Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Mahdia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahdia: $557 a month against $1,594 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
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Mahdia
Learn more

Mahdia Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Mahdia

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Mahdia

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $557 in Mahdia, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Mahdia $557

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $881 in Mahdia, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Mahdia $881

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $1,206 in Mahdia, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Mahdia $1,206

Sofia costs about 186% more than Mahdia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Mahdia is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$2.48 TND 7.44

580.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$20.01 TND 59.9

228.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$4.84 TND 14.49

133.88%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$0.96 TND 2.89

257.29%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$0.57 TND 1.72

322.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.19 TND 0.56

873.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$1.03 TND 3.07

259.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$1.51 TND 4.52

203.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$0.43 TND 1.30

369.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$0.26 TND 0.78

500.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.38 TND 4.13

68.84%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$1.53 TND 4.58

184.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$11.75 TND 35.19

0.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$4.96 TND 14.87

78.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$14.46 TND 43.29

20.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$2.86 TND 8.56

-24.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$2.86 TND 8.55

-30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.44 TND 4.32

34.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$0.72 TND 2.15

488.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.65 TND 1.94

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.34 TND 1.03

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$0.43 TND 1.29

167.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.31 TND 0.94

187.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$3.53 TND 10.56

19.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$3.35 TND 10.04

122.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.63 TND 4.88

-29.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.25 TND 3.75

48.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$0.32 TND 0.95

171.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$13.33 TND 39.92

114.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$0.31 TND 0.93

441.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.26 TND 0.77

261.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$0.88 TND 2.64

92.05%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$40.9K TND 122.5K

-27.11%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$40.1K TND 120.0K

-34.79%

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

$156 BGN 272

$56.3 TND 169

177.08%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$7.15 TND 21.41

201.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$20.10 TND 60.2

-24.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$20.52 TND 61.5

124.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$7.69 TND 23.03

263.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$6.80 TND 20.36

49.71%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$109 TND 326

611.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$985 TND 2,951

1199.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$37.98 TND 114

136.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$32.80 TND 98.2

25.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$76.9 TND 230

36.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$23.51 TND 70.4

353.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$130 TND 390

500.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$100 TND 301

494.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$292 TND 875

418.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$175 TND 523

489.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$675 TND 2,022

544.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$201 TND 602

1481.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$232 TND 695

648.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

10.33

-72.02%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mahdia: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Mahdia

$100 18% 83.2% $496

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Mahdia

$188 33.8% 35.2% $102

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Mahdia

$57 10.3% 77.6% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Mahdia

$84 15% 56.7% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Mahdia

$77 13.8% 50.1% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Mahdia

$34 6.1% 48.7% $32

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Mahdia

$16 2.9% 57.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Sofia versus $130 in Mahdia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 648% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Sofia versus $20.00 in Mahdia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $188 – making Mahdia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇹🇳 Mahdia

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

20:42 8:42 PM

2 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

79,545

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Mahdia 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Mahdia

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 Mahdia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sofia is pricier by about 186%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $835 in Mahdia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahdia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Sofia and $109 in Mahdia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mahdia, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Mahdia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mahdia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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