Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Al Kazimiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kazimiyah: $660 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Al Kazimiyah
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Al Kazimiyah Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Al Kazimiyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kazimiyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $660 in Al Kazimiyah.

Sofia $1,585
Al Kazimiyah $660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $1,028 in Al Kazimiyah.

Sofia $2,486
Al Kazimiyah $1,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $1,395 in Al Kazimiyah.

Sofia $3,387
Al Kazimiyah $1,395

Living in Sofia is roughly 140% more expensive than in Al Kazimiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Al Kazimiyah is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$4.24 IQD 6,412

290.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$21.38 IQD 32.3K

216.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$6.25 IQD 9,450

86.88%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$2.39 IQD 3,614

42.68%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.36 IQD 544

555.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.22 IQD 333

659.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$3.27 IQD 4,939

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$2.71 IQD 4,102

67.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.00 IQD 1,505

94.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.73 IQD 1,110

112.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.45 IQD 2,188

62.07%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.57 IQD 2,377

192.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$3.89 IQD 5,878

194.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$3.48 IQD 5,264

148.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$11.81 IQD 17.8K

46.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$0.93 IQD 1,412

131.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$0.97 IQD 1,472

104.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$0.95 IQD 1,442

92.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$0.65 IQD 980

556.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.56 IQD 843

85.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.62 IQD 944

43.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.62 IQD 932

91.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.50 IQD 761

66.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$1.67 IQD 2,517

163.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$11.14 IQD 16.8K

-33.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$1.53 IQD 2,313

-24.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$1.85 IQD 2,797

2.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.34 IQD 516

170.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$1.81 IQD 2,727

-7.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$1.36 IQD 2,049

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$5.68 IQD 8,582

192.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.58 IQD 876

200.00%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

82.75%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

52.93%

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

$158 BGN 275

$88.2 IQD 133.3K

78.96%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$13.37 IQD 20.2K

59.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$28.44 IQD 43.0K

-46.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$36.62 IQD 55.3K

27.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$9.15 IQD 13.8K

9.29%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$143 IQD 216.0K

470.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$2,793 IQD 4.2M

424.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$20.81 IQD 31.4K

318.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$22.82 IQD 34.5K

67.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$58.9 IQD 88.9K

79.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$37.26 IQD 56.3K

187.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$204 IQD 308.8K

276.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$140 IQD 211.8K

323.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$370 IQD 559.2K

313.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$317 IQD 479.1K

234.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$846 IQD 1.3M

435.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$494 IQD 745.7K

529.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.12

-29.85%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Al Kazimiyah: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Al Kazimiyah

$140 21.2% 76.4% $453

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Al Kazimiyah

$157 23.7% 45.6% $131

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Al Kazimiyah

$106 16% 58.4% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Al Kazimiyah

$130 19.7% 33.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Al Kazimiyah

$63 9.5% 58.7% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Al Kazimiyah

$55 8.3% 17.9% $12

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Al Kazimiyah

$10 * 1.5% 73.6% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $204 in Al Kazimiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $21 in Al Kazimiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $157 per month, with Al Kazimiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇮🇶 Al Kazimiyah

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

05:15 5:15 AM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.514 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.94 BGN (1 BGN = 0.514 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,689 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.92 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sofia Al Kazimiyah 2,100 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Al Kazimiyah

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 Kazimiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Kazimiyah is about 58% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,378 in Sofia and $990 in Al Kazimiyah 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: $769 in Sofia versus $204 in Al Kazimiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $815 in Sofia versus $143 in Al Kazimiyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Kazimiyah – a meal for two runs $21 versus $68 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $660 in Al Kazimiyah versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Kazimiyah but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Al Kazimiyah the clear choice for anyone on this 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, Sofia and Al Kazimiyah are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.