Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Jubail

For one person, living is cheaper in Jubail: $1,090 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Jubail
Learn more

Jubail Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Jubail

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,090

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Jubail

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $1,090 in Jubail.

Sofia $1,585
Jubail $1,090

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $1,711 in Jubail.

Sofia $2,486
Jubail $1,711

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $2,332 in Jubail.

Sofia $3,387
Jubail $2,332

Living in Sofia is roughly 45% more expensive than in Jubail, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Jubail is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$6.72 SAR 25.21

146.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$40.12 SAR 151

68.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$8.82 SAR 33.11

32.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SAR 8.24

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$3.91 SAR 14.66

-12.79%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$1.00 SAR 3.75

136.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.26 SAR 0.97

542.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.51 SAR 5.66

28.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$1.44 SAR 5.42

7.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.60 SAR 5.99

46.88%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$2.06 SAR 7.73

123.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$9.65 SAR 36.22

18.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$6.33 SAR 23.74

36.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$11.70 SAR 43.92

48.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$2.22 SAR 8.32

-3.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.78 SAR 6.70

11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$1.51 SAR 5.65

21.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$1.66 SAR 6.22

157.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$1.24 SAR 4.66

-16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$1.33 SAR 4.98

-33.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$1.68 SAR 6.31

-29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.55 SAR 2.05

50.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.87 SAR 10.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.60

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$6.58 SAR 24.68

-33.13%

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

$1.30 SAR 4.86

-29.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$24.00 SAR 90.1

17.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$2.68 SAR 10.07

-37.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$2.60 SAR 9.76

-67.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$14.49 SAR 54.4

14.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.60 SAR 2.25

190.00%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$25.9K SAR 97.2K

15.61%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$20.9K SAR 78.4K

19.71%

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

$158 BGN 275

$79.2 SAR 297

99.27%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$27.13 SAR 102

-21.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$67.5 SAR 253

-77.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$101 SAR 379

-53.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$39.60 SAR 149

-29.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$13.48 SAR 50.6

-25.82%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$182 SAR 683

348.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$16.2K SAR 61.0K

-9.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$42.53 SAR 160

104.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$58.1 SAR 218

-34.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$81.2 SAR 305

29.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$87.9 SAR 330

21.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$433 SAR 1,627

77.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$294 SAR 1,103

101.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$654 SAR 2,455

133.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$529 SAR 1,987

100.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$2,714 SAR 10.2K

66.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$1,364 SAR 5,119

127.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$1,602 SAR 6,014

11.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

5.62

-48.58%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Jubail: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Jubail

$294 27% 50.4% $299

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Jubail

$196 18% 32% $92

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Jubail

$132 12.1% 47.9% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Jubail

$174 16% 10.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Jubail

$121 11.1% 20.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Jubail

$128 11.8% 91.5% $61

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Jubail

$45 4.1% 19% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $433 in Jubail. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $40 in Jubail for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $196 per month, with Jubail cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇸🇦 Jubail

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

07:34 7:34 AM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

337,778

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Jubail 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Jubail

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 Jubail: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jubail wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Jubail the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Sofia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $769 in Sofia versus $433 in Jubail. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,585 per month in Sofia versus $1,090 in Jubail – Jubail is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Jubail runs roughly 15% less than in Sofia. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Jubail is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Jubail are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Jubail gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.