Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Machakos

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $522 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
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Machakos Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Machakos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $522 in Machakos.

Sofia $1,585
Machakos $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $806 in Machakos.

Sofia $2,486
Machakos $806

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $1,091 in Machakos.

Sofia $3,387
Machakos $1,091

Living in Sofia is roughly 204% more expensive than in Machakos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Machakos is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$3.14 KES 408

427.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$19.49 KES 2,530

247.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$6.52 KES 847

79.14%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$1.95 KES 253

74.87%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.70 KES 90.3

237.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.53 KES 69.2

215.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$2.06 KES 268

93.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$2.74 KES 356

65.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$0.40 KES 51.7

385.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.45 KES 57.8

244.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$0.80 KES 104

193.75%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.42 KES 185

223.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$10.98 KES 1,425

4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$6.48 KES 841

33.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$4.72 KES 613

267.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$1.57 KES 203

36.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$0.81 KES 105

144.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$0.39 KES 51.0

369.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$0.37 KES 47.86

1054.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.78 KES 102

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.74 KES 96.3

20.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.75 KES 96.9

58.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.37 KES 47.51

124.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$3.58 KES 465

22.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$11.74 KES 1,524

-36.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$1.93 KES 251

-39.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$2.70 KES 351

-29.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$0.74 KES 96.5

125.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.80 KES 104

6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$2.87 KES 373

478.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$1.50 KES 195

16.00%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$19.1K KES 2.5M

56.66%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$21.4K KES 2.8M

16.70%

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

$158 BGN 275

$56.7 KES 7,366

178.27%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$7.73 KES 1,004

175.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$11.47 KES 1,489

31.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$38.34 KES 4,977

22.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$7.78 KES 1,010

28.53%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$46.01 KES 5,973

1672.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$11.9K KES 1.5M

22.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$11.44 KES 1,485

661.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$30.26 KES 3,929

26.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$68.8 KES 8,929

53.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$38.58 KES 5,009

177.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$93.6 KES 12.2K

721.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$68.4 KES 8,880

767.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$153 KES 19.9K

897.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$115 KES 14.9K

823.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$382 KES 49.6K

366.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

14.71

-80.35%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Machakos: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Machakos

$68 13.1% 88.5% $525

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Machakos

$163 31.2% 43.5% $125

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Machakos

$89 17% 65% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Machakos

$76 14.6% 60.9% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Machakos

$67 12.9% 55.9% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Machakos

$54 10.3% 19.4% $13

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Machakos

$4.7 * 0.9% 87.4% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $94 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays about 4.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $19 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $163 per month, with Machakos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇰🇪 Machakos

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

02:41 2:41 AM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

114,109

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, 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).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Machakos 5,110 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Machakos

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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Sofia is about 4.7 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 $94 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,585 per month in Sofia versus $522 in Machakos – Machakos is about 67% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $522 in Machakos versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $800 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos 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 Machakos are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Machakos wins on affordability, Sofia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.