Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Jeddah

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeddah: $1,395 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Jeddah
Learn more

Jeddah Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Jeddah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,395

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Jeddah

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

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Sofia vs $1,395 in Jeddah, rent included.

Sofia $1,609
Jeddah $1,395

A couple spends around $2,495 per month in Sofia vs $2,167 in Jeddah, rent included.

Sofia $2,495
Jeddah $2,167

A family of three spends $3,381 per month in Sofia vs $2,940 in Jeddah, rent included.

Sofia $3,381
Jeddah $2,940

Sofia costs about 15% more than Jeddah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sofia and Jeddah sit above the global median – Sofia by 18%, Jeddah by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.70

$6.16 SAR 23.10

174.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 117

$79.6 SAR 299

-16.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.40

$9.60 SAR 36.03

20.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 SAR 8.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SAR 9.96

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.20

$3.78 SAR 14.18

-6.88%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.25

$1.07 SAR 4.01

126.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.11

$0.26 SAR 0.98

580.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.48

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.70

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.44

$1.75 SAR 6.57

12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.65

$1.33 SAR 4.99

13.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.87

$2.26 SAR 8.47

-2.65%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.75

$2.48 SAR 9.32

77.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.70

$6.52 SAR 24.47

80.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.28

$8.02 SAR 30.09

8.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.57

$12.98 SAR 48.70

33.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.75

$2.10 SAR 7.88

1.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.61

$1.67 SAR 6.27

22.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.40

$1.55 SAR 5.80

24.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.34

$1.67 SAR 6.28

149.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.90

$1.17 SAR 4.37

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.60

$1.27 SAR 4.75

-28.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.08

$1.11 SAR 4.17

6.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$0.54 SAR 2.04

55.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.24 SAR 15.90

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SAR 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.36

$6.59 SAR 24.72

-36.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.89 SAR 3.34

-2.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 51.1

$55.1 SAR 207

-47.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.96

$3.14 SAR 11.79

-46.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.54

$1.76 SAR 6.62

-50.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.74

$13.78 SAR 51.7

14.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.04

$0.64 SAR 2.40

170.31%

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

$29.7K BGN 52.2K

$38.9K SAR 145.9K

-23.70%

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

$25.6K BGN 45.0K

$21.7K SAR 81.3K

18.09%

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

$161 BGN 283

$91.3 SAR 342

76.28%

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

$21.08 BGN 37.10

$38.64 SAR 145

-45.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.73

$67.0 SAR 251

-77.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 85.1

$69.7 SAR 261

-30.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.35

$38.79 SAR 146

-29.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.88

$11.88 SAR 44.58

-14.48%

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

$785 BGN 1,382

$786 SAR 2,951

-0.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$16.6K SAR 62.3K

-23.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 158

$74.5 SAR 280

20.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.7

$56.0 SAR 210

-26.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 189

$101 SAR 378

6.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 192

$95.7 SAR 359

14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,389

$812 SAR 3,048

-2.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,063

$558 SAR 2,093

8.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,670

$1,315 SAR 4,933

15.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,825

$863 SAR 3,237

20.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 BGN 7,756

$1,688 SAR 6,335

161.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 BGN 5,521

$1,091 SAR 4,094

187.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,056

$1,691 SAR 6,346

2.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

5.39

-46.38%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Jeddah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Jeddah

$558 40% 7.7% $46

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Jeddah

$200 14.4% 30.4% $88

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Jeddah

$129 9.2% 49.7% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Jeddah

$197 14.1% 0.1% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Jeddah

$147 10.6% 6% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Jeddah

$93 6.7% 36.1% $25

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Jeddah

$71 5.1% 83% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $789 in Sofia versus $812 in Jeddah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Sofia versus $80 in Jeddah. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Sofia vs $200 in Jeddah – so Jeddah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇸🇦 Jeddah

🕒 Local time

00:15 12:15 AM

01:15 1:15 AM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

3,430,697

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, 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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Jeddah 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Jeddah

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 Jeddah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,609 in Sofia, $1,395 in Jeddah – Jeddah comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,413 per month in Sofia and $2,092 in Jeddah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $789 in Sofia and $812 in Jeddah. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Sofia and $80 in Jeddah. 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 $1,395 in Jeddah. That makes Jeddah about 13% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,609 in Sofia and $1,395 in Jeddah, 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 $1,395 in Jeddah to $1,609 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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