Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Maiduguri

For one person, living is cheaper in Maiduguri: $172 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

$1,594

/mo nomad

Maiduguri

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$172

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Maiduguri

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $172 in Maiduguri.

Sofia $1,594
Maiduguri $172

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $288 in Maiduguri.

Sofia $2,478
Maiduguri $288

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $403 in Maiduguri.

Sofia $3,361
Maiduguri $403

Living in Sofia is roughly 827% more expensive than in Maiduguri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Maiduguri is 87% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$0.55 ₦735

2967.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$1.90 ₦2,521

495.79%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$0.86 ₦1,138

298.84%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$0.25 ₦331

864.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.18 ₦240

927.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.03 ₦1,368

51.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.99 ₦2,643

17.09%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$1.76 ₦2,341

147.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.15 ₦6,847

71.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$3.97 ₦5,286

339.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$4.06 ₦5,397

-47.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$1.02 ₦1,360

315.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.54 ₦2,045

-32.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.02 ₦1,355

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$0.42 ₦554

173.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.31 ₦412

187.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$0.39 ₦525

123.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$0.25 ₦332

576.00%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

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

$156 BGN 272

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$8.04 ₦10.7K

168.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$8.05 ₦10.7K

246.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

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

$774 BGN 1,347

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$20.39 ₦27.1K

341.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$17.78 ₦23.6K

132.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$25.34 ₦33.7K

314.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$25.13 ₦33.4K

324.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

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 13, 2026

Last update for Maiduguri: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Maiduguri

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Maiduguri

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Maiduguri

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Maiduguri

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Maiduguri

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Maiduguri

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Maiduguri

–

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇳🇬 Maiduguri

🕒 Local time

21:38 9:38 PM

19:38 7:38 PM

2 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

1,197,497

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, 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).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

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Between locations

Sofia Maiduguri 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Maiduguri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maiduguri is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 827% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,391 in Sofia and $258 in Maiduguri to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 189% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,594 per month in Sofia versus $172 in Maiduguri – a 827% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $172 in Maiduguri versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maiduguri but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Maiduguri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maiduguri is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sofia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Maiduguri 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 Maiduguri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 827% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.