Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Middelburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Middelburg: $1,089 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
Learn more

Middelburg Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Middelburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,089

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Middelburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,594 in Sofia versus $1,089 in Middelburg.

Sofia $1,594
Middelburg $1,089

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Sofia versus $1,696 in Middelburg.

Sofia $2,478
Middelburg $1,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Sofia versus $2,303 in Middelburg.

Sofia $3,361
Middelburg $2,303

Living in Sofia is roughly 46% more expensive than in Middelburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Middelburg is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$9.75 R 161

73.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$35.51 R 585

85.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$5.72 R 94.3

97.90%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$1.35 R 22.19

154.07%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$0.85 R 14.06

183.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.60 R 9.95

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$1.17 R 19.31

216.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$1.54 R 25.41

197.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.14 R 18.78

77.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.08 R 17.83

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.51 R 24.91

54.30%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$1.70 R 28.01

156.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$5.93 R 97.7

98.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.13 R 84.6

72.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$6.54 R 108

166.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$1.64 R 26.95

31.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.08 R 17.83

83.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$1.15 R 19.00

67.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$1.23 R 20.30

244.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.68 R 27.62

-38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.19 R 19.64

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.19 R 19.59

-3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.95 R 15.71

-6.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$2.41 R 39.66

74.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$4.95 R 81.5

50.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.85 R 30.47

-37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$2.04 R 33.65

-9.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.44 R 23.77

-39.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

$42.42 R 699

-32.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$0.59 R 9.66

184.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.87 R 14.38

8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$11.56 R 190

32.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.32 R 21.81

28.03%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$35.1K R 577.9K

-15.04%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$32.1K R 528.4K

-18.51%

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

$156 BGN 272

$145 R 2,382

7.97%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$34.32 R 565

-37.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$37.05 R 610

-58.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

$31.85 R 525

44.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

$10.78 R 178

159.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$7.19 R 118

41.59%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$243 R 4,005

218.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$5,359 R 88.3K

138.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$53.1 R 874

69.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$32.83 R 541

25.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$98.5 R 1,623

6.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$88.3 R 1,455

20.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

$387 R 6,369

102.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

$354 R 5,836

68.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

$736 R 12.1K

106.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

$742 R 12.2K

38.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

$878 R 14.5K

395.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

$665 R 10.9K

378.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

$1,193 R 19.6K

45.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

10.94

-73.58%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Middelburg

$354 32.5% 40.6% $243

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Middelburg

$170 15.7% 41.3% $120

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Middelburg

$126 11.6% 50.5% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Middelburg

$216 19.8% 12% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Middelburg

$123 11.3% 20.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Middelburg

$46 4.3% 30.4% $20

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Middelburg

$53 4.9% 38.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Sofia and $387 in Middelburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 46% 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 $36.00 in Middelburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $170 per month, with Middelburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇿🇦 Middelburg

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

17:53 5:53 PM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

87,348

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Middelburg 7,640 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Middelburg

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 Middelburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middelburg wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Sofia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Middelburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 46% 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 $387 in Middelburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Middelburg runs roughly 49% less than in Sofia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $774 in Sofia versus $243 in Middelburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,089 in Middelburg versus $1,594 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Middelburg but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Middelburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Middelburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,089 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Middelburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sofia and Middelburg 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 Middelburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.