Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Limbe

For one person, living is cheaper in Limbe: $880 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Limbe
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Limbe Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Limbe

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Limbe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $880 in Limbe.

Sofia $1,594
Limbe $880

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $1,521 in Limbe.

Sofia $2,478
Limbe $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $2,162 in Limbe.

Sofia $3,361
Limbe $2,162

Living in Sofia is roughly 81% more expensive than in Limbe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Limbe is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.52

$4.18 FCFA 2,445

303.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$119 FCFA 69.9K

-44.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.80

$6.97 FCFA 4,083

62.41%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 6.01

$1.07 FCFA 628

220.56%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.22

$1.57 FCFA 922

53.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$0.79 FCFA 460

134.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.48

$1.21 FCFA 709

205.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 8.02

$2.61 FCFA 1,525

75.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.53

$2.54 FCFA 1,486

-20.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.74

$0.40 FCFA 235

290.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.07

$1.61 FCFA 942

44.72%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.63

$1.92 FCFA 1,124

127.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.59

$9.47 FCFA 5,547

24.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.46

$4.62 FCFA 2,704

91.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.56

$6.24 FCFA 3,652

179.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.76

$1.83 FCFA 1,070

17.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.46

$1.11 FCFA 649

78.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.39

$1.90 FCFA 1,111

1.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.42

$1.36 FCFA 798

211.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.81

$1.84 FCFA 1,077

-43.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$2.08 FCFA 1,220

-59.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.02

$0.75 FCFA 441

53.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.57

$0.66 FCFA 388

34.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.37

$2.50 FCFA 1,462

68.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 13.05

$8.48 FCFA 4,966

-12.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.02

$1.47 FCFA 859

-21.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.25

$1.78 FCFA 1,040

3.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.86 FCFA 505

1.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.93

$25.24 FCFA 14.8K

13.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

$0.53 FCFA 313

216.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.64

$0.20 FCFA 117

370.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.86

$1.66 FCFA 973

824.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.96

$1.15 FCFA 671

46.96%

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

$29.8K BGN 52.1K

$30.4K FCFA 17.8M

-1.83%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.7K

$15.4K FCFA 9.0M

70.03%

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

$156 BGN 273

$85.8 FCFA 50.3K

81.87%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.74

$25.49 FCFA 14.9K

-15.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.66

$81.9 FCFA 48.0K

-81.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.6

$42.70 FCFA 25.0K

7.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.86

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.82

$4.30 FCFA 2,519

136.74%

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

$774 BGN 1,355

$344 FCFA 201.6K

124.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$1,670 FCFA 978.1K

666.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$78.6 FCFA 46.0K

14.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.3

$67.5 FCFA 39.5K

-38.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 184

$136 FCFA 79.7K

-22.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$149 FCFA 87.3K

-28.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,370

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,044

$131 FCFA 76.5K

356.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,653

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,803

$136 FCFA 79.7K

656.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,612

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,560

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,037

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

19.04

-84.82%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Limbe: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Limbe

$131 14.9% 78.1% $466

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Limbe

$192 21.9% 33.8% $98

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Limbe

$88 10% 65.5% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Limbe

$193 22% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Limbe

$194 22.1% 25.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Limbe

$51 5.8% 22.8% $15

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Limbe

$30 3.4% 21.2% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $66.0 in Sofia vs $119 in Limbe. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $192, with Limbe cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇨🇲 Limbe

🕒 Local time

02:25 2:25 AM

00:25 12:25 AM

2 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

118,210

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 586 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Limbe 4,520 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Limbe

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 Limbe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia and Limbe differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,594 vs $880 including rent). Limbe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,391 in Sofia and $1,320 in Limbe to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Limbe – a meal for two runs $119 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $880 in Limbe versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Limbe but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Limbe 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 Limbe 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 Limbe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.