Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Maseru

For one person, living is cheaper in Maseru: $658 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Maseru
Learn more

Maseru Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Maseru

🇱🇸 Lesotho

$658

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Maseru

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Sofia versus $658 in Maseru.

Sofia $1,589
Maseru $658

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,456 in Sofia versus $1,123 in Maseru.

Sofia $2,456
Maseru $1,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Sofia versus $1,588 in Maseru.

Sofia $3,324
Maseru $1,588

Living in Sofia is roughly 141% more expensive than in Maseru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 19% above, Maseru is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 BGN 29.93

$9.06 LSL 149

88.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 BGN 117

$23.68 LSL 391

182.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 BGN 20.59

$8.35 LSL 138

40.96%

Cappuccino

$3.42 BGN 5.99

$2.01 LSL 33.20

70.15%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$1.05 LSL 17.27

130.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 BGN 3.26

$0.80 LSL 13.18

132.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 BGN 5.83

$1.75 LSL 28.89

90.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.92

$2.46 LSL 40.61

84.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 BGN 3.36

$1.18 LSL 19.47

62.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$0.80 LSL 13.14

88.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.88

$1.78 LSL 29.34

24.16%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.69

$1.53 LSL 25.23

187.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 BGN 20.22

$6.71 LSL 111

72.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$6.32 LSL 104

39.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 BGN 29.71

$6.20 LSL 102

173.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.79

$1.92 LSL 31.60

13.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$2.30 LSL 37.95

-11.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.22

$2.64 LSL 43.54

-30.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 BGN 7.51

$2.36 LSL 39.02

81.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BGN 1.80

$1.59 LSL 26.25

-35.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.62 LSL 26.75

-42.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.11

$1.52 LSL 25.10

-21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BGN 1.62

$0.78 LSL 12.88

17.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 BGN 7.53

$5.03 LSL 83.0

-14.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 BGN 12.83

$7.31 LSL 121

0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 BGN 2.06

$1.03 LSL 16.99

14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 BGN 3.28

$1.52 LSL 25.15

23.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.77 LSL 12.68

12.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.14 BGN 49.24

$30.06 LSL 496

-6.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$0.73 LSL 12.05

138.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 BGN 1.68

$0.63 LSL 10.36

52.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.54 BGN 27.19

$3.65 LSL 60.3

325.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.33 LSL 22.02

34.59%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

$20.9K LSL 344.3K

43.68%

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

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

$16.4K LSL 270.6K

60.79%

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

$14.63 LSL 241

44.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.64 BGN 27.37

$37.63 LSL 621

-58.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.76 BGN 81.8

$23.17 LSL 382

101.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 BGN 48.54

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 BGN 17.53

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

$766 BGN 1,341

$51.2 LSL 845

1395.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$1,181 LSL 19.5K

982.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 BGN 157

$46.25 LSL 763

93.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 BGN 71.5

$55.2 LSL 911

-25.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 186

$105 LSL 1,736

0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$151 LSL 2,493

-30.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 BGN 1,393

$92.4 LSL 1,525

761.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 BGN 1,063

$55.8 LSL 920

989.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 BGN 2,735

$426 LSL 7,025

267.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 BGN 1,855

$173 LSL 2,851

513.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,357 BGN 7,626

$377 LSL 6,219

1056.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,250 BGN 5,688

$514 LSL 8,481

532.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,740 BGN 3,044

$631 LSL 10.4K

175.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

8.5

-66.00%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Maseru: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$607 37.9%

Maseru

$56 8.4% 90.8% $552

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$287 17.9%

Maseru

$195 29.3% 32% $92

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 16%

Maseru

$143 21.4% 44.3% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12%

Maseru

$52 * 7.8% 72.9% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.6%

Maseru

$161 24.1% 4.8% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Maseru

$23 * 3.5% 65.3% $44

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Maseru

$37 5.6% 3% $1.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Sofia and $92.4 in Maseru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 176% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Sofia vs $24.00 in Maseru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $195 per month, with Maseru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇱🇸 Maseru

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

06:49 6:49 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

227,880 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Lesotho Loti LSL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

100 LSL = 6.06 USD

100 LSL = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LSL, 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).

Lesotho Loti exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 LSL (100 LSL = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 LSL (100 LSL = 5.4 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

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Between locations

Sofia Maseru 8,020 km ≈ 11 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 Maseru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia and Maseru differ by about 141% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $658 including rent). Maseru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 176% higher in Sofia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $796 in Sofia versus $92.4 in Maseru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Maseru – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $67.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Sofia versus $658 in Maseru – a 141% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $658 in Maseru versus $1,589 in Sofia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maseru but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Maseru 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 Maseru 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 Maseru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.