Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Rabigh

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabigh: $953 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Rabigh
Learn more

Rabigh Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Rabigh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$953

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Rabigh

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,609 in Sofia versus $953 in Rabigh.

Sofia $1,609
Rabigh $953

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,495 in Sofia versus $1,456 in Rabigh.

Sofia $2,495
Rabigh $1,456

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,381 in Sofia versus $1,960 in Rabigh.

Sofia $3,381
Rabigh $1,960

Living in Sofia is roughly 69% more expensive than in Rabigh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Rabigh is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.70

$4.66 SAR 17.49

262.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 117

$26.40 SAR 99.1

151.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.40

$6.97 SAR 26.15

66.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 SAR 5.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.20

$2.57 SAR 9.63

36.96%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.25

$0.70 SAR 2.63

245.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.11

$0.23 SAR 0.86

669.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.48

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.70

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.44

$1.88 SAR 7.06

4.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.65

$1.02 SAR 3.82

48.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.87

$2.19 SAR 8.23

0.46%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.75

$2.56 SAR 9.61

71.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.70

$6.08 SAR 22.80

93.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.28

$12.04 SAR 45.17

-27.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.57

$12.95 SAR 48.60

34.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.75

$2.08 SAR 7.81

2.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.61

$1.62 SAR 6.08

26.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.40

$1.80 SAR 6.76

7.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.34

$1.50 SAR 5.62

178.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.90

$1.33 SAR 4.99

-18.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.60

$1.51 SAR 5.67

-39.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.08

$1.06 SAR 3.97

11.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$0.74 SAR 2.77

13.51%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.89 SAR 10.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SAR 8.22

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.36

$7.94 SAR 29.80

-47.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.08 SAR 4.06

-19.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 51.1

$33.60 SAR 126

-13.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.96

$2.41 SAR 9.06

-30.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.54

$2.61 SAR 9.80

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.74

$13.48 SAR 50.6

16.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.04

$0.61 SAR 2.27

183.61%

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

$29.7K BGN 52.2K

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

11.44%

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

$25.6K BGN 45.0K

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

19.56%

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

$161 BGN 283

$66.6 SAR 250

141.55%

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

$21.08 BGN 37.10

$34.24 SAR 128

-38.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.73

$63.8 SAR 239

-76.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 85.1

$74.0 SAR 277

-34.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.35

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.88

$15.35 SAR 57.6

-33.81%

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

$785 BGN 1,382

$428 SAR 1,606

83.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

$7,737 SAR 29.0K

64.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 158

$13.32 SAR 49.99

574.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.7

$55.3 SAR 207

-25.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 189

$39.72 SAR 149

170.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 192

$53.7 SAR 201

103.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,389

$335 SAR 1,258

135.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,063

$244 SAR 917

147.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,670

$610 SAR 2,290

148.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,825

$424 SAR 1,591

144.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 BGN 7,756

$1,728 SAR 6,484

155.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 BGN 5,521

$1,478 SAR 5,546

112.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,056

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

5.25

-44.95%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Rabigh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Rabigh

$244 25.7% 59.5% $360

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Rabigh

$220 23.1% 23.5% $68

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Rabigh

$93 9.7% 63.8% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Rabigh

$165 17.3% 16.5% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Rabigh

$73 7.7% 53.4% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Rabigh

$105 11% 52.4% $36

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Rabigh

$53 5.6% 38.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Sofia and $335 in Rabigh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66 in Sofia vs $26 in Rabigh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $220 per month, with Rabigh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇸🇦 Rabigh

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

17:39 5:39 PM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

92,072

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BGN (1 BGN = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Rabigh 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Rabigh

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 Rabigh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rabigh is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,413 in Sofia and $1,429 in Rabigh to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $789 in Sofia versus $335 in Rabigh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,609 per month in Sofia versus $953 in Rabigh – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sofia runs roughly 14% less than in Rabigh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your 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 Rabigh are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.