Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Dezful

For one person, living is cheaper in Dezful: $535 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.

Sofia, Bulgaria
Dezful, Iran
Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,585
/mo nomad
Dezful
🇮🇷 Iran
$535
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Dezful

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $535 in Dezful, rent included.

  • Sofia $1,585
  • Dezful $535

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $841 in Dezful, rent included.

  • Sofia $2,486
  • Dezful $841

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $1,147 in Dezful, rent included.

  • Sofia $3,387
  • Dezful $1,147

Sofia costs about 196% more than Dezful, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Dezful is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sofia
Dezful
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.57 BGN 28.84
$3.09 $3.09
436.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.7 BGN 118
$15.69 $15.69
331.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.68 BGN 20.33
$3.90 $3.90
199.49%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.73 $0.73
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.02 $1.02
-
Cappuccino
$3.41 BGN 5.93
$1.09 $1.09
212.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 BGN 4.11
$0.77 $0.77
206.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 BGN 2.91
$1.01 $1.01
65.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.99 BGN 6.94
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 BGN 7.88
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sofia
Dezful
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 BGN 3.38
$0.69 $0.69
181.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 BGN 2.70
$0.52 $0.52
198.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 BGN 4.09
$1.98 $1.98
18.69%
Eggs
$4.60 BGN 8.00
$1.17 $1.17
293.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.47 BGN 19.96
$4.32 $4.32
165.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.65 BGN 15.04
$3.36 $3.36
157.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.34 BGN 30.17
$10.19 $10.19
70.17%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 BGN 3.73
$1.03 $1.03
108.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 BGN 3.45
$1.60 $1.60
23.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 BGN 3.18
$0.83 $0.83
120.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.27 BGN 7.43
$0.56 $0.56
662.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 BGN 1.82
$0.58 $0.58
79.31%
Onion (1kg)
$0.89 BGN 1.54
$0.51 $0.51
74.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 BGN 2.06
$0.53 $0.53
124.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 BGN 1.45
$0.24 $0.24
245.83%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.79 $0.79
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.50 $0.50
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.40 $1.40
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 BGN 7.66
$2.53 $2.53
73.91%
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
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Sofia
Dezful
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.92 BGN 1.60
$0.17 $0.17
441.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.11 BGN 48.91
$9.81 $9.81
186.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.67 BGN 2.90
$0.42 $0.42
297.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 BGN 1.49
$0.29 $0.29
193.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.59 BGN 28.87
$2.52 $2.52
558.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 BGN 3.03
$0.08 $0.08
2075.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K BGN 52.1K
$49.7K $49.7K
-39.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K BGN 43.5K
$44.9K $44.9K
-44.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
Dezful
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 BGN 275
$13.15 $13.15
1100.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.27 BGN 37.01
$1.54 $1.54
1281.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.12 BGN 26.30
$3.95 $3.95
282.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
Dezful
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.85 BGN 81.5
$18.41 $18.41
154.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.82 BGN 48.41
$13.36 $13.36
108.23%
Cinema Ticket
$10.00 BGN 17.39
$2.04 $2.04
390.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sofia
Dezful
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$815 BGN 1,419
$107 $107
664.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K BGN 25.5K
$2,428 $2,428
503.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
Dezful
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.1 BGN 152
$22.80 $22.80
281.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.28 BGN 66.6
$28.41 $28.41
34.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 BGN 184
$99.2 $99.2
6.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 BGN 187
$71.8 $71.8
49.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sofia
Dezful
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$769 BGN 1,338
$287 $287
167.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$593 BGN 1,032
$211 $211
180.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,530 BGN 2,662
$796 $796
92.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,061 BGN 1,846
$352 $352
201.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,526 BGN 7,875
$1,142 $1,142
296.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,109 BGN 5,410
$529 $529
488.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sofia
Dezful
Difference
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 Dezful: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$593
Dezful
$211 64.4% $382
Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$288
Dezful
$114 60.5% $174
Eating Out
Sofia
$254
Dezful
$57 77.7% $197
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$194
Dezful
$19 90.4% $176
Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$152
Dezful
$100 34.3% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$67
Dezful
$22 66.4% $44
Getting Around
Sofia
$38
Dezful
$12 67.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Sofia versus $287 in Dezful. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia versus $16 in Dezful. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $114 – making Dezful the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Sofia
🇮🇷 Dezful
🕒 Local time
20:58 8:58 PM
22:28 10:28 PM
1 h 30 min ahead of Sofia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,286,383 Capital
248,380
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sofia Dezful 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sofia
  • Dezful

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 Dezful: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sofia and in Dezful compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,585 in Sofia, $535 in Dezful – Dezful comes out roughly 66% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Sofia compared to Dezful?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,378 per month in Sofia and $803 in Dezful. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sofia and Dezful?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dezful, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $287 there versus $769 in Sofia.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 153% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia and $16 in Dezful. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Dezful, where all-in costs run around $535, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Dezful it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Sofia or Dezful?
Families tend to lean toward Dezful – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Sofia or Dezful?
For expats, Dezful is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 66% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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