Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Aydin

For one person, living is cheaper in Aydin: $936 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Sofia, Bulgaria
Aydin, Turkey
Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,585
/mo nomad
Aydin
🇹🇷 Turkey
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Aydin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $936 in Aydin.

  • Sofia $1,585
  • Aydin $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $1,467 in Aydin.

  • Sofia $2,486
  • Aydin $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $1,999 in Aydin.

  • Sofia $3,387
  • Aydin $1,999

Living in Sofia is roughly 69% more expensive than in Aydin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Aydin is 31% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sofia
Aydin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.57 BGN 28.84
$5.96 ₺299
178.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.7 BGN 118
$27.28 ₺1,368
148.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.68 BGN 20.33
$8.20 ₺411
42.44%
Cappuccino
$3.41 BGN 5.93
$3.18 ₺159
7.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 BGN 4.11
$1.23 ₺61.5
91.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 BGN 2.91
$0.32 ₺15.99
421.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.99 BGN 6.94
$2.97 ₺149
34.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 BGN 7.88
$3.33 ₺167
36.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sofia
Aydin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 BGN 3.38
$1.05 ₺52.9
84.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 BGN 2.70
$1.02 ₺51.0
51.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 BGN 4.09
$2.28 ₺114
3.07%
Eggs
$4.60 BGN 8.00
$2.34 ₺118
96.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.47 BGN 19.96
$8.95 ₺449
28.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.65 BGN 15.04
$2.85 ₺143
203.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.34 BGN 30.17
$21.44 ₺1,075
-19.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 BGN 3.73
$1.83 ₺91.8
17.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 BGN 3.45
$1.91 ₺95.8
3.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 BGN 3.18
$1.01 ₺50.7
81.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.27 BGN 7.43
$1.16 ₺58.3
268.10%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 BGN 1.82
$0.54 ₺27.26
92.59%
Onion (1kg)
$0.89 BGN 1.54
$0.40 ₺20.24
122.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 BGN 2.06
$0.81 ₺40.83
46.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 BGN 1.45
$0.77 ₺38.47
7.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 BGN 7.66
$2.23 ₺112
97.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.42 BGN 12.91
$8.08 ₺405
-8.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 BGN 2.01
$2.11 ₺106
-45.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 BGN 3.30
$2.72 ₺137
-30.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Sofia
Aydin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.92 BGN 1.60
$0.44 ₺21.96
109.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.11 BGN 48.91
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.67 BGN 2.90
$2.34 ₺117
-28.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 BGN 1.49
$1.10 ₺55.0
-22.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.59 BGN 28.87
$4.94 ₺248
235.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 BGN 3.03
$1.31 ₺65.6
32.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K BGN 52.1K
$40.5K ₺2.0M
-26.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K BGN 43.5K
$39.0K ₺2.0M
-35.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
Aydin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 BGN 275
$59.2 ₺2,967
166.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.27 BGN 37.01
$8.80 ₺441
141.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.12 BGN 26.30
$11.98 ₺601
26.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
Aydin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.85 BGN 81.5
$25.24 ₺1,266
85.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.82 BGN 48.41
$5.02 ₺252
454.18%
Cinema Ticket
$10.00 BGN 17.39
$8.12 ₺407
23.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sofia
Aydin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$815 BGN 1,419
$420 ₺21.1K
94.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K BGN 25.5K
$7,039 ₺353.0K
108.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
Aydin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.1 BGN 152
$46.10 ₺2,312
88.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.28 BGN 66.6
$35.58 ₺1,785
7.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 BGN 184
$92.0 ₺4,615
14.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 BGN 187
$71.1 ₺3,566
50.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sofia
Aydin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$769 BGN 1,338
$403 ₺20.2K
90.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$593 BGN 1,032
$334 ₺16.8K
77.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,530 BGN 2,662
$752 ₺37.7K
103.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,061 BGN 1,846
$634 ₺31.8K
67.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,526 BGN 7,875
$2,010 ₺100.8K
125.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,109 BGN 5,410
$1,391 ₺69.8K
123.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sofia
Aydin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,780 BGN 3,098
$1,070 ₺53.7K
66.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.89
41.22
-92.99%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Aydin: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$593
Aydin
$334 43.6% $259
Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$288
Aydin
$222 22.8% $66
Eating Out
Sofia
$254
Aydin
$138 45.6% $116
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$194
Aydin
$80 58.8% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$152
Aydin
$110 27.6% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$67
Aydin
$41 38% $25
Getting Around
Sofia
$38
Aydin
$9.6 * 74.6% $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 $403 in Aydin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 66% 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: $68 in Sofia vs $27 in Aydin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $222 per month, with Aydin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Sofia
🇹🇷 Aydin
🕒 Local time
10:17 10:17 AM
11:17 11:17 AM
1 h ahead of Sofia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,286,383 Capital
1,119,084
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

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).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sofia Aydin 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sofia
  • Aydin

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 Aydin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sofia and in Aydin?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $936 in Aydin, so Aydin is about 41% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Sofia or Aydin?
Average pay runs 66% higher in Sofia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Sofia and in Aydin?
Rent for a central apartment: $769 in Sofia versus $403 in Aydin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sofia or Aydin?
All in, you’ll spend $1,585 per month in Sofia versus $936 in Aydin – Aydin is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $936 in Aydin versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Aydin but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Aydin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sofia and Aydin?
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.
Is Sofia or Aydin safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sofia and Aydin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Sofia and Aydin?
It comes down to priorities – Aydin wins on affordability, Sofia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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