Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Kairouan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kairouan: $634 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Kairouan
Learn more

Kairouan Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Kairouan

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Kairouan

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $634 in Kairouan, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Kairouan $634

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $975 in Kairouan, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Kairouan $975

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $1,316 in Kairouan, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Kairouan $1,316

Sofia costs about 152% more than Kairouan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Kairouan is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$2.66 TND 7.96

534.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$15.64 TND 46.83

320.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$6.17 TND 18.49

83.47%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$0.96 TND 2.87

257.29%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$0.80 TND 2.39

201.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.40 TND 1.20

362.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$1.71 TND 5.11

116.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.64 TND 7.92

73.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$0.45 TND 1.36

348.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$0.07 TND 0.22

2128.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.75 TND 5.25

33.14%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$1.49 TND 4.45

192.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$10.01 TND 29.97

17.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.42 TND 16.22

62.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$11.92 TND 35.70

46.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$2.19 TND 6.57

-1.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$2.28 TND 6.82

-13.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.13 TND 3.38

70.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$0.77 TND 2.30

450.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.65 TND 1.94

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.62 TND 1.86

37.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$0.53 TND 1.57

116.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.26 TND 0.78

242.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$3.34 TND 10.00

26.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$6.85 TND 20.52

8.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.28 TND 3.84

-10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.55 TND 4.63

19.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$0.32 TND 0.95

171.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$9.94 TND 29.77

187.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$0.29 TND 0.86

479.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.34 TND 1.00

176.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$1.76 TND 5.27

772.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$0.80 TND 2.39

111.25%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$39.1K TND 117.1K

-23.78%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$36.1K TND 108.3K

-27.70%

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

$156 BGN 272

$60.0 TND 180

160.26%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$9.27 TND 27.77

132.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$20.01 TND 59.9

-23.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$23.03 TND 69.0

100.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$12.53 TND 37.53

122.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$4.59 TND 13.75

121.79%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$106 TND 317

631.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$3,221 TND 9,647

297.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$23.58 TND 70.6

281.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$61.1 TND 183

-32.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$46.83 TND 140

124.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$87.5 TND 262

21.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$116 TND 347

576.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$155 TND 463

285.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$372 TND 1,115

307.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$271 TND 812

279.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$953 TND 2,855

356.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$609 TND 1,825

421.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$320 TND 959

441.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

10.28

-71.89%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Kairouan

$155 24.4% 74.1% $442

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Kairouan

$176 27.7% 39.5% $115

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Kairouan

$70 11% 72.6% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Kairouan

$89 14.1% 53.7% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Kairouan

$99 15.6% 36.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Kairouan

$32 5.1% 51.5% $34

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Kairouan

$13 2.1% 65.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $116 in Kairouan. 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 442% 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 $66.0 in Sofia versus $16.00 in Kairouan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $176 – making Kairouan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇹🇳 Kairouan

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

03:21 3:21 AM

2 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

139,070

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Kairouan 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Kairouan

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 Kairouan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,594 in Sofia, $634 in Kairouan – roughly 152% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $950 in Kairouan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kairouan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 187% less in Kairouan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Sofia and $106 in Kairouan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kairouan, where all-in costs run around $634, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Kairouan 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 $634 in Kairouan to $1,594 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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