Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Mary

For one person, living is cheaper in Mary: $471 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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

$1,585

/mo nomad

Mary

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Mary

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $471 in Mary.

Sofia $1,585
Mary $471

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $713 in Mary.

Sofia $2,486
Mary $713

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $956 in Mary.

Sofia $3,387
Mary $956

Living in Sofia is roughly 237% more expensive than in Mary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Mary is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$11.42 TMT 38.36

45.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$8.85 TMT 29.73

31.98%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$8.48 TMT 28.48

-59.79%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$12.99 TMT 43.66

-81.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$1.42 TMT 4.78

17.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$14.23 TMT 47.82

-71.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$11.73 TMT 39.40

-61.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$2.82 TMT 9.48

-31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$7.07 TMT 23.74

-34.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$2.33 TMT 7.83

-7.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$1.49 TMT 4.99

186.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$2.07 TMT 6.94

-49.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$1.79 TMT 6.02

-50.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$1.14 TMT 3.84

-27.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$17.64 TMT 59.3

-75.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

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

$158 BGN 275

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

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

$815 BGN 1,419

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$216 TMT 726

723.79%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mary: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Mary

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Mary

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Mary

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Mary

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Mary

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Mary

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Mary

–

Cost Breakdown

Sofia pays about 8.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇹🇲 Mary

🕒 Local time

19:47 7:47 PM

22:47 10:47 PM

3 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

123,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.78 TMT (1 TMT = 0.265 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Mary 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Mary

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 Mary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mary wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mary the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Sofia is about 8.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 191% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,585 per month in Sofia versus $471 in Mary – Mary is about 70% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $471 in Mary versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $800 budget is realistic in Mary but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Mary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Mary are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Mary wins on affordability, Sofia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.