Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Lome

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $557 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Lome
Learn more

Lome Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Lome

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Sofia versus $557 in Lome.

Sofia $1,589
Lome $557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,456 in Sofia versus $980 in Lome.

Sofia $2,456
Lome $980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Sofia versus $1,404 in Lome.

Sofia $3,324
Lome $1,404

Living in Sofia is roughly 185% more expensive than in Lome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 19% above, Lome is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$2.94 F CFA 1,718

481.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$30.61 F CFA 17.9K

118.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$5.64 F CFA 3,301

108.69%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$5.65 F CFA 3,307

-39.47%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$4.22 F CFA 2,470

-42.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$0.70 F CFA 407

165.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$0.96 F CFA 560

246.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$1.74 F CFA 1,018

160.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$2.22 F CFA 1,302

-13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$1.36 F CFA 795

11.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.49 F CFA 872

48.32%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$2.04 F CFA 1,194

115.69%

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

$5.70 F CFA 3,334

197.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$2.92 F CFA 1,710

-25.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.67 F CFA 976

22.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$2.55 F CFA 1,489

68.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$1.75 F CFA 1,024

-41.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.18 F CFA 692

-21.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.83 F CFA 487

10.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$4.85 F CFA 2,835

51.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.09 F CFA 640

8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.40 F CFA 820

33.57%

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

$1.22 F CFA 714

-21.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$4.24 F CFA 2,482

266.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.23 F CFA 720

45.53%

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

$146 F CFA 85.6K

6.65%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$21.33 F CFA 12.5K

-0.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$42.15 F CFA 24.7K

-62.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$60.5 F CFA 35.4K

-22.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$8.77 F CFA 5,132

216.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$4.22 F CFA 2,467

137.44%

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

$1,196 F CFA 699.6K

30.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$294 F CFA 172.2K

260.31%

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

$295 F CFA 172.7K

489.47%

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 Lome: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Lome

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Lome

$140 * 25% 51.3% $147

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Lome

$136 24.3% 46.8% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Lome

$210 37.4% 8.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Lome

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Lome

$69 12.3% 3.2% $2.1

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Lome

$6.1 * 1.1% 84% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Sofia pays 489% 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: $67.0 in Sofia vs $31.00 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $140 per month, with Lome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇹🇬 Lome

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

3 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

837,437 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

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).

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

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sofia Lome 4,610 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Lome

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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 185% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 489% higher in Sofia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Sofia versus $557 in Lome – a 185% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $557 in Lome versus $1,589 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lome but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Lome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $557 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lome hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Lome 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 Lome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.