Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Madinat Hamad

For one person, living is cheaper in Madinat Hamad: $1,192 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Madinat Hamad
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Madinat Hamad Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Madinat Hamad

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Madinat Hamad

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $1,192 in Madinat Hamad, rent included.

Sofia $1,585
Madinat Hamad $1,192

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $1,909 in Madinat Hamad, rent included.

Sofia $2,486
Madinat Hamad $1,909

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $2,627 in Madinat Hamad, rent included.

Sofia $3,387
Madinat Hamad $2,627

Sofia costs about 33% more than Madinat Hamad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Madinat Hamad is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$2.60 BHD 0.98

537.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$52.6 BHD 19.82

28.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$7.62 BHD 2.87

53.28%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$2.62 BHD 0.99

30.15%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.89 BHD 0.33

165.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.32 BHD 0.12

421.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$6.44 BHD 2.43

-38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$9.77 BHD 3.68

-53.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.44 BHD 0.54

34.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$1.03 BHD 0.39

50.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$2.39 BHD 0.90

-1.67%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$2.02 BHD 0.76

127.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$8.86 BHD 3.34

29.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$6.41 BHD 2.42

34.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$8.36 BHD 3.15

107.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$2.18 BHD 0.82

-1.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.62 BHD 0.61

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$1.90 BHD 0.72

-3.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$1.35 BHD 0.51

216.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$1.02 BHD 0.38

1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$1.03 BHD 0.39

-13.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$1.50 BHD 0.56

-20.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.50 BHD 0.19

66.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$5.17 BHD 1.95

-14.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$18.64 BHD 7.03

-60.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$3.66 BHD 1.38

-68.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$2.71 BHD 1.02

-29.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.64 BHD 0.24

43.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$34.51 BHD 13.01

-18.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$5.15 BHD 1.94

-67.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$2.59 BHD 0.98

-67.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$16.06 BHD 6.06

3.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.39 BHD 0.15

346.15%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$25.7K BHD 9,693

16.47%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$19.9K BHD 7,510

25.59%

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

$158 BGN 275

$155 BHD 58.3

2.03%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$23.42 BHD 8.83

-9.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$18.89 BHD 7.12

-19.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$118 BHD 44.36

-60.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$53.9 BHD 20.34

-48.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$5.21 BHD 1.96

91.94%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$619 BHD 233

31.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$11.1K BHD 4,194

31.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$51.5 BHD 19.41

69.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$57.5 BHD 21.67

-33.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$87.0 BHD 32.80

21.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$90.4 BHD 34.10

18.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$397 BHD 150

93.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$312 BHD 118

90.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$797 BHD 300

92.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$670 BHD 253

58.27%

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

$669 BHD 252

166.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.21

-53.46%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Madinat Hamad: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Madinat Hamad

$312 26.2% 47.4% $281

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Madinat Hamad

$239 20.1% 16.9% $49

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Madinat Hamad

$132 11.1% 48% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Madinat Hamad

$197 16.5% 1.4% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Madinat Hamad

$129 10.8% 15.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Madinat Hamad

$128 10.7% 91.5% $61

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Madinat Hamad

$55 4.6% 46.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Sofia versus $397 in Madinat Hamad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sofia are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia versus $53 in Madinat Hamad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $239 – making Madinat Hamad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇧🇭 Madinat Hamad

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

17:29 5:29 PM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

133,350

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sofia Madinat Hamad 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Madinat Hamad

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 Madinat Hamad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,585 in Sofia, $1,192 in Madinat Hamad – Madinat Hamad comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,378 per month in Sofia and $1,788 in Madinat Hamad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madinat Hamad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $397 there versus $769 in Sofia.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $815 per month in Sofia and $619 in Madinat Hamad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,585 in Sofia and $1,192 in Madinat Hamad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,192 in Madinat Hamad to $1,585 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Madinat Hamad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.