Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Ashgabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Sofia: $1,585 a month against $3,421 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,421

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Ashgabat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $3,421 in Ashgabat.

Sofia $1,585
Ashgabat $3,421

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $5,126 in Ashgabat.

Sofia $2,486
Ashgabat $5,126

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $6,831 in Ashgabat.

Sofia $3,387
Ashgabat $6,831

Living in Sofia costs roughly 54% less than in Ashgabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sofia 17% above, Ashgabat 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$31.59 TMT 106

-47.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$86.0 TMT 289

-21.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$12.90 TMT 43.34

-9.46%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$6.98 TMT 23.46

-51.15%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$1.61 TMT 5.42

46.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.90 TMT 3.01

85.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$5.78 TMT 19.41

-30.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$13.56 TMT 45.55

-66.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$4.46 TMT 14.99

-56.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$2.03 TMT 6.81

-23.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$5.89 TMT 19.79

-60.10%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$6.19 TMT 20.80

-25.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$37.71 TMT 127

-69.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$19.99 TMT 67.2

-56.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$23.57 TMT 79.2

-26.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$5.25 TMT 17.63

-59.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$8.59 TMT 28.88

-76.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$7.49 TMT 25.16

-75.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$3.82 TMT 12.82

11.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$2.33 TMT 7.83

-55.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$1.43 TMT 4.80

-37.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$2.67 TMT 8.96

-55.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$1.10 TMT 3.68

-24.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$25.93 TMT 87.1

-83.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$41.76 TMT 140

-82.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$5.22 TMT 17.53

-77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$2.93 TMT 9.85

-35.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.12 TMT 0.41

666.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$10.04 TMT 33.73

179.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$2.97 TMT 9.98

-43.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.90 TMT 3.01

-5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$8.90 TMT 29.89

86.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.45 TMT 1.50

286.67%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$44.7K TMT 150.1K

-32.98%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$57.9K TMT 194.4K

-56.77%

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

$158 BGN 275

$571 TMT 1,920

-72.37%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$56.9 TMT 191

-62.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$106 TMT 355

-85.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$198 TMT 666

-76.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$45.91 TMT 154

-39.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$8.82 TMT 29.64

13.38%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$23.34 TMT 78.4

3393.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$27.2K TMT 91.5K

-46.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$55.3 TMT 186

57.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$114 TMT 382

-66.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$365 TMT 1,226

-71.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$194 TMT 652

-44.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$1,443 TMT 4,850

-46.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$1,011 TMT 3,398

-41.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$2,270 TMT 7,627

-32.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$1,925 TMT 6,466

-44.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$3,521 TMT 11.8K

28.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$2,844 TMT 9,556

9.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$767 TMT 2,576

132.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

9.5

-69.58%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Ashgabat

$1K 29.6% 70.5% $418

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Ashgabat

$673 19.7% 134% $385

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Ashgabat

$441 12.9% 74% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Ashgabat

$734 21.5% 278% $540

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Ashgabat

$328 9.6% 115% $175

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Ashgabat

$216 6.3% 223% $149

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Ashgabat

$18 0.5% 52.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $1,443 in Ashgabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays about 2.3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $86 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $673 per month, with Sofia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

14:08 2:08 PM

3 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

909,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, 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).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.77 TMT (1 TMT = 0.265 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Ashgabat 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Ashgabat

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 Ashgabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $3,421 in Ashgabat, so Sofia is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Sofia is about 2.3 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 $1,443 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $815 in Sofia versus $23 in Ashgabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 134% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,585 in Sofia versus $3,421 in Ashgabat, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sofia but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Sofia 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 Ashgabat are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.