Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Aqrah

For one person, living is cheaper in Aqrah: $661 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Aqrah
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Aqrah Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Aqrah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Aqrah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $661 in Aqrah.

Sofia $1,585
Aqrah $661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $1,024 in Aqrah.

Sofia $2,486
Aqrah $1,024

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

Sofia $3,387
Aqrah $1,387

Living in Sofia is roughly 140% more expensive than in Aqrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Aqrah is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$4.10 IQD 6,200

304.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$21.49 IQD 32.5K

214.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$6.44 IQD 9,733

81.37%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$2.45 IQD 3,699

39.18%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.39 IQD 584

505.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.20 IQD 302

735.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$3.28 IQD 4,955

21.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$2.61 IQD 3,945

73.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$0.99 IQD 1,493

95.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.67 IQD 1,019

131.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.40 IQD 2,116

67.86%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.59 IQD 2,404

189.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$3.79 IQD 5,721

202.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$3.51 IQD 5,303

146.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$11.74 IQD 17.7K

47.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$0.93 IQD 1,407

131.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$0.99 IQD 1,496

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$0.90 IQD 1,367

103.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$0.68 IQD 1,034

527.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.58 IQD 884

79.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.59 IQD 888

50.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.57 IQD 867

108.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.51 IQD 764

62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$1.63 IQD 2,467

169.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$11.32 IQD 17.1K

-34.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$1.56 IQD 2,360

-25.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$1.78 IQD 2,692

6.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.35 IQD 522

162.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$1.84 IQD 2,780

-9.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$1.36 IQD 2,052

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$5.60 IQD 8,460

196.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.55 IQD 825

216.36%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

79.04%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

49.97%

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

$158 BGN 275

$88.5 IQD 133.7K

78.45%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$13.38 IQD 20.2K

58.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$29.48 IQD 44.5K

-48.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$37.36 IQD 56.5K

25.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$8.96 IQD 13.5K

11.61%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$148 IQD 223.1K

452.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$2,790 IQD 4.2M

424.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$21.04 IQD 31.8K

313.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$22.77 IQD 34.4K

68.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$58.3 IQD 88.1K

81.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$37.66 IQD 56.9K

184.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$208 IQD 314.1K

269.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$140 IQD 211.7K

323.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$376 IQD 567.7K

307.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$309 IQD 466.5K

243.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$874 IQD 1.3M

417.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$503 IQD 760.0K

518.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.12

-29.85%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Aqrah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Aqrah

$140 21.2% 76.4% $453

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Aqrah

$156 23.6% 45.9% $132

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Aqrah

$105 16% 58.4% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Aqrah

$131 19.9% 32.4% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Aqrah

$63 9.5% 58.7% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Aqrah

$55 8.4% 17.3% $12

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Aqrah

$10 * 1.5% 73.5% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $208 in Aqrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $21 in Aqrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $156 per month, with Aqrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇮🇶 Aqrah

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

07:34 7:34 AM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

68,100

💱 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 = 5.9 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 = 1,696 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sofia Aqrah 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Aqrah

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 Aqrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aqrah wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Aqrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,378 in Sofia and $991 in Aqrah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $769 in Sofia versus $208 in Aqrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,585 per month in Sofia versus $661 in Aqrah – Aqrah is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $661 in Aqrah versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $800 budget is realistic in Aqrah but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Aqrah 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.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Aqrah are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.