Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Amwaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Amwaj: $608 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Amwaj

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Amwaj

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $608 in Amwaj, rent included.

Sofia $1,585
Amwaj $608

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $2,443 in Amwaj, rent included.

Sofia $2,486
Amwaj $2,443

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $4,278 in Amwaj, rent included.

Sofia $3,387
Amwaj $4,278

Sofia costs about 161% more than Amwaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Amwaj is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$10.57 BHD 3.98

56.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$31.87 BHD 12.02

112.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$9.92 BHD 3.74

17.74%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$3.93 BHD 1.48

-13.23%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$2.15 BHD 0.81

9.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.64 BHD 0.24

160.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$8.18 BHD 3.08

-51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$10.47 BHD 3.95

-56.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$5.29 BHD 1.99

-16.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.65 BHD 0.25

167.69%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$37.1K BHD 14.0K

-32.56%

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

$158 BGN 275

$130 BHD 48.88

21.79%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$23.67 BHD 8.93

-10.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$65.2 BHD 24.60

-76.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

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

$815 BGN 1,419

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$13.1K BHD 4,941

11.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$65.6 BHD 24.75

32.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$66.3 BHD 24.99

-42.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$91.9 BHD 34.65

14.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$120 BHD 45.28

-10.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$2,373 BHD 895

-35.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$3,074 BHD 1,159

-65.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$4,015 BHD 1,514

-55.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

-58.71%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Amwaj: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Amwaj

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Amwaj

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Amwaj

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Amwaj

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Amwaj

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Amwaj

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Amwaj

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Amwaj are about 2.3 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia versus $32 in Amwaj. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇭 Amwaj

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

11:17 11:17 AM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, 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).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Amwaj 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Amwaj

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 Amwaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 161% more than Amwaj, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,378 per month in Sofia and $912 in Amwaj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $608 in Amwaj. That makes Amwaj about 62% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia and $32 in Amwaj. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Amwaj, where all-in costs run around $608, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Amwaj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $608 in Amwaj to $1,585 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.