Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Behbahan

For one person, living is cheaper in Behbahan: $533 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Behbahan
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Behbahan Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Behbahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$533

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Behbahan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $533 in Behbahan.

Sofia $1,585
Behbahan $533

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $821 in Behbahan.

Sofia $2,486
Behbahan $821

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $1,110 in Behbahan.

Sofia $3,387
Behbahan $1,110

Living in Sofia is roughly 198% more expensive than in Behbahan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Behbahan is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$4.58 $4.58

261.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$13.15 $13.15

414.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$4.10 $4.10

184.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 $0.98

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$1.22 $1.22

179.51%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.65 $0.65

263.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$1.03 $1.03

62.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$0.67 $0.67

189.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.41 $0.41

278.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.98 $1.98

18.69%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.19 $1.19

286.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$2.26 $2.26

407.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$2.26 $2.26

282.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$10.01 $10.01

73.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$1.11 $1.11

93.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.56 $1.56

26.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$0.93 $0.93

96.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$0.59 $0.59

623.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.53 $0.53

96.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.52 $0.52

71.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.48 $0.48

147.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.19 $0.19

336.84%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.81 $0.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$3.06 $3.06

43.79%

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

$0.15 $0.15

513.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$9.51 $9.51

195.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$0.42 $0.42

297.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.18 $0.18

372.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$3.40 $3.40

387.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.10 $0.10

1640.00%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$64.5K $64.5K

-53.57%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$54.0K $54.0K

-53.66%

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

$158 BGN 275

$24.13 $24.13

554.21%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$2.04 $2.04

942.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$4.02 $4.02

276.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$18.42 $18.42

154.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$13.48 $13.48

106.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$2.05 $2.05

387.80%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$103 $103

691.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$2,422 $2,422

504.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$22.93 $22.93

279.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$18.60 $18.60

105.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$93.8 $93.8

12.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$55.2 $55.2

94.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$292 $292

163.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$212 $212

179.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$793 $793

93.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$350 $350

203.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$1,144 $1,144

295.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$538 $538

477.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

24.3

-88.11%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Behbahan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Behbahan

$212 39.9% 64.2% $381

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Behbahan

$100 18.8% 65.2% $188

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Behbahan

$70 13.2% 72.3% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Behbahan

$30 5.7% 84.5% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Behbahan

$86 16.1% 43.7% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Behbahan

$23 4.2% 66.3% $44

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Behbahan

$11 2.2% 69.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $292 in Behbahan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $13 in Behbahan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $100 per month, with Behbahan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇮🇷 Behbahan

🕒 Local time

23:38 11:38 PM

01:08 1:08 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

122,604

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Behbahan 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Behbahan

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 Behbahan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Behbahan is about 66% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,378 in Sofia and $799 in Behbahan 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 $292 in Behbahan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,585 per month in Sofia versus $533 in Behbahan – Behbahan is about 66% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Behbahan runs roughly 66% less than in Sofia. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $533 in Behbahan versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Behbahan but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Behbahan 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.

Expats usually find Behbahan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.