Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Amman

For one person, living is cheaper in Amman: $1,179 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Amman
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Amman Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Amman

🇯🇴 Jordan

$1,179

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Amman

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $1,179 in Amman, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Amman $1,179

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $1,877 in Amman, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Amman $1,877

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $2,575 in Amman, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Amman $2,575

Sofia costs about 35% more than Amman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Amman is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$7.14 JOD 5.05

136.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$69.6 JOD 49.25

-5.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$6.86 JOD 4.86

65.01%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$4.37 JOD 3.09

-21.51%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$0.61 JOD 0.43

295.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.60 JOD 0.42

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$8.32 JOD 5.89

-55.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$11.05 JOD 7.83

-58.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.66 JOD 1.17

21.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$0.68 JOD 0.48

129.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.57 JOD 1.11

48.41%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$2.32 JOD 1.64

87.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$9.50 JOD 6.73

23.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$6.39 JOD 4.52

38.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$12.41 JOD 8.79

40.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$2.54 JOD 1.80

-15.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.99 JOD 1.41

-0.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.78 JOD 1.26

8.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$0.84 JOD 0.59

404.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.95 JOD 0.67

9.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.82 JOD 0.58

3.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$0.64 JOD 0.45

79.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.70 JOD 0.50

27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$3.85 JOD 2.73

9.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$21.04 JOD 14.90

-64.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$5.04 JOD 3.57

-77.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$4.95 JOD 3.50

-62.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$0.75 JOD 0.53

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$42.28 JOD 29.94

-32.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$0.64 JOD 0.45

162.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.39 JOD 0.99

-32.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$6.85 JOD 4.85

124.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.69 JOD 1.20

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$36.0K JOD 25.5K

-17.11%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$35.3K JOD 25.0K

-25.92%

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

$156 BGN 272

$129 JOD 91.0

21.44%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$15.71 JOD 11.12

37.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$32.12 JOD 22.74

-52.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$52.2 JOD 36.96

-11.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$35.02 JOD 24.80

-20.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$11.21 JOD 7.94

-9.19%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$493 JOD 349

56.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$9,733 JOD 6,891

31.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$64.4 JOD 45.62

39.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$83.9 JOD 59.4

-50.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$126 JOD 89.5

-16.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$86.1 JOD 60.9

23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$469 JOD 332

66.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$249 JOD 176

139.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$775 JOD 549

95.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$421 JOD 298

144.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$1,642 JOD 1,163

164.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$1,008 JOD 714

215.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$756 JOD 535

129.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.81

-57.56%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Amman: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Amman

$249 21.1% 58.3% $348

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Amman

$265 22.5% 8.7% $25

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Amman

$199 16.9% 22% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Amman

$176 15% 8.6% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Amman

$162 13.8% 5.2% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Amman

$75 6.3% 12.3% $8.2

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Amman

$53 4.5% 37.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $469 in Amman. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 129% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Sofia versus $70.0 in Amman. Groceries tell a different story – $290 in Sofia vs $265 in Amman – so Amman wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇯🇴 Amman

🕒 Local time

12:15 12:15 PM

Same time as Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

4,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JOD, 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).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.796 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sofia Amman 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Amman

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 Amman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 35% more than Amman, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $1,768 in Amman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Amman, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Amman. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Sofia and $493 in Amman. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Amman, where all-in costs run around $1,179, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Amman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Amman costs $1,179 versus $1,594 in Sofia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Amman. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.