Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Meknes

For one person, living is cheaper in Meknes: $683 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Meknes
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Meknes Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Meknes

🇲🇦 Morocco

$683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Meknes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $683 in Meknes.

Sofia $1,594
Meknes $683

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $1,051 in Meknes.

Sofia $2,478
Meknes $1,051

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $1,419 in Meknes.

Sofia $3,361
Meknes $1,419

Living in Sofia is roughly 134% more expensive than in Meknes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Meknes is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$3.18 MAD 31.03

430.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$15.67 MAD 153

319.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$6.07 MAD 59.2

86.49%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$1.21 MAD 11.84

183.47%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$0.90 MAD 8.77

167.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.44 MAD 4.32

320.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$3.06 MAD 29.86

20.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$3.66 MAD 35.72

25.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$0.83 MAD 8.11

143.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$0.39 MAD 3.78

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.29 MAD 12.62

80.62%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$1.85 MAD 18.03

135.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$11.05 MAD 108

6.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.32 MAD 51.9

65.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$9.21 MAD 89.8

89.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.20 MAD 11.74

79.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.32 MAD 12.91

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$0.64 MAD 6.26

201.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$0.72 MAD 7.03

488.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$0.54 MAD 5.25

92.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$0.55 MAD 5.40

54.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$0.49 MAD 4.75

134.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.55 MAD 5.37

61.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$4.15 MAD 40.42

1.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$8.23 MAD 80.3

-9.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$2.38 MAD 23.23

-51.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$2.63 MAD 25.65

-29.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$0.40 MAD 3.90

117.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$15.76 MAD 154

81.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$0.69 MAD 6.75

143.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.30 MAD 2.91

213.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$4.50 MAD 43.90

241.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.42 MAD 13.87

19.01%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$31.2K MAD 304.3K

-4.54%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$30.9K MAD 301.3K

-15.43%

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

$156 BGN 272

$31.22 MAD 304

399.94%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$9.45 MAD 92.2

128.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$34.10 MAD 332

-55.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$28.52 MAD 278

61.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$32.68 MAD 319

-14.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$4.20 MAD 40.96

142.38%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$123 MAD 1,202

527.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$5,616 MAD 54.8K

128.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$60.7 MAD 591

48.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$44.86 MAD 437

-7.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$93.3 MAD 909

12.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$59.5 MAD 580

79.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$267 MAD 2,599

193.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$172 MAD 1,674

247.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$457 MAD 4,460

231.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$287 MAD 2,802

258.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$965 MAD 9,406

350.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$603 MAD 5,876

427.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$475 MAD 4,632

265.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

4.5

-35.78%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Meknes: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Meknes

$172 25.2% 71.2% $425

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Meknes

$177 26% 39% $113

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Meknes

$86 12.6% 66.1% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Meknes

$75 11% 61.2% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Meknes

$116 17% 24.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Meknes

$37 5.4% 44.4% $30

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Meknes

$20 2.9% 49.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $267 in Meknes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 265% 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: $66.0 in Sofia vs $16.00 in Meknes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $177 per month, with Meknes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇲🇦 Meknes

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

14:58 2:58 PM

2 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

520,428

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Meknes 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Meknes

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 Meknes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meknes wins on cost – living expenses run 134% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Meknes the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 265% 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: $783 in Sofia versus $267 in Meknes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Meknes – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $66.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,594 per month in Sofia versus $683 in Meknes – a 134% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $683 in Meknes versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Meknes but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Meknes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Meknes delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $683 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Meknes hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Meknes 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 Meknes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.