Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Libreville

For one person, living is cheaper in Libreville: $1,486 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sofia outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,589
/mo nomad
Libreville
🇬🇦 Gabon
$1,486
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Libreville

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $1,486 in Libreville, rent included.

  • Sofia $1,589
  • Libreville $1,486

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $2,489 in Libreville, rent included.

  • Sofia $2,456
  • Libreville $2,489

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $3,493 in Libreville, rent included.

  • Sofia $3,324
  • Libreville $3,493

Sofia costs about 7% more than Libreville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sofia and Libreville sit above the global median – Sofia by 19%, Libreville by 11%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sofia
Libreville
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.10 BGN 29.93
$17.40 FCFA 10.2K
-1.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.9 BGN 117
$68.3 FCFA 39.9K
-1.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.77 BGN 20.59
$15.29 FCFA 8,945
-23.02%
Cappuccino
$3.42 BGN 5.99
$5.94 FCFA 3,475
-42.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 BGN 4.23
$1.67 FCFA 978
44.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 BGN 3.26
$1.41 FCFA 825
31.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.33 BGN 5.83
$1.00 FCFA 588
233.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 BGN 7.92
$1.93 FCFA 1,127
134.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sofia
Libreville
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 BGN 3.36
$3.44 FCFA 2,010
-44.19%
White Bread (500g)
$1.51 BGN 2.64
$1.20 FCFA 703
25.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.21 BGN 3.88
$2.87 FCFA 1,681
-23.00%
Eggs
$4.40 BGN 7.69
$4.45 FCFA 2,604
-1.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.56 BGN 20.22
$10.40 FCFA 6,086
11.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.79 BGN 15.38
$8.66 FCFA 5,065
1.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 BGN 29.71
$25.83 FCFA 15.1K
-34.30%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 BGN 3.79
$2.91 FCFA 1,703
-25.43%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 BGN 3.57
$3.78 FCFA 2,214
-46.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.84 BGN 3.22
$3.95 FCFA 2,310
-53.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.29 BGN 7.51
$3.44 FCFA 2,011
24.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.03 BGN 1.80
$2.95 FCFA 1,724
-65.08%
Onion (1kg)
$0.93 BGN 1.62
$4.19 FCFA 2,449
-77.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 BGN 2.11
$2.15 FCFA 1,258
-44.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 BGN 1.62
$1.65 FCFA 966
-44.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 BGN 7.53
$2.56 FCFA 1,495
67.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.33 BGN 12.83
$11.30 FCFA 6,611
-35.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 BGN 2.06
$0.97 FCFA 570
21.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 BGN 3.28
$1.32 FCFA 771
41.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Sofia
Libreville
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 BGN 1.52
$0.90 FCFA 526
-3.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.14 BGN 49.24
$47.94 FCFA 28.0K
-41.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.74 BGN 3.04
$1.27 FCFA 742
37.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.96 BGN 1.68
$0.73 FCFA 428
31.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.54 BGN 27.19
$17.44 FCFA 10.2K
-10.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 BGN 3.14
$1.04 FCFA 608
72.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0K BGN 52.5K
$29.4K FCFA 17.2M
2.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K BGN 46.1K
$22.6K FCFA 13.2M
16.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
Libreville
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$156 BGN 273
$84.8 FCFA 49.6K
83.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.21 BGN 37.11
$34.33 FCFA 20.1K
-38.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.64 BGN 27.37
$64.8 FCFA 37.9K
-75.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
Libreville
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.76 BGN 81.8
$65.0 FCFA 38.0K
-28.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.74 BGN 48.54
$26.05 FCFA 15.2K
6.49%
Cinema Ticket
$10.02 BGN 17.53
$4.57 FCFA 2,676
119.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sofia
Libreville
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$766 BGN 1,341
$170 FCFA 99.6K
350.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K BGN 22.4K
$5,520 FCFA 3.2M
131.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
Libreville
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.7 BGN 157
$85.2 FCFA 49.8K
5.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.88 BGN 71.5
$42.56 FCFA 24.9K
-3.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 BGN 186
$51.9 FCFA 30.3K
104.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 BGN 183
$103 FCFA 60.0K
2.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sofia
Libreville
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$796 BGN 1,393
$1,020 FCFA 596.5K
-21.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$607 BGN 1,063
$421 FCFA 246.2K
44.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,563 BGN 2,735
$2,114 FCFA 1.2M
-26.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,060 BGN 1,855
$843 FCFA 493.0K
25.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,357 BGN 7,626
$3,588 FCFA 2.1M
21.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,250 BGN 5,688
$2,721 FCFA 1.6M
19.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sofia
Libreville
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,740 BGN 3,044
$429 FCFA 250.9K
305.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.89
11.5
-74.87%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Libreville: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$607
Libreville
$421 30.7% $187
Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$287
Libreville
$374 30% $86
Eating Out
Sofia
$256
Libreville
$278 8.4% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$193
Libreville
$184 4.6% $8.9
Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$154
Libreville
$127 17.3% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$67
Libreville
$74 11.1% $7.4
Getting Around
Sofia
$38
Libreville
$56 48% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $1,020 in Libreville. 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 306% 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 $67.0 in Sofia versus $68.0 in Libreville. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $374 – making Sofia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Sofia
🇬🇦 Libreville
🕒 Local time
10:00 10:00 AM
08:00 8:00 AM
2 h behind Sofia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,286,383 Capital
850,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sofia Libreville 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sofia
  • Libreville

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 Libreville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sofia and in Libreville compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Sofia, $1,486 in Libreville – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Sofia compared to Libreville?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $2,228 in Libreville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sofia and Libreville?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Libreville, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sofia or Libreville?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Sofia and $1,486 in Libreville. That's a gap of about 7%.
How do commuting costs compare in Sofia and in Libreville?
Public transport costs about 70% less in Libreville. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Libreville, where all-in costs run around $1,486, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Libreville it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Sofia and Libreville?
It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,486 in Libreville to $1,589 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Sofia or Libreville safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Sofia and Libreville?
If budget matters most, go with Libreville. 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.

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