Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $597 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
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Al-mawsil Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$597

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Al-mawsil

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $597 in Al-mawsil.

Sofia $1,585
Al-mawsil $597

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $906 in Al-mawsil.

Sofia $2,486
Al-mawsil $906

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $1,214 in Al-mawsil.

Sofia $3,387
Al-mawsil $1,214

Living in Sofia is roughly 166% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Al-mawsil is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$4.17 IQD 6,296

297.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$10.66 IQD 16.1K

534.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$4.81 IQD 7,265

142.83%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$0.68 IQD 1,029

401.47%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.32 IQD 482

637.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.18 IQD 265

827.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$0.81 IQD 1,224

392.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$1.34 IQD 2,029

238.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$0.69 IQD 1,037

181.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.65 IQD 976

138.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$0.58 IQD 872

305.17%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$0.95 IQD 1,435

384.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$7.22 IQD 10.9K

58.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$2.99 IQD 4,522

189.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$7.89 IQD 11.9K

119.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$0.68 IQD 1,031

216.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$0.68 IQD 1,033

191.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$0.49 IQD 738

273.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$0.24 IQD 364

1679.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.27 IQD 410

285.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.32 IQD 482

178.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.60 IQD 911

98.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.52 IQD 779

59.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$1.61 IQD 2,425

173.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$10.80 IQD 16.3K

-31.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$1.48 IQD 2,237

-21.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$1.86 IQD 2,810

2.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.35 IQD 523

162.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$25.92 IQD 39.2K

8.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$1.67 IQD 2,521

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$1.55 IQD 2,349

-45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$3.98 IQD 6,008

316.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.29 IQD 432

500.00%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$13.4K IQD 20.2M

124.24%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$15.4K IQD 23.3M

61.99%

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

$158 BGN 275

$90.9 IQD 137.3K

73.72%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

75.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$23.19 IQD 35.0K

-34.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$36.94 IQD 55.8K

26.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

315.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$6.54 IQD 9,880

52.91%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$295 IQD 445.5K

176.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$589 IQD 889.3K

2388.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$16.58 IQD 25.1K

425.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$13.00 IQD 19.6K

194.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

77.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$16.06 IQD 24.3K

567.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$212 IQD 319.8K

263.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$139 IQD 210.0K

326.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$374 IQD 564.8K

309.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$314 IQD 475.0K

237.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$868 IQD 1.3M

421.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$491 IQD 741.2K

533.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$522 IQD 788.5K

241.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

2.53

14.23%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Al-mawsil

$139 23.3% 76.6% $454

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Al-mawsil

$133 22.3% 53.7% $155

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Al-mawsil

$65 10.8% 74.5% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Al-mawsil

$126 21.1% 35% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.9% 68.9% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 25.2% $17

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Al-mawsil

$37 6.2% 2.6% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $212 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays about 3.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $11 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $133 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

20:51 8:51 PM

21:51 9:51 PM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

1,683,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,697 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sofia Al-mawsil 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Al-mawsil

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-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is about 62% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Sofia is about 3.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $769 in Sofia versus $212 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $815 in Sofia versus $295 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 116% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $597 in Al-mawsil versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al-mawsil but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Al-mawsil 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.

Expats usually find Al-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.