Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Diyarbakir

For one person, living is cheaper in Diyarbakir: $1,035 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Diyarbakir
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Diyarbakir Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Diyarbakir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Diyarbakir

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

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Sofia vs $1,035 in Diyarbakir, rent included.

Sofia $1,609
Diyarbakir $1,035

A couple spends around $2,495 per month in Sofia vs $1,533 in Diyarbakir, rent included.

Sofia $2,495
Diyarbakir $1,533

A family of three spends $3,381 per month in Sofia vs $2,031 in Diyarbakir, rent included.

Sofia $3,381
Diyarbakir $2,031

Sofia costs about 55% more than Diyarbakir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Diyarbakir is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.70

$4.64 ₺231

263.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 117

$19.95 ₺994

233.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.40

$8.70 ₺434

33.22%

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.20

$3.39 ₺169

3.83%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.25

$1.09 ₺54.3

122.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.11

$0.32 ₺15.93

453.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.48

$2.98 ₺149

23.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.70

$3.56 ₺177

23.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.44

$0.90 ₺44.62

117.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.65

$0.62 ₺30.94

143.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.87

$0.99 ₺49.21

122.22%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.75

$1.83 ₺91.2

140.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.70

$6.78 ₺338

73.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.28

$5.76 ₺287

50.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.57

$15.95 ₺795

8.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.75

$1.31 ₺65.5

62.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.61

$1.52 ₺75.6

34.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.40

$0.76 ₺38.05

153.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.34

$1.01 ₺50.3

312.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.90

$0.55 ₺27.32

96.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.60

$0.45 ₺22.42

102.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.08

$0.77 ₺38.22

53.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$0.52 ₺26.10

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.36

$2.17 ₺108

92.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.51

$5.94 ₺296

29.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.06

$2.18 ₺109

-46.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.17

$3.64 ₺181

-50.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.48 ₺24.09

81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 51.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.96

$0.70 ₺34.81

140.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.54

$0.58 ₺29.12

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.74

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.04

$1.30 ₺64.9

33.08%

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

$29.7K BGN 52.2K

$41.8K ₺2.1M

-29.03%

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

$25.6K BGN 45.0K

$38.2K ₺1.9M

-33.07%

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

$161 BGN 283

$90.7 ₺4,521

77.35%

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

$21.08 BGN 37.10

$10.08 ₺503

109.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.73

$15.85 ₺790

-4.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 85.1

$78.9 ₺3,932

-38.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.35

$40.59 ₺2,023

-32.32%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.88

$5.38 ₺268

88.85%

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

$785 BGN 1,382

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 158

$54.7 ₺2,726

64.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.7

$49.78 ₺2,481

-17.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 189

$96.5 ₺4,808

11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 192

$107 ₺5,335

2.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,389

$406 ₺20.2K

94.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,063

$364 ₺18.1K

65.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,670

$696 ₺34.7K

118.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,825

$570 ₺28.4K

81.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 BGN 7,756

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 BGN 5,521

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,056

$822 ₺41.0K

111.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

-90.03%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Diyarbakir: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Diyarbakir

$364 35.2% 39.7% $240

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Diyarbakir

$189 18.3% 34.3% $99

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Diyarbakir

$132 12.7% 48.6% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Diyarbakir

$117 11.3% 40.8% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Diyarbakir

$139 13.4% 11.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Diyarbakir

$90 8.7% 30.6% $21

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Diyarbakir

$5.6 * 0.5% 85.6% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $789 in Sofia versus $406 in Diyarbakir. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sofia are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Sofia versus $20 in Diyarbakir. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $189 – making Diyarbakir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇹🇷 Diyarbakir

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

22:17 10:17 PM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

1,804,880

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BGN (1 BGN = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.83 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.48 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Diyarbakir 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Diyarbakir

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 Diyarbakir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,609 in Sofia, $1,035 in Diyarbakir – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,413 per month in Sofia and $1,553 in Diyarbakir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Diyarbakir, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $406 there versus $789 in Sofia.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Sofia and $20 in Diyarbakir. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,609 in Sofia and $1,035 in Diyarbakir. That’s a gap of about 55%.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,609 in Sofia and $1,035 in Diyarbakir, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,035 in Diyarbakir to $1,609 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 Diyarbakir. 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.