Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $354 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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

$1,589

/mo nomad

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Manzini

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $354 in Manzini, rent included.

Sofia $1,589
Manzini $354

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $515 in Manzini, rent included.

Sofia $2,456
Manzini $515

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $677 in Manzini, rent included.

Sofia $3,324
Manzini $677

Sofia costs about 350% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 19% above the global median, while Manzini is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.29 SZL 21.19

48.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$0.96 SZL 15.84

57.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.79 SZL 29.52

23.46%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$1.18 SZL 19.51

272.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$7.49 SZL 124

54.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$2.96 SZL 48.83

196.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$1.85 SZL 30.51

817.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$1.33 SZL 21.91

63.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$0.59 SZL 9.73

245.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$0.83 SZL 13.65

121.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$0.51 SZL 8.48

741.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$0.58 SZL 9.60

77.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$0.47 SZL 7.73

97.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$0.45 SZL 7.36

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.70 SZL 11.47

31.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$3.13 SZL 51.7

37.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$3.20 SZL 52.8

129.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$0.63 SZL 10.39

87.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$0.78 SZL 12.80

139.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.60 SZL 9.89

45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.32 SZL 21.79

35.61%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$17.1K SZL 282.0K

75.23%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$15.7K SZL 259.3K

67.62%

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

$156 BGN 273

$72.4 SZL 1,193

115.44%

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

$21.21 BGN 37.11

$12.23 SZL 202

73.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$29.97 SZL 494

-47.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

$3.68 SZL 60.6

172.28%

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

$766 BGN 1,341

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

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

$170 SZL 2,801

368.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$105 SZL 1,734

477.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$367 SZL 6,054

325.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$274 SZL 4,517

286.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$404 SZL 6,657

330.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

-71.10%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Manzini: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Manzini

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Manzini

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $170 in Manzini. 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 331% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

06:49 6:49 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

110,508

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, 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).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

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Between locations

Sofia Manzini 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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Manzini

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 Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 350% more than Manzini, 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 $2,384 per month in Sofia and $530 in Manzini. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Sofia and $354 in Manzini. That's a gap of about 350%.

Groceries cost about 145% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manzini, where all-in costs run around $354, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manzini costs $354 versus $1,589 in Sofia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Manzini. 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.