Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Banjul

For one person, living is cheaper in Banjul: $674 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Banjul
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Banjul Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Banjul

🇬🇲 Gambia

$674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Banjul

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $674 in Banjul, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Banjul $674

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $1,184 in Banjul, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Banjul $1,184

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $1,695 in Banjul, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Banjul $1,695

Sofia costs about 136% more than Banjul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sofia sits 19% above the global median, while Banjul is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$7.29 GMD 532

134.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$73.0 GMD 5,328

-8.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$7.91 GMD 578

48.80%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$3.76 GMD 274

-9.04%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$2.66 GMD 194

-9.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$1.54 GMD 112

20.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$5.45 GMD 398

-38.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$4.44 GMD 324

2.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.38 GMD 101

39.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$0.64 GMD 46.87

135.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.29 GMD 94.5

71.32%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$1.97 GMD 144

123.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$6.16 GMD 450

87.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$2.63 GMD 192

234.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$5.45 GMD 398

211.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$2.06 GMD 150

5.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.22 GMD 88.7

67.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$1.76 GMD 128

4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$1.32 GMD 96.7

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.88 GMD 64.4

17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.00 GMD 73.0

-7.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$0.25 GMD 18.31

380.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.61 GMD 44.59

50.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$1.66 GMD 122

159.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$6.29 GMD 459

16.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.53 GMD 111

-22.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.69 GMD 123

10.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.19 GMD 13.59

357.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$6.40 GMD 468

339.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.71 GMD 51.7

35.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$4.12 GMD 301

277.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.08 GMD 79.1

65.74%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$2,616 GMD 191.0K

1046.11%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$3,205 GMD 233.9K

722.77%

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

$156 BGN 273

$30.89 GMD 2,255

404.89%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$14.21 GMD 1,038

49.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$45.37 GMD 3,312

-65.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$23.56 GMD 1,720

98.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$13.61 GMD 994

103.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$3.37 GMD 246

197.33%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$6.59 GMD 481

11529.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$136 GMD 9,921

9307.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$55.2 GMD 4,029

62.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$43.48 GMD 3,174

-5.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$99.0 GMD 7,228

7.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$85.6 GMD 6,251

22.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$101 GMD 7,347

691.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$81.2 GMD 5,924

648.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$213 GMD 15.6K

632.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$138 GMD 10.1K

669.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$1,438 GMD 104.9K

203.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$1,160 GMD 84.7K

180.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$60.6 GMD 4,426

2768.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

-80.73%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Banjul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Banjul

$81 12.1% 86.6% $526

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Banjul

$149 22.3% 48.1% $138

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Banjul

$180 26.9% 29.7% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Banjul

$90 13.5% 53.1% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Banjul

$127 19.1% 17% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Banjul

$30 4.5% 54.6% $37

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Banjul

$11 * 1.6% 72% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $101 in Banjul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2769% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Sofia versus $73.0 in Banjul. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Sofia vs $149 in Banjul – so Banjul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇬🇲 Banjul

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

02:46 2:46 AM

3 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

31,356 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

100 GMD = 1.37 USD

100 GMD = 1.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 73 GMD (100 GMD = 1.37 USD). 1 EUR = 81.88 GMD (100 GMD = 1.22 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Banjul 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Banjul

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 Banjul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 136%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $1,010 in Banjul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Banjul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Sofia and $674 in Banjul. That's a gap of about 136%.

Public transport costs about 340% less in Banjul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Banjul, where all-in costs run around $674, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Banjul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Banjul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Banjul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.