Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Gorgan

For one person, living is cheaper in Gorgan: $661 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Gorgan
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Gorgan Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Gorgan

🇮🇷 Iran

$661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Gorgan

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $661 in Gorgan, rent included.

Sofia $1,585
Gorgan $661

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $1,000 in Gorgan, rent included.

Sofia $2,486
Gorgan $1,000

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $1,338 in Gorgan, rent included.

Sofia $3,387
Gorgan $1,338

Sofia costs about 140% more than Gorgan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Gorgan is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 29.00

$2.92 $2.92

467.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$21.69 $21.69

212.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.44

$4.48 $4.48

160.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.74 $0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.96

$0.76 $0.76

348.68%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.13

$0.44 $0.44

436.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.92

$0.98 $0.98

70.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.39

$0.69 $0.69

181.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.72

$0.52 $0.52

198.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.12

$2.60 $2.60

-9.62%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.05

$0.69 $0.69

566.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 20.07

$4.30 $4.30

166.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.13

$1.82 $1.82

375.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.34

$5.10 $5.10

240.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.76

$0.63 $0.63

241.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.47

$1.23 $1.23

60.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.20

$0.77 $0.77

137.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.47

$0.48 $0.48

789.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.83

$0.38 $0.38

173.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.39 $0.39

128.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.08

$0.58 $0.58

105.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.46

$0.23 $0.23

260.87%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 $0.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 $1.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.70

$2.43 $2.43

81.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.98

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.61

$0.16 $0.16

475.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 49.19

$9.85 $9.85

185.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.92

$0.39 $0.39

328.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.31 $0.31

174.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 29.04

$2.57 $2.57

545.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$0.09 $0.09

1833.33%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.4K

$50.0K $50.0K

-40.11%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.8K

$44.9K $44.9K

-44.35%

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

$158 BGN 276

$13.06 $13.06

1108.73%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.22

$2.14 $2.14

893.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.46

$3.96 $3.96

281.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 82.0

$29.65 $29.65

58.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.69

$8.42 $8.42

230.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.49

$2.04 $2.04

390.20%

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

$815 BGN 1,427

$109 $109

647.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.6K

$2,393 $2,393

512.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$22.72 $22.72

283.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 67.0

$28.53 $28.53

34.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 185

$172 $172

-38.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 188

$73.1 $73.1

46.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,345

$568 $568

35.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,038

$325 $325

82.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,677

$953 $953

60.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,856

$506 $506

109.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,920

$1,122 $1,122

303.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,441

$534 $534

481.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,116

$218 $218

716.98%

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 Gorgan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Gorgan

$325 49.2% 45.2% $268

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Gorgan

$86 13% 70.2% $202

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Gorgan

$52 7.8% 79.7% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Gorgan

$19 2.9% 90.1% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Gorgan

$133 20.2% 12.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Gorgan

$34 5.1% 49.6% $33

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Gorgan

$12 1.9% 66.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Sofia versus $568 in Gorgan. 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 8.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia versus $22 in Gorgan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $86 – making Gorgan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇮🇷 Gorgan

🕒 Local time

20:20 8:20 PM

21:50 9:50 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

329,536

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.97 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

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

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Gorgan 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Gorgan

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 Gorgan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,585 in Sofia, $661 in Gorgan – Gorgan comes out roughly 58% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,378 per month in Sofia and $991 in Gorgan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gorgan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $568 there versus $769 in Sofia.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia and $22 in Gorgan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $661 in Gorgan. That makes Gorgan about 58% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Gorgan, where all-in costs run around $661, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Gorgan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gorgan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Gorgan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.