Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Aleppo

For one person, living is cheaper in Aleppo: $686 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Aleppo
Learn more

Aleppo Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Aleppo

🇸🇾 Syria

$686

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Aleppo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $686 in Aleppo.

Sofia $1,585
Aleppo $686

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $1,094 in Aleppo.

Sofia $2,486
Aleppo $1,094

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $1,503 in Aleppo.

Sofia $3,387
Aleppo $1,503

Living in Sofia is roughly 131% more expensive than in Aleppo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Aleppo is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 29.00

$4.38 SYP 532

278.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$20.02 SYP 2,432

238.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.44

$3.32 SYP 404

251.81%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.96

$1.36 SYP 165

150.74%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.13

$1.35 SYP 164

74.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.92

$0.64 SYP 77.8

160.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.98

$3.02 SYP 367

32.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.93

$1.32 SYP 161

243.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.39

$1.54 SYP 187

25.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.72

$0.87 SYP 105

78.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.12

$1.65 SYP 201

42.42%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.05

$3.18 SYP 386

44.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 20.07

$8.32 SYP 1,011

37.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.13

$6.38 SYP 775

35.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.34

$10.48 SYP 1,274

65.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.76

$1.24 SYP 151

73.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.47

$2.40 SYP 291

-17.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.20

$1.23 SYP 149

48.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.47

$0.85 SYP 103

402.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.83

$0.79 SYP 96.2

31.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.90 SYP 109

-1.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.08

$0.31 SYP 38.17

283.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.46

$0.75 SYP 90.8

10.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.70

$3.26 SYP 396

34.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.98

$4.91 SYP 597

51.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

$2.05 SYP 249

-43.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.32

$2.55 SYP 310

-25.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.61

$0.17 SYP 21.19

441.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 49.19

$3.03 SYP 368

827.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.92

$1.85 SYP 225

-9.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$2.04 SYP 248

-58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 29.04

$3.94 SYP 478

321.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$1.34 SYP 163

29.85%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.4K

$22.5K SYP 2.7M

32.90%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.8K

$21.3K SYP 2.6M

17.52%

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

$158 BGN 276

$76.8 SYP 9,336

105.44%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.22

$13.05 SYP 1,586

62.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.46

$19.96 SYP 2,425

-24.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 82.0

$15.06 SYP 1,830

211.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.69

$19.73 SYP 2,397

41.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.49

$3.02 SYP 367

231.13%

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

$815 BGN 1,427

$68.8 SYP 8,359

1085.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.6K

$1,525 SYP 185.3K

860.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$68.3 SYP 8,297

27.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 67.0

$62.7 SYP 7,615

-38.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 185

$113 SYP 13.7K

-6.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 188

$145 SYP 17.6K

-25.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,345

$91.2 SYP 11.1K

742.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,038

$76.3 SYP 9,274

677.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,677

$224 SYP 27.2K

583.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,856

$158 SYP 19.2K

572.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,920

$803 SYP 97.6K

463.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,441

$292 SYP 35.5K

963.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,116

$64.5 SYP 7,831

2662.28%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Aleppo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Aleppo

$76 11.1% 87.1% $517

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Aleppo

$201 29.3% 30.1% $87

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Aleppo

$87 12.7% 65.7% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Aleppo

$110 16% 43.4% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Aleppo

$175 25.5% 14.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Aleppo

$21 3.1% 68.4% $46

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Aleppo

$16 2.3% 58.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $91 in Aleppo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays about 28 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $20 in Aleppo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $201 per month, with Aleppo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇸🇾 Aleppo

🕒 Local time

20:09 8:09 PM

21:09 9:09 PM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

2,132,100

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.97 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Aleppo 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Aleppo

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 Aleppo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $686 in Aleppo, so Aleppo is about 57% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Sofia is about 28 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 $91 in Aleppo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,585 per month in Sofia versus $686 in Aleppo – Aleppo is about 57% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Aleppo runs roughly 89% less than in Sofia. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $686 in Aleppo versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Aleppo but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Aleppo 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 Aleppo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.