Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Kempton Park

For one person, living is cheaper in Kempton Park: $1,209 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Kempton Park
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Kempton Park Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Kempton Park

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Kempton Park

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,209 in Kempton Park.

Sofia $1,594
Kempton Park $1,209

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $1,854 in Kempton Park.

Sofia $2,478
Kempton Park $1,854

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $2,498 in Kempton Park.

Sofia $3,361
Kempton Park $2,498

Living in Sofia is roughly 32% more expensive than in Kempton Park, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Kempton Park is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$8.85 R 146

90.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$36.72 R 605

79.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$5.84 R 96.1

93.84%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$2.39 R 39.33

43.51%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$1.08 R 17.80

123.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.83 R 13.70

122.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$2.38 R 39.19

55.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.74 R 45.08

67.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.28 R 21.17

57.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.08 R 17.78

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.77 R 29.09

31.64%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$2.49 R 41.09

75.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$8.60 R 142

36.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.21 R 85.8

69.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$8.76 R 144

99.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.85 R 30.44

16.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.64 R 27.06

20.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.78 R 29.39

8.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$2.04 R 33.58

107.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.64 R 27.01

-36.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.65 R 27.21

-48.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.22 R 20.07

-5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$1.26 R 20.80

-29.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$3.22 R 53.1

30.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$5.32 R 87.7

40.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.62 R 26.68

-29.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$2.38 R 39.24

-22.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.53 R 25.21

-43.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$60.5 R 997

-52.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$0.29 R 4.76

479.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.82 R 13.43

14.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$14.67 R 242

4.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.48 R 24.41

14.19%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$34.7K R 571.6K

-14.12%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$31.6K R 521.1K

-17.36%

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

$156 BGN 272

$180 R 2,959

-13.10%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$38.44 R 633

-43.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$36.30 R 598

-58.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$37.47 R 617

22.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$10.58 R 174

163.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$8.02 R 132

26.93%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$256 R 4,218

202.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$5,474 R 90.2K

133.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$52.8 R 870

70.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$31.58 R 520

30.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$91.2 R 1,502

15.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$84.2 R 1,388

26.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$301 R 4,960

159.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$365 R 6,010

63.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$734 R 12.1K

106.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$734 R 12.1K

40.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$862 R 14.2K

404.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$666 R 11.0K

377.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$625 R 10.3K

177.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

11.25

-74.31%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kempton Park: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Kempton Park

$365 30.2% 38.9% $232

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Kempton Park

$207 17.1% 28.7% $84

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Kempton Park

$142 11.7% 44.3% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Kempton Park

$254 21% 31.9% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Kempton Park

$117 9.7% 24.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Kempton Park

$54 4.4% 19.5% $13

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Kempton Park

$71 5.9% 84.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $301 in Kempton Park. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 178% 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: $66.0 in Sofia vs $37.00 in Kempton Park for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $207 per month, with Kempton Park cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇿🇦 Kempton Park

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

10:40 10:40 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Kempton Park 7,670 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Kempton Park

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 Kempton Park: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kempton Park wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kempton Park the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 178% 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: $783 in Sofia versus $301 in Kempton Park. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kempton Park – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,209 in Kempton Park versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kempton Park but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Kempton Park the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kempton Park delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,209 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kempton Park hard to pass up.

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

Expats usually find Kempton Park gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.