Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Makurdi

For one person, living is cheaper in Makurdi: $12.58 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 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

Makurdi

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$12.58

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Makurdi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $12.58 in Makurdi.

Sofia $1,594
Makurdi $12.58

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $17.79 in Makurdi.

Sofia $2,478
Makurdi $17.79

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $22.99 in Makurdi.

Sofia $3,361
Makurdi $22.99

Living in Sofia is roughly 12572% more expensive than in Makurdi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Makurdi is 99% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$0.40 ₦526

4117.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$1.91 ₦2,543

492.67%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$0.09 ₦119

2577.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.08 ₦105

2212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$0.36 ₦472

927.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$0.62 ₦819

638.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

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

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

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

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

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

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

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 Makurdi: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Makurdi

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Makurdi

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Makurdi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Makurdi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Makurdi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Makurdi

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Makurdi

–

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇳🇬 Makurdi

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

20:22 8:22 PM

2 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

500,797

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Makurdi 4,150 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Makurdi

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 Makurdi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makurdi wins on cost – living expenses run 12572% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makurdi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,391 in Sofia and $18.87 in Makurdi 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.

At $12.58 in Makurdi versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makurdi but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Makurdi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makurdi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $12.58 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makurdi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Makurdi 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 Makurdi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12572% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.