Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Ho

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho: $670 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Ho
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Ho Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

🇬🇭 Ghana

$670

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Ho

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $670 in Ho.

Sofia $1,594
Ho $670

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $1,129 in Ho.

Sofia $2,478
Ho $1,129

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $1,587 in Ho.

Sofia $3,361
Ho $1,587

Living in Sofia is roughly 138% more expensive than in Ho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Ho is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$8.24 GHS 95.6

104.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$50.8 GHS 589

29.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$10.32 GHS 120

9.69%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$4.31 GHS 50.0

-20.42%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$1.59 GHS 18.47

51.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.48 GHS 5.59

285.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$1.84 GHS 21.32

101.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.19 GHS 25.45

109.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$3.66 GHS 42.45

-44.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.67 GHS 19.42

-6.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$3.06 GHS 35.53

-23.86%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$2.61 GHS 30.24

67.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$11.79 GHS 137

-0.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$7.18 GHS 83.3

22.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$9.75 GHS 113

79.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$3.59 GHS 41.59

-40.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.45 GHS 16.81

36.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.75 GHS 20.34

10.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$3.54 GHS 41.07

19.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$2.76 GHS 31.97

-62.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$2.65 GHS 30.69

-67.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$0.70 GHS 8.06

64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.61 GHS 7.03

45.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$2.61 GHS 30.22

61.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$7.19 GHS 83.4

3.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.28 GHS 14.88

-10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$2.40 GHS 27.84

-22.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.68 GHS 19.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.24 GHS 14.34

-24.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$4.13 GHS 47.85

271.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.33 GHS 15.47

27.07%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$8,092 GHS 93.9K

268.27%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$9,939 GHS 115.3K

162.95%

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

$156 BGN 272

$73.8 GHS 856

111.58%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$19.36 GHS 225

11.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$41.97 GHS 487

-63.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$12.68 GHS 147

-19.72%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$454 GHS 5,265

70.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$18.6K GHS 215.9K

-31.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$14.36 GHS 167

526.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$18.72 GHS 217

120.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$35.80 GHS 415

193.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$52.0 GHS 604

105.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

26.75

-89.20%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ho: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

$277 41.3% 4.6% $13

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

$171 25.4% 33.1% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

$135 20.2% 30% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

$54 8.1% 64.8% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

$25 * 3.8% 61.8% $41

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

$7.9 * 1.2% 79.5% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $66.0 in Sofia vs $51.0 in Ho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $277 per month, with Ho cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇬🇭 Ho

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

12:53 12:53 PM

3 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

83,715

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

100 GHS = 8.62 USD

100 GHS = 7.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 11.6 GHS (100 GHS = 8.62 USD). 1 EUR = 13.01 GHS (100 GHS = 7.69 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Ho 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Ho

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 Ho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia and Ho differ by about 138% in total monthly costs ($1,594 vs $670 including rent). Ho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,391 in Sofia and $1,005 in Ho 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.

Childcare runs $774 in Sofia versus $454 in Ho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ho – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $670 in Ho versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ho but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Ho 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.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Ho are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.