Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Brikama

For one person, living is cheaper in Brikama: $64.8 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Brikama

🇬🇲 Gambia

$64.8

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Brikama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $65 in Brikama.

Sofia $1,585
Brikama $65

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $108 in Brikama.

Sofia $2,486
Brikama $108

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $151 in Brikama.

Sofia $3,387
Brikama $151

Living in Sofia is roughly 2347% more expensive than in Brikama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Brikama is 95% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$6.25 GMD 463

165.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.65 GMD 48.52

263.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

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

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$2.37 GMD 176

94.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.32 GMD 24.06

271.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

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

$0.36 GMD 26.33

155.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

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

$158 BGN 275

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

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

$815 BGN 1,419

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Brikama: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Brikama

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Brikama

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Brikama

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Brikama

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Brikama

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Brikama

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Brikama

–

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇬🇲 Brikama

🕒 Local time

14:48 2:48 PM

12:48 12:48 PM

2 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

97,233

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.2 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 74.15 GMD (100 GMD = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 83.28 GMD (100 GMD = 1.2 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Brikama 5,030 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Brikama

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 Brikama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brikama is about 96% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,378 in Sofia and $97 in Brikama 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2569% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,585 per month in Sofia versus $65 in Brikama – Brikama is about 96% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $65 in Brikama versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brikama but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Brikama 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.