Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Amparai

For one person, living is cheaper in Amparai: $501 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Amparai
Learn more

Amparai Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Amparai

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Amparai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $501 in Amparai.

Sofia $1,594
Amparai $501

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $815 in Amparai.

Sofia $2,478
Amparai $815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $1,128 in Amparai.

Sofia $3,361
Amparai $1,128

Living in Sofia is roughly 218% more expensive than in Amparai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Amparai is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$4.34 LKR 1,437

288.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$24.60 LKR 8,148

167.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$7.64 LKR 2,532

48.17%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$2.50 LKR 829

37.20%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$0.73 LKR 242

230.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.27 LKR 89.6

585.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$2.23 LKR 737

65.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$3.12 LKR 1,033

46.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.64 LKR 542

23.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$0.54 LKR 178

188.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$0.74 LKR 245

214.86%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$1.57 LKR 521

177.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$13.64 LKR 4,517

-13.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$4.78 LKR 1,582

84.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$7.58 LKR 2,512

130.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$6.65 LKR 2,201

-67.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$0.79 LKR 262

150.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$4.61 LKR 1,527

-58.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$1.22 LKR 405

247.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.02 LKR 339

1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.80 LKR 265

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$0.93 LKR 308

23.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.46 LKR 153

93.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$10.32 LKR 3,420

-59.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$13.38 LKR 4,433

-44.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.90 LKR 630

-39.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$2.93 LKR 972

-36.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$0.40 LKR 133

320.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.35 LKR 115

168.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$0.94 LKR 311

1532.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.38 LKR 456

22.46%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$37.3K LKR 12.4M

-20.14%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$40.3K LKR 13.4M

-35.17%

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

$156 BGN 272

$54.2 LKR 18.0K

187.86%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$4.14 LKR 1,372

420.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$20.40 LKR 6,756

-25.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$1.81 LKR 598

462.43%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$37.41 LKR 12.4K

1969.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$1,223 LKR 404.9K

947.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$17.96 LKR 5,948

400.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$16.50 LKR 5,464

150.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$78.4 LKR 26.0K

34.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$42.66 LKR 14.1K

150.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$90.4 LKR 29.9K

1819.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

12.69

-77.23%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Amparai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Amparai

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Amparai

$237 47.4% 18.4% $53

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Amparai

$109 21.8% 57.2% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Amparai

$79 15.7% 59.2% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Amparai

$70 14% 54.7% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Amparai

$3.6 * 0.7% 94.6% $63

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Amparai

$2.1 * 0.4% 94.5% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

Sofia pays 1819% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Sofia vs $25.00 in Amparai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $237 per month, with Amparai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇱🇰 Amparai

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

17:42 5:42 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

110,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Amparai 6,900 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Amparai

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 Amparai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amparai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 218% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1819% higher in Sofia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $774 in Sofia versus $37.41 in Amparai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Amparai – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $501 in Amparai versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Amparai but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Amparai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Amparai 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 Amparai 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 Amparai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 218% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.