Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Qatif

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,132 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
Learn more

Qatif Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,132

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Qatif

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $1,132 in Qatif.

Sofia $1,585
Qatif $1,132

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $1,668 in Qatif.

Sofia $2,486
Qatif $1,668

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $2,203 in Qatif.

Sofia $3,387
Qatif $2,203

Living in Sofia is roughly 40% more expensive than in Qatif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Qatif is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$3.38 SAR 12.70

390.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$34.57 SAR 130

95.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$6.71 SAR 25.19

74.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SAR 8.69

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$3.09 SAR 11.61

10.36%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.76 SAR 2.86

210.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

$0.17 SAR 0.63

882.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.81 SAR 6.80

7.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.91 SAR 3.40

70.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.87 SAR 7.02

25.67%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$2.17 SAR 8.16

111.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$5.98 SAR 22.46

91.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$7.89 SAR 29.61

9.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$12.92 SAR 48.50

34.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$2.23 SAR 8.35

-3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.72 SAR 6.45

15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$1.64 SAR 6.14

11.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$0.67 SAR 2.53

537.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$1.07 SAR 4.02

-2.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$1.10 SAR 4.13

-19.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.90 SAR 3.38

32.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.55 SAR 2.05

50.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.61 SAR 9.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SAR 5.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 SAR 8.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$6.26 SAR 23.49

-29.71%

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

$1.09 SAR 4.09

-15.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$36.49 SAR 137

-22.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$2.23 SAR 8.36

-25.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.51 SAR 1.93

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$13.87 SAR 52.1

19.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$0.58 SAR 2.19

200.00%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$29.6K SAR 111.0K

1.26%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$20.4K SAR 76.7K

22.48%

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

$158 BGN 275

$102 SAR 384

54.30%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$32.29 SAR 121

-34.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$57.3 SAR 215

-73.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$79.4 SAR 298

-41.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$20.92 SAR 78.5

32.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$13.51 SAR 50.7

-25.98%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$261 SAR 981

212.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$9,424 SAR 35.4K

55.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$32.04 SAR 120

171.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$20.97 SAR 78.7

82.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$94.3 SAR 354

11.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$91.1 SAR 342

17.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$565 SAR 2,119

36.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$406 SAR 1,525

46.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$888 SAR 3,334

72.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$608 SAR 2,280

74.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$965 SAR 3,623

368.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$773 SAR 2,902

302.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$2,222 SAR 8,339

-19.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

5.5

-47.45%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Qatif: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Qatif

$406 35.9% 31.5% $187

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Qatif

$186 16.5% 35.2% $101

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Qatif

$88 7.8% 65.3% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Qatif

$192 17% 1.2% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Qatif

$107 9.5% 29.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Qatif

$106 9.4% 59.2% $40

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Qatif

$46 4% 21% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $565 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $35 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $186 per month, with Qatif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇸🇦 Qatif

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

02:41 2:41 AM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

87,332

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, 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 = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Qatif 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Qatif

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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $1,132 in Qatif, so Qatif is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Sofia. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $769 in Sofia versus $565 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Qatif – a meal for two runs $35 versus $68 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,585 per month in Sofia versus $1,132 in Qatif – Qatif is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Qatif gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Qatif are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.