Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Ilesha

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilesha: $477 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ilesha
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Ilesha Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Ilesha

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Ilesha

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

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Sofia vs $477 in Ilesha, rent included.

Sofia $1,609
Ilesha $477

A couple spends around $2,495 per month in Sofia vs $804 in Ilesha, rent included.

Sofia $2,495
Ilesha $804

A family of three spends $3,381 per month in Sofia vs $1,131 in Ilesha, rent included.

Sofia $3,381
Ilesha $1,131

Sofia costs about 237% more than Ilesha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Ilesha is 65% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.70

$3.63 ₦4,859

365.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 117

$49.95 ₦66.9K

33.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.40

$7.33 ₦9,819

58.12%

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.20

$2.74 ₦3,679

28.47%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.25

$0.41 ₦548

490.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.11

$0.22 ₦294

704.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.48

$1.02 ₦1,364

260.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.70

$2.05 ₦2,744

113.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.44

$3.09 ₦4,148

-36.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.65

$1.48 ₦1,990

2.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.87

$1.27 ₦1,697

73.23%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.75

$2.23 ₦2,982

97.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.70

$3.55 ₦4,760

231.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.28

$3.78 ₦5,071

129.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.57

$4.33 ₦5,807

301.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.75

$1.69 ₦2,261

26.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.61

$1.30 ₦1,746

57.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.40

$1.08 ₦1,447

78.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.34

$1.48 ₦1,988

181.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.90

$1.61 ₦2,154

-32.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.60

$1.50 ₦2,016

-39.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.08

$0.89 ₦1,190

32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$0.36 ₦487

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.36

$0.59 ₦787

608.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.51

$2.49 ₦3,331

208.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.06

$0.51 ₦679

129.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.17

$0.50 ₦674

260.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 51.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.96

$0.68 ₦912

147.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.54

$0.90 ₦1,200

-3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.74

$2.21 ₦2,958

613.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.04

$0.91 ₦1,217

90.11%

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

$29.7K BGN 52.2K

$11.1K ₦14.9M

166.14%

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

$25.6K BGN 45.0K

$29.3K ₦39.3M

-12.74%

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

$161 BGN 283

$110 ₦147.1K

46.62%

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

$21.08 BGN 37.10

$14.50 ₦19.4K

45.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.73

$32.73 ₦43.9K

-53.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 85.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.35

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.88

$6.15 ₦8,241

65.20%

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

$785 BGN 1,382

$664 ₦889.8K

18.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$20.0K ₦26.8M

-36.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 158

$14.39 ₦19.3K

523.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.7

$17.99 ₦24.1K

129.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 189

$35.77 ₦47.9K

200.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 192

$48.26 ₦64.7K

126.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,389

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,063

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,670

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,825

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

18.39

-84.28%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ilesha: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Ilesha

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Ilesha

$155 32.4% 46.3% $133

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Ilesha

$96 20.1% 62.6% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Ilesha

$157 32.9% 20.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Ilesha

$52 11% 66.5% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Ilesha

$12 * 2.6% 82.1% $56

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Ilesha

$5.2 * 1.1% 86.6% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Sofia versus $50 in Ilesha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $155 – making Ilesha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇳🇬 Ilesha

🕒 Local time

14:55 2:55 PM

13:55 1:55 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

277,904

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, 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 = 0.511 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Ilesha 4,300 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Ilesha

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 Ilesha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 237%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,413 per month in Sofia and $715 in Ilesha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Sofia and $50 in Ilesha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 86% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ilesha, where all-in costs run around $477, than in Sofia at $1,609. In Ilesha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Ilesha to $1,609 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.