Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samsun and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Samsun: $952 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Samsun
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Samsun Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Samsun

🇹🇷 Turkey

$952

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $952 in Samsun versus $1,585 in Sofia.

Samsun $952
Sofia $1,585

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,631 in Samsun versus $2,486 in Sofia.

Samsun $1,631
Sofia $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,310 in Samsun versus $3,387 in Sofia.

Samsun $2,310
Sofia $3,387

Living in Samsun costs roughly 40% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Samsun is 30% below, Sofia is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 ₺506

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-39.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₺2,997

$67.7 BGN 118

-11.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 ₺532

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-9.25%

Cappuccino

$4.03 ₺202

$3.41 BGN 5.93

18.18%

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

$0.82 ₺41.01

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-65.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₺14.41

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-82.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 ₺92.1

$3.99 BGN 6.94

-53.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₺99.5

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-56.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 ₺56.1

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-42.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ₺97.6

$1.55 BGN 2.70

25.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 ₺136

$2.35 BGN 4.09

14.89%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-47.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 ₺409

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-28.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 ₺277

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-36.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.85 ₺1,347

$17.34 BGN 30.17

54.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ₺120

$2.15 BGN 3.73

10.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 ₺121

$1.98 BGN 3.45

21.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 ₺72.1

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-21.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 ₺53.5

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-74.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 ₺22.99

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-55.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.33 ₺16.71

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-62.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 ₺41.01

$1.19 BGN 2.06

-31.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₺31.11

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-25.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 ₺104

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-52.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.22 ₺462

$7.42 BGN 12.91

24.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₺80.6

$1.16 BGN 2.01

38.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₺114

$1.90 BGN 3.30

19.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 ₺28.23

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.97 ₺601

$28.11 BGN 48.91

-57.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 ₺102

$1.67 BGN 2.90

21.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₺31.40

$0.85 BGN 1.49

-25.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 ₺318

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-61.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ₺64.5

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-25.86%

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

$39.8K ₺2.0M

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

33.10%

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

$41.1K ₺2.1M

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

64.51%

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

$89.2 ₺4,473

$158 BGN 275

-43.50%

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

$12.53 ₺629

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-41.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.49 ₺626

$15.12 BGN 26.30

-17.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.78 ₺1,544

$46.85 BGN 81.5

-34.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.08 ₺305

$27.82 BGN 48.41

-78.15%

Cinema Ticket

$3.97 ₺199

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-60.30%

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

$249 ₺12.5K

$815 BGN 1,419

-69.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.41 ₺1,224

$87.1 BGN 152

-71.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.09 ₺1,509

$38.28 BGN 66.6

-21.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 ₺3,538

$106 BGN 184

-33.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 ₺2,960

$107 BGN 187

-44.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 ₺17.2K

$769 BGN 1,338

-55.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ₺12.7K

$593 BGN 1,032

-57.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 ₺38.1K

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-50.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 ₺29.7K

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-44.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$973 ₺48.8K

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-78.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$654 ₺32.8K

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-78.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,040 ₺52.1K

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-41.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

1595.50%

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

Last update for Samsun: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Samsun

$265 27.8%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 8.6% $23

Accommodation & Living

Samsun

$253 26.6%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 134% $340

Eating Out

Samsun

$178 18.8%

Sofia

$254 16% 42.1% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samsun

$114 12%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 70.1% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Samsun

$83 8.7%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 83.7% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Samsun

$39 4.1%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 72.6% $28

Getting Around

Samsun

$19 2%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 94.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $344 in Samsun and $769 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 71% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Samsun vs $68 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $288 per month, with Samsun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Samsun

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

07:31 7:31 AM

1 h behind Samsun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,295,927

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 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 TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Samsun Sofia 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Samsun
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

Samsun vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samsun is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Samsun. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $344 in Samsun versus $769 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Samsun – a meal for two runs $60 versus $68 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $952 per month in Samsun versus $1,585 in Sofia – Samsun is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Samsun and Sofia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Samsun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.