For one person, living is cheaper in Sfax: $620 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Sfax actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $620 in Sfax, rent included.
Sofia $1,589
Sfax $620
A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $975 in Sfax, rent included.
Sofia $2,456
Sfax $975
A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $1,329 in Sfax, rent included.
Sofia $3,324
Sfax $1,329
😐
Sofia costs about 156% more than Sfax, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Sofia sits 19% above the global median, while Sfax is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Sofia
Sfax
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.10BGN 29.93
$3.43TND 10.25
398.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.9BGN 117
$19.82TND 59.2
237.59%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.77BGN 20.59
$5.03TND 15.04
134.00%
Cappuccino
$3.42BGN 5.99
$0.71TND 2.11
381.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42BGN 4.23
$0.58TND 1.73
317.24%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86BGN 3.26
$0.27TND 0.82
588.89%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.33BGN 5.83
$1.56TND 4.67
113.46%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53BGN 7.92
$2.02TND 6.04
124.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sofia
Sfax
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92BGN 3.36
$0.50TND 1.50
284.00%
White Bread(500g)
$1.51BGN 2.64
$0.24TND 0.72
529.17%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.21BGN 3.88
$1.38TND 4.12
60.14%
Eggs
$4.40BGN 7.69
$1.56TND 4.65
182.05%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.56BGN 20.22
$12.32TND 36.81
-6.17%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.79BGN 15.38
$5.76TND 17.20
52.60%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.97BGN 29.71
$13.97TND 41.75
21.47%
Apples(1kg)
$2.17BGN 3.79
$1.77TND 5.29
22.60%
Banana(1kg)
$2.04BGN 3.57
$3.08TND 9.20
-33.77%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.84BGN 3.22
$1.04TND 3.11
76.92%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.29BGN 7.51
$0.68TND 2.05
530.88%
Potato(1kg)
$1.03BGN 1.80
$0.81TND 2.42
27.16%
Onion(1kg)
$0.93BGN 1.62
$0.77TND 2.30
20.78%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.20BGN 2.11
$0.58TND 1.72
106.90%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.92BGN 1.62
$0.35TND 1.03
162.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30BGN 7.53
$3.87TND 11.55
11.11%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.33BGN 12.83
$6.51TND 19.44
12.60%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18BGN 2.06
$1.19TND 3.57
-0.84%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87BGN 3.28
$1.04TND 3.10
79.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Sofia
Sfax
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.87BGN 1.52
$0.18TND 0.55
383.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$28.14BGN 49.24
$9.98TND 29.81
181.96%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.74BGN 3.04
$0.33TND 1.00
427.27%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.96BGN 1.68
$0.34TND 1.03
182.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$15.54BGN 27.19
$7.56TND 22.59
105.56%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.79BGN 3.14
$0.83TND 2.48
115.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0KBGN 52.5K
$36.5KTND 109.2K
-17.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4KBGN 46.1K
$34.9KTND 104.3K
-24.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
Sfax
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$156BGN 273
$44.47TND 133
250.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.21BGN 37.11
$9.43TND 28.18
124.92%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.64BGN 27.37
$14.85TND 44.37
5.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
Sfax
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$46.76BGN 81.8
$27.37TND 81.8
70.84%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.74BGN 48.54
$7.32TND 21.88
278.96%
Cinema Ticket
$10.02BGN 17.53
$4.46TND 13.31
124.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sofia
Sfax
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$766BGN 1,341
$98.6TND 295
677.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.8KBGN 22.4K
$2,470TND 7,379
417.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
Sfax
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.7BGN 157
$42.94TND 128
108.87%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.88BGN 71.5
$36.43TND 109
12.22%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$106BGN 186
$114TND 340
-6.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105BGN 183
$66.2TND 198
58.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sofia
Sfax
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$796BGN 1,393
$194TND 580
310.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$607BGN 1,063
$135TND 405
348.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,563BGN 2,735
$340TND 1,014
360.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,060BGN 1,855
$217TND 650
387.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,357BGN 7,626
$1,020TND 3,047
327.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,250BGN 5,688
$745TND 2,227
336.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sofia
Sfax
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,740BGN 3,044
$327TND 977
431.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
2.89
13.6
-78.75%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026
Last update for Sfax: October 4, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$607 37.9%
Sfax
$135 21.5% ↓ 77.7%$472
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$287 17.9%
Sfax
$193 30.7% ↓ 32.8%$94
🍽Eating Out
Sofia
$256 16%
Sfax
$66 10.5% ↓ 74.1%$190
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$193 12%
Sfax
$69 10.9% ↓ 64.3%$124
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$154 9.6%
Sfax
$117 18.6% ↓ 24%$37
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$67 4.2%
Sfax
$36 5.8% ↓ 45.7%$31
🚌Getting Around
Sofia
$38 2.4%
Sfax
$13 2% ↓ 66.5%$25
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$1.1K 31.3%
Sfax
$217 16.1% ↓ 79.5%$843
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$681 20.1%
Sfax
$458 34% ↓ 32.8%$224
🍽Eating Out
Sofia
$854 25.2%
Sfax
$229 17% ↓ 73.2%$625
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$214 6.3%
Sfax
$78 5.8% ↓ 63.5%$136
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$341 10.1%
Sfax
$259 19.3% ↓ 24%$82
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$161 4.8%
Sfax
$80 5.9% ↓ 50.5%$81
🚌Getting Around
Sofia
$78 2.3%
Sfax
$26 1.9% ↓ 66.8%$52
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $194 in Sfax. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.
💰Salaries run about 432% higher in Sofia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Sofia versus $20.00 in Sfax. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $193 – making Sfax the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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 Sfax: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sofia and in Sfax compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Sofia, $620 in Sfax – roughly 156% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Sofia compared to Sfax?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $931 in Sfax. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sofia and Sfax?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sfax, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Sofia and Sfax?
Kindergarten costs $766 per month in Sofia and $98.6 in Sfax. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 49% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sfax, where all-in costs run around $620, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Sfax it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Sofia and Sfax?
It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $620 in Sfax to $1,589 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Sofia or Sfax safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Sofia and Sfax?
If budget matters most, go with Sfax. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.