Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Louis and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Louis: $830 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 Saint-Louis
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Saint-Louis Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Saint-Louis

🇸🇳 Senegal

$830

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $830 per month in Saint-Louis vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Saint-Louis $830
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $1,322 per month in Saint-Louis vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Saint-Louis $1,322
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $1,815 per month in Saint-Louis vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Saint-Louis $1,815
Sofia $3,324

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 F CFA 2,045

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-79.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

$66.9 BGN 117

-21.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 F CFA 6,516

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-5.27%

Cappuccino

$3.35 F CFA 1,961

$3.42 BGN 5.99

-2.05%

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

$1.25 F CFA 728

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-48.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 F CFA 508

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-53.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 F CFA 1,025

$3.33 BGN 5.83

-47.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 F CFA 2,553

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-3.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 F CFA 1,458

$1.92 BGN 3.36

29.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.27 F CFA 159

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-82.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 980

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-23.98%

Eggs

$2.45 F CFA 1,431

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-44.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.14 F CFA 10.0K

$11.56 BGN 20.22

48.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.75 F CFA 5,117

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-0.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 F CFA 6,432

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-35.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 F CFA 1,826

$2.17 BGN 3.79

43.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 F CFA 1,142

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-4.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 F CFA 1,670

$1.84 BGN 3.22

55.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 F CFA 1,010

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-59.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 F CFA 787

$1.03 BGN 1.80

31.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 F CFA 573

$0.93 BGN 1.62

5.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 F CFA 630

$1.20 BGN 2.11

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 F CFA 410

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 F CFA 1,241

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-50.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.91 F CFA 9,885

$7.33 BGN 12.83

130.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 F CFA 895

$1.18 BGN 2.06

29.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 F CFA 1,968

$1.87 BGN 3.28

80.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 F CFA 522

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-48.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 F CFA 1,241

$0.96 BGN 1.68

120.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 F CFA 10.1K

$15.54 BGN 27.19

11.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 F CFA 991

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-5.03%

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

$50.9K F CFA 29.7M

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

69.72%

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

$48.6K F CFA 28.4M

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

84.27%

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

$206 F CFA 120.7K

$156 BGN 273

32.37%

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

$11.46 F CFA 6,701

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-45.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.89 F CFA 27.4K

$15.64 BGN 27.37

199.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

Cinema Ticket

$8.64 F CFA 5,048

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-13.77%

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

$320 F CFA 186.8K

$766 BGN 1,341

-58.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K F CFA 6.1M

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-18.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 F CFA 34.4K

$89.7 BGN 157

-34.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.28 F CFA 26.5K

$40.88 BGN 71.5

10.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 F CFA 50.0K

$106 BGN 186

-19.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 F CFA 55.5K

$105 BGN 183

-9.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 F CFA 254.2K

$796 BGN 1,393

-45.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

2.89

202.77%

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

Last update for Saint-Louis: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Saint-Louis

$287 34.3%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 0.2% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint-Louis

$265 31.7%

Sofia

$193 12% 27.2% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Saint-Louis

$128 15.3%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 19.9% $25

Eating Out

Saint-Louis

$128 15.3%

Sofia

$256 16% 101% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Saint-Louis

$17 * 2.1%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 287% $50

Getting Around

Saint-Louis

$12 * 1.4%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 232% $27

Accommodation & Living

Saint-Louis

- * 0%

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $435 in Saint-Louis 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Saint-Louis versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $287 – making Saint-Louis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Saint-Louis

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

07:51 7:51 AM

3 h ahead of Saint-Louis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,000

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 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 XOF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint-Louis Sofia 4,800 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint-Louis
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

Saint-Louis vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 92% more than Saint-Louis, 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 $1,245 per month in Saint-Louis 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 Saint-Louis, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $830 in Saint-Louis and $1,589 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 92%.

Kindergarten costs $320 per month in Saint-Louis 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 Saint-Louis, where all-in costs run around $830, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Saint-Louis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Saint-Louis costs $830 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 Saint-Louis. 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.