Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $537 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$537

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Mahajanga

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $537 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Sofia $1,585
Mahajanga $537

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $788 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Sofia $2,486
Mahajanga $788

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $1,040 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Sofia $3,387
Mahajanga $1,040

Sofia costs about 195% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Mahajanga is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$1.93 MGA 8,838

758.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$17.36 MGA 79.3K

289.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$0.63 MGA 2,876

441.27%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.84 MGA 3,839

180.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.92 MGA 4,194

81.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$1.02 MGA 4,672

291.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$1.57 MGA 7,198

188.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.30 MGA 5,963

49.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.86 MGA 3,938

80.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$0.64 MGA 2,908

267.19%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$2.15 MGA 9,814

113.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$6.43 MGA 29.4K

78.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$6.41 MGA 29.3K

34.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$3.49 MGA 15.9K

396.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$1.13 MGA 5,149

90.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$0.60 MGA 2,735

230.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$0.64 MGA 2,938

185.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$0.64 MGA 2,912

567.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.48 MGA 2,172

116.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.50 MGA 2,264

78.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.34 MGA 1,567

250.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.54 MGA 2,456

53.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$9.03 MGA 41.3K

-17.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$0.74 MGA 3,379

56.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$0.89 MGA 4,078

113.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.22 MGA 1,005

318.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$1.30 MGA 5,927

33.85%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

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

$158 BGN 275

$43.20 MGA 197.4K

265.42%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$6.50 MGA 29.7K

227.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$21.96 MGA 100.4K

-31.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$17.86 MGA 81.6K

162.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

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

$815 BGN 1,419

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$329 MGA 1.5M

133.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$265 MGA 1.2M

124.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$651 MGA 3.0M

134.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$436 MGA 2.0M

143.08%

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

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Mahajanga

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Sofia versus $329 in Mahajanga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia versus $17 in Mahajanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $143 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

15:49 3:49 PM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

246,022

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, 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).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4,571 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,133 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

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Between locations

Sofia Mahajanga 6,910 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Mahajanga

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 Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 195% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,378 per month in Sofia and $805 in Mahajanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahajanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $329 there versus $769 in Sofia.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $537 in Mahajanga. That makes Mahajanga about 66% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 101% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $537, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $537 in Mahajanga to $1,585 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.