Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Kaoma

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Kaoma

🇿🇲 Zambia

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

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

$156 BGN 273

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

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

$766 BGN 1,341

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Kaoma: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Kaoma

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Kaoma

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Kaoma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Kaoma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Kaoma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Kaoma

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Kaoma

–

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇿🇲 Kaoma

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

05:20 5:20 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

34,347

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 19.85 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.25 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Kaoma 6,390 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Kaoma

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 Kaoma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For families, Kaoma is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sofia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

It comes down to priorities – Kaoma wins on affordability, Sofia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.