Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabigh and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabigh: $953 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Rabigh
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Rabigh Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Rabigh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$953

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $953 in Rabigh versus $1,609 in Sofia.

Rabigh $953
Sofia $1,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,456 in Rabigh versus $2,495 in Sofia.

Rabigh $1,456
Sofia $2,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,960 in Rabigh versus $3,381 in Sofia.

Rabigh $1,960
Sofia $3,381

Living in Rabigh costs roughly 41% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rabigh is 30% below, Sofia is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 SAR 17.49

$16.88 BGN 29.70

-72.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.40 SAR 99.1

$66.5 BGN 117

-60.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 SAR 26.15

$11.59 BGN 20.40

-39.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 SAR 5.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

Cappuccino

$2.57 SAR 9.63

$3.52 BGN 6.20

-26.99%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.63

$2.42 BGN 4.25

-71.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$1.77 BGN 3.11

-87.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.48

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.70

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

$1.96 BGN 3.44

-4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 SAR 3.82

$1.51 BGN 2.65

-32.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 SAR 8.23

$2.20 BGN 3.87

-0.45%

Eggs

$2.56 SAR 9.61

$4.40 BGN 7.75

-41.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.08 SAR 22.80

$11.76 BGN 20.70

-48.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.04 SAR 45.17

$8.68 BGN 15.28

38.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 SAR 48.60

$17.37 BGN 30.57

-25.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

$2.13 BGN 3.75

-2.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$2.05 BGN 3.61

-20.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.76

$1.93 BGN 3.40

-6.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.62

$4.17 BGN 7.34

-64.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$1.08 BGN 1.90

23.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.67

$0.91 BGN 1.60

65.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$1.18 BGN 2.08

-10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 SAR 2.77

$0.84 BGN 1.47

-11.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.89 SAR 10.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SAR 8.22

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SAR 29.80

$4.18 BGN 7.36

89.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$0.87 BGN 1.52

24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.60 SAR 126

$29.06 BGN 51.1

15.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 SAR 9.06

$1.68 BGN 2.96

43.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 SAR 9.80

$0.87 BGN 1.54

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.48 SAR 50.6

$15.76 BGN 27.74

-14.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.27

$1.73 BGN 3.04

-64.74%

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

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

$29.7K BGN 52.2K

-10.27%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

$25.6K BGN 45.0K

-16.36%

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

$66.6 SAR 250

$161 BGN 283

-58.60%

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

$34.24 SAR 128

$21.08 BGN 37.10

62.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 SAR 239

$15.19 BGN 26.73

320.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 SAR 277

$48.34 BGN 85.1

52.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.35

Cinema Ticket

$15.35 SAR 57.6

$10.16 BGN 17.88

51.08%

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

$428 SAR 1,606

$785 BGN 1,382

-45.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,737 SAR 29.0K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-39.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.32 SAR 49.99

$89.8 BGN 158

-85.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 SAR 207

$41.29 BGN 72.7

33.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.72 SAR 149

$108 BGN 189

-63.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 SAR 201

$109 BGN 192

-50.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 SAR 1,258

$789 BGN 1,389

-57.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 SAR 917

$604 BGN 1,063

-59.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 SAR 2,290

$1,517 BGN 2,670

-59.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 SAR 1,591

$1,037 BGN 1,825

-59.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,728 SAR 6,484

$4,407 BGN 7,756

-60.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,478 SAR 5,546

$3,137 BGN 5,521

-52.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,056

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

2.89

81.66%

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

Last update for Rabigh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rabigh

$244 25.7%

Sofia

$604 37.5% 147% $360

Groceries & Markets

Rabigh

$220 23.1%

Sofia

$288 17.9% 30.8% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabigh

$165 17.3%

Sofia

$197 12.3% 19.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Rabigh

$105 11%

Sofia

$69 4.3% 34.4% $36

Eating Out

Rabigh

$93 9.7%

Sofia

$256 15.9% 176% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Rabigh

$73 7.7%

Sofia

$157 9.7% 115% $84

Getting Around

Rabigh

$53 5.6%

Sofia

$39 2.4% 27.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $335 in Rabigh and $789 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26 in Rabigh vs $66 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $288 per month, with Rabigh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Rabigh

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

15:48 3:48 PM

1 h behind Rabigh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,072

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BGN (1 BGN = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rabigh Sofia 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Rabigh
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

Rabigh vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rabigh is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,429 in Rabigh and $2,413 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: $335 in Rabigh versus $789 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $953 per month in Rabigh versus $1,609 in Sofia – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sofia runs roughly 14% less than in Rabigh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your 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.

Safety-wise, Rabigh 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.