71.5

-4.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 MAD 889

$106 BGN 186

-13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 MAD 632

$105 BGN 183

-37.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 MAD 5,075

$796 BGN 1,393

-34.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MAD 2,611

$607 BGN 1,063

-55.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MAD 9,310

$1,563 BGN 2,735

-38.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 MAD 6,683

$1,060 BGN 1,855

-35.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,967 MAD 19.1K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

-54.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MAD 11.1K

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-65.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$695 MAD 6,765

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-60.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

2.89

56.40%

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

Last update for Rabat: 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

Rabat

$268 32%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 126% $339

Groceries & Markets

Rabat

$201 23.9%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 43% $86

Eating Out

Rabat

$113 13.5%

Sofia

$256 16% 127% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Rabat

$109 13%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 41.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabat

$78 9.3%

Sofia

$193 12% 148% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Rabat

$40 4.8%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 67.3% $27

Getting Around

Rabat

$31 3.6%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 24.8% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Rabat 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 150% 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 $41.00 in Rabat versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $287 – making Rabat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Rabat

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

2 h ahead of Rabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

573,895 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.27 USD

100 MAD = 9.16 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.74 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.92 MAD (100 MAD = 9.16 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 MAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rabat Sofia 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Rabat
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

Rabat vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 91% more than Rabat, 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 $1,251 per month in Rabat 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 Rabat, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Rabat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $180 per month in Rabat and $766 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rabat, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Rabat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rabat costs $834 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 Rabat. 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.