Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Bissau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bissau: $837 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Bissau

🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Bissau

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Sofia versus $837 in Bissau.

Sofia $1,589
Bissau $837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,456 in Sofia versus $1,352 in Bissau.

Sofia $2,456
Bissau $1,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Sofia versus $1,868 in Bissau.

Sofia $3,324
Bissau $1,868

Living in Sofia is roughly 90% more expensive than in Bissau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 19% above, Bissau is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$5.33 F CFA 3,120

220.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$25.69 F CFA 15.0K

160.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$9.50 F CFA 5,560

23.89%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$1.75 F CFA 1,023

95.43%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$1.03 F CFA 600

134.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$0.83 F CFA 487

124.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$0.71 F CFA 413

369.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.70 F CFA 992

12.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.00 F CFA 587

51.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$2.02 F CFA 1,184

9.41%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$5.29 F CFA 3,093

-16.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$14.63 F CFA 8,561

-20.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$13.73 F CFA 8,033

-35.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$14.00 F CFA 8,193

21.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$4.46 F CFA 2,608

-51.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.06 F CFA 622

92.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$4.37 F CFA 2,558

-57.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$0.15 F CFA 85.3

2760.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$1.42 F CFA 829

-27.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.42 F CFA 830

-34.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$1.29 F CFA 753

-28.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$6.94 F CFA 4,062

5.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.28 F CFA 749

-7.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$0.85 F CFA 499

120.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.50 F CFA 294

74.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$25.49 F CFA 14.9K

10.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.48 F CFA 868

20.95%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$31.7K F CFA 18.6M

-5.48%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$28.9K F CFA 16.9M

-8.87%

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

$156 BGN 273

$105 F CFA 61.5K

48.29%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$34.41 F CFA 20.1K

-38.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$45.15 F CFA 26.4K

-65.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$43.73 F CFA 25.6K

6.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$759 F CFA 444.1K

0.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$2,319 F CFA 1.4M

451.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$528 F CFA 309.1K

50.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$171 F CFA 100.1K

254.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$867 F CFA 507.3K

80.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$429 F CFA 250.8K

147.33%

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

$1,029 F CFA 601.9K

69.09%

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 Bissau: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Bissau

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Bissau

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Bissau

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Bissau

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Bissau

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Bissau

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Bissau

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Sofia and $528 in Bissau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 69% 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: $67.0 in Sofia vs $26.00 in Bissau. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $302, with Sofia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇬🇼 Bissau

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

3 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

395,954 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, 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).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Bissau 5,080 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Bissau

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 Bissau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia and Bissau differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $837 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Sofia, 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: $796 in Sofia versus $528 in Bissau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $766 in Sofia versus $759 in Bissau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sofia pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $837 in Bissau versus $1,589 in Sofia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Bissau 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 Bissau are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bissau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.