Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Malabo

For one person, living is cheaper in Malabo: $673 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities 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

$1,589

/mo nomad

Malabo

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$673

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Malabo

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $673 in Malabo, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Malabo $673

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $1,117 in Malabo, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Malabo $1,117

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $1,560 in Malabo, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Malabo $1,560

Sofia costs about 136% more than Malabo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Sofia sits 19% above the global median, while Malabo is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$8.70 FCFA 5,088

96.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$69.6 FCFA 40.7K

-3.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$8.65 FCFA 5,060

36.07%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$4.79 FCFA 2,804

-28.60%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$0.84 FCFA 491

188.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$0.41 FCFA 240

353.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$1.69 FCFA 989

97.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$2.73 FCFA 1,596

-29.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.75 FCFA 1,025

26.29%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$3.70 FCFA 2,165

18.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$6.75 FCFA 3,948

71.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$6.02 FCFA 3,522

46.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$7.08 FCFA 4,142

139.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$2.37 FCFA 1,385

-8.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.76 FCFA 1,027

15.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$4.47 FCFA 2,615

-3.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.40 FCFA 822

-15.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$0.89 FCFA 521

110.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.74 FCFA 1,020

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$26.67 FCFA 15.6K

5.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$0.83 FCFA 485

109.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.90 FCFA 528

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$8.72 FCFA 5,103

78.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$32.6K FCFA 19.1M

-7.92%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$29.1K FCFA 17.0M

-9.29%

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

$156 BGN 273

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$17.56 FCFA 10.3K

20.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$17.07 FCFA 9,986

-8.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$34.14 FCFA 20.0K

36.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

$14.84 FCFA 8,685

86.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$5.42 FCFA 3,173

84.87%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$344 FCFA 201.4K

3614.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$223 FCFA 130.4K

172.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$346 FCFA 202.3K

352.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$285 FCFA 166.7K

272.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$841 FCFA 492.3K

417.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$648 FCFA 378.9K

401.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

6.8

-57.50%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Malabo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Malabo

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Malabo

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Malabo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Malabo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Malabo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Malabo

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Malabo

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Sofia versus $70.0 in Malabo. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Sofia vs $152 in Malabo – so Malabo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇬🇶 Malabo

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

07:06 7:06 AM

2 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

297,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Malabo 4,560 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Malabo

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 Malabo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Sofia, $673 in Malabo – roughly 136% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $1,009 in Malabo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Malabo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 89% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Malabo, where all-in costs run around $673, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Malabo 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 $673 in Malabo to $1,589 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Malabo. 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.