Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Al Bayda

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Bayda: $10.17 a month against $1,600 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,600

/mo nomad

Al Bayda

🇱🇾 Libya

$10.17

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Al Bayda

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sofia and in Al Bayda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,600 in Sofia versus $10.17 in Al Bayda.

Sofia $1,600
Al Bayda $10.17

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,490 in Sofia versus $15.69 in Al Bayda.

Sofia $2,490
Al Bayda $15.69

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,380 in Sofia versus $21.21 in Al Bayda.

Sofia $3,380
Al Bayda $21.21

Living in Sofia is roughly 15634% more expensive than in Al Bayda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Al Bayda is 99% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 BGN 29.51

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 BGN 119

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 BGN 20.21

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

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

$2.34 BGN 4.08

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 BGN 3.19

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 BGN 5.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 BGN 7.73

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 BGN 3.42

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 BGN 2.59

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.58 LYD 10.09

47.47%

Eggs

$4.41 BGN 7.68

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.44

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 BGN 30.46

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.60

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 BGN 7.39

$0.32 LYD 2.06

1228.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$0.46 LYD 2.93

123.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$0.45 LYD 2.87

95.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.07

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 BGN 7.35

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 BGN 13.69

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.30 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 BGN 26.73

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

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

$25.1K BGN 43.6K

$14.2K LYD 91.3K

76.09%

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

$157 BGN 273

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

$21.12 BGN 36.74

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.32 BGN 26.65

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 BGN 80.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 BGN 48.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 BGN 17.46

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

$775 BGN 1,348

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K BGN 21.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 BGN 153

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 BGN 72.0

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BGN 186

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 185

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 BGN 1,340

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 BGN 1,048

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 BGN 2,721

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 BGN 1,803

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 BGN 7,946

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,162 BGN 5,502

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 BGN 3,031

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

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

Last update for Sofia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Al Bayda: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$602 37.6%

Al Bayda

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$291 18.2%

Al Bayda

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 15.9%

Al Bayda

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.1%

Al Bayda

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Al Bayda

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Al Bayda

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Al Bayda

–

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇱🇾 Al Bayda

🕒 Local time

00:23 12:23 AM

23:23 11:23 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

310,329

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sofia Al Bayda 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Al Bayda

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

Sofia vs Al Bayda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Bayda is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 15634% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,400 in Sofia and $15.25 in Al Bayda 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2761% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,600 per month in Sofia versus $10.17 in Al Bayda – a 15634% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $10.17 in Al Bayda versus $1,600 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Bayda but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Al Bayda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al Bayda is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sofia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Al Bayda are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Al Bayda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15634% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.