Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Benghazi

For one person, living is cheaper in Benghazi: $412 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Benghazi
Learn more

Benghazi Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Benghazi

🇱🇾 Libya

$412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Benghazi

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $412 in Benghazi, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Benghazi $412

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $695 in Benghazi, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Benghazi $695

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $978 in Benghazi, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Benghazi $978

Sofia costs about 285% more than Benghazi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 19% above the global median, while Benghazi is 69% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$2.36 LYD 15.08

624.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$12.50 LYD 80.0

435.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$2.30 LYD 14.70

411.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 LYD 13.24

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 LYD 2.43

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$0.68 LYD 4.37

402.94%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$0.43 LYD 2.74

462.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$0.12 LYD 0.77

1450.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$0.82 LYD 5.22

134.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$0.19 LYD 1.22

694.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.39 LYD 8.92

58.99%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$1.65 LYD 10.58

166.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$6.56 LYD 41.97

76.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$2.80 LYD 17.92

213.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$11.17 LYD 71.5

51.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$2.27 LYD 14.52

-4.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.82 LYD 11.66

12.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$1.20 LYD 7.70

53.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$0.69 LYD 4.40

521.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.85 LYD 5.45

21.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$0.63 LYD 4.06

47.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$0.35 LYD 2.23

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.23 LYD 1.47

300.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.35 LYD 15.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 LYD 3.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 LYD 4.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$1.84 LYD 11.77

133.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$1.52 LYD 9.73

14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.30 LYD 1.89

220.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$0.02 LYD 0.14

8850.00%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$12.4K LYD 79.4K

141.55%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$14.9K LYD 95.1K

77.41%

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

$156 BGN 273

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$4.44 LYD 28.44

377.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$18.29 LYD 117

-14.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$17.54 LYD 112

166.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$3.84 LYD 24.56

622.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$6.06 LYD 38.75

65.35%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$78.0 LYD 499

882.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$347 LYD 2,221

3584.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$42.51 LYD 272

110.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$34.84 LYD 223

17.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$42.28 LYD 271

150.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$69.0 LYD 442

51.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$186 LYD 1,191

327.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$115 LYD 737

427.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$434 LYD 2,776

260.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$259 LYD 1,655

310.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$265 LYD 1,699

555.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Benghazi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Benghazi

$115 27.5% 81% $492

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Benghazi

$128 30.5% 55.5% $159

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Benghazi

$36 8.6% 85.9% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Benghazi

$23 * 5.4% 88.2% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Benghazi

$85 20.2% 44.7% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Benghazi

$30 7.1% 55.6% $37

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Benghazi

$3 * 0.7% 92.1% $35

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 $186 in Benghazi. 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 556% 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 $13.00 in Benghazi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $128 – making Benghazi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇱🇾 Benghazi

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

07:17 7:17 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

631,555

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, 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).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.4 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.18 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Benghazi 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Benghazi

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 Benghazi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Sofia, $412 in Benghazi – roughly 285% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $618 in Benghazi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benghazi, 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 $412 in Benghazi. That's a gap of about 285%.

Kindergarten costs $766 per month in Sofia and $78.0 in Benghazi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Benghazi, where all-in costs run around $412, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Benghazi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $412 in Benghazi to $1,589 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Benghazi. 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.