Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Karaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaj: $817 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Karaj
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Karaj Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Karaj

🇮🇷 Iran

$817

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Karaj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $817 in Karaj.

Sofia $1,585
Karaj $817

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $1,046 in Karaj.

Sofia $2,486
Karaj $1,046

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $1,274 in Karaj.

Sofia $3,387
Karaj $1,274

Living in Sofia is roughly 94% more expensive than in Karaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Karaj is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$3.51 $3.51

372.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$15.84 $15.84

327.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$3.90 $3.90

199.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 $1.10

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$1.07 $1.07

218.69%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.44 $0.44

436.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$1.71 $1.71

-2.34%

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

$0.64 $0.64

203.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.48 $0.48

222.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$2.08 $2.08

12.98%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.04 $1.04

342.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$4.36 $4.36

163.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$3.42 $3.42

152.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$10.19 $10.19

70.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$0.85 $0.85

152.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.70 $1.70

16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$0.78 $0.78

134.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$0.49 $0.49

771.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.46 $0.46

126.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.47 $0.47

89.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.52 $0.52

128.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.20 $0.20

315.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.84 $0.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$2.55 $2.55

72.55%

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

$0.18 $0.18

411.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$13.09 $13.09

114.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$0.29 $0.29

475.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.31 $0.31

174.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$2.65 $2.65

526.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.10 $0.10

1640.00%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$49.4K $49.4K

-39.46%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$45.5K $45.5K

-45.02%

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

$158 BGN 275

$12.79 $12.79

1134.25%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$1.54 $1.54

1281.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$3.96 $3.96

281.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$22.59 $22.59

107.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$10.17 $10.17

173.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$1.06 $1.06

843.40%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$109 $109

647.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$818 $818

1690.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$24.62 $24.62

253.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$28.57 $28.57

33.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$99.2 $99.2

6.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$71.4 $71.4

50.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$289 $289

166.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$485 $485

22.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$817 $817

87.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$466 $466

127.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$1,243 $1,243

264.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$533 $533

482.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$242 $242

636.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

-87.43%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Karaj: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Karaj

$485 59.4% 18.3% $108

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Karaj

$111 13.6% 61.3% $177

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Karaj

$61 7.5% 75.9% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Karaj

$18 2.2% 90.6% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Karaj

$101 12.3% 33.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Karaj

$25 3% 63% $42

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Karaj

$16 1.9% 58.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $289 in Karaj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays about 7.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $16 in Karaj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $111 per month, with Karaj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇮🇷 Karaj

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

1,712,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Karaj 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Karaj

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 Karaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $817 in Karaj, so Karaj is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Sofia is about 7.4 times higher, 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 $289 in Karaj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 159% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Karaj – a meal for two runs $16 versus $68 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $817 in Karaj versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Karaj but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Karaj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Karaj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.