Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Gulu

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulu: $110 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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

Gulu

🇺🇬 Uganda

$110

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Gulu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $110 in Gulu.

Sofia $1,585
Gulu $110

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $160 in Gulu.

Sofia $2,486
Gulu $160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $211 in Gulu.

Sofia $3,387
Gulu $211

Living in Sofia is roughly 1347% more expensive than in Gulu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Gulu is 92% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$1.15 UGX 4,657

1340.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$10.45 UGX 42.2K

11.77%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$2.29 UGX 9,264

48.91%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.24 UGX 974

883.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.14 UGX 551

1092.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$0.68 UGX 2,766

486.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$2.30 UGX 9,288

96.96%

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

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

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

$0.92 UGX 3,719

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$28.25 UGX 114.1K

-0.50%

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

$1.20 UGX 4,840

45.00%

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 Gulu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Gulu

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Gulu

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Gulu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Gulu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Gulu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Gulu

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Gulu

–

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇺🇬 Gulu

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

12:30 12:30 PM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

152,276

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.48 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, 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).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4,038 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.48 USD). 1 EUR = 4,535 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Gulu 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Gulu

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 Gulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gulu is about 93% cheaper overall, especially in 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 $164 in Gulu 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.

At $110 in Gulu versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gulu but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Gulu 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.