Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Shahrekord

For one person, living is cheaper in Shahrekord: $529 a month against $1,609 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Shahrekord
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Shahrekord Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,609

/mo nomad

Shahrekord

🇮🇷 Iran

$529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Shahrekord

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,609 in Sofia versus $529 in Shahrekord.

Sofia $1,609
Shahrekord $529

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,495 in Sofia versus $830 in Shahrekord.

Sofia $2,495
Shahrekord $830

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,381 in Sofia versus $1,130 in Shahrekord.

Sofia $3,381
Shahrekord $1,130

Living in Sofia is roughly 204% more expensive than in Shahrekord, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 18% above, Shahrekord is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 BGN 29.53

$2.56 $2.56

559.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 BGN 116

$15.92 $15.92

317.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 BGN 20.29

$4.19 $4.19

176.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.66 $0.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 $1.15

Cappuccino

$3.52 BGN 6.17

$0.67 $0.67

425.37%

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

$2.42 BGN 4.23

$0.47 $0.47

414.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 BGN 3.09

$1.00 $1.00

77.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 BGN 6.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 BGN 7.66

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 BGN 3.42

$0.70 $0.70

180.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 BGN 2.64

$0.53 $0.53

184.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.85

$1.98 $1.98

11.11%

Eggs

$4.40 BGN 7.71

$1.15 $1.15

282.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.59

$4.38 $4.38

168.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 BGN 15.19

$3.63 $3.63

139.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 BGN 30.40

$8.87 $8.87

95.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.73

$0.97 $0.97

119.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.59

$1.62 $1.62

26.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.38

$0.87 $0.87

121.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 BGN 7.30

$0.61 $0.61

583.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.89

$0.54 $0.54

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

$0.50 $0.50

82.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 BGN 2.07

$0.54 $0.54

118.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$0.29 $0.29

189.66%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.84 $0.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 BGN 7.32

$2.87 $2.87

45.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 BGN 13.43

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 3.16

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.15 $0.15

480.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.06 BGN 50.9

$10.12 $10.12

187.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.94

$0.38 $0.38

342.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BGN 1.53

$0.28 $0.28

210.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.76 BGN 27.58

$2.94 $2.94

436.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.02

$0.10 $0.10

1630.00%

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

$29.7K BGN 51.9K

$45.5K $45.5K

-34.76%

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

$25.6K BGN 44.8K

$45.2K $45.2K

-43.39%

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

$161 BGN 282

$11.69 $11.69

1276.13%

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

$21.08 BGN 36.89

$1.58 $1.58

1234.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.19 BGN 26.58

$4.13 $4.13

267.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 BGN 84.6

$18.28 $18.28

164.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 BGN 48.07

$13.10 $13.10

109.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 BGN 17.78

$1.92 $1.92

429.17%

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

$785 BGN 1,374

$92.9 $92.9

745.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$2,147 $2,147

494.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 BGN 157

$23.07 $23.07

289.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 72.3

$28.39 $28.39

45.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 BGN 188

$108 $108

-0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 BGN 191

$73.8 $73.8

48.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 BGN 1,381

$295 $295

167.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 BGN 1,057

$214 $214

182.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 BGN 2,654

$892 $892

70.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 BGN 1,814

$349 $349

196.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,407 BGN 7,712

$903 $903

387.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,137 BGN 5,490

$495 $495

534.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 BGN 3,038

$200 $200

766.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

24.3

-88.11%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Shahrekord: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$604 37.5%

Shahrekord

$214 40.4% 64.6% $390

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 17.9%

Shahrekord

$112 21.2% 61.1% $176

Eating Out

Sofia

$256 15.9%

Shahrekord

$47 8.9% 81.7% $209

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$197 12.3%

Shahrekord

$17 3.3% 91.2% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$157 9.7%

Shahrekord

$105 19.8% 33% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$69 4.3%

Shahrekord

$22 4.2% 67.8% $47

Getting Around

Sofia

$39 2.4%

Shahrekord

$13 2.4% 67.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Sofia and $295 in Shahrekord. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays about 8.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Sofia vs $16 in Shahrekord for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $112 per month, with Shahrekord cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇮🇷 Shahrekord

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

02:45 2:45 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

129,153

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.513 EUR

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.513 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Shahrekord 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Shahrekord

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 Shahrekord: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shahrekord is about 67% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Sofia is about 8.7 times higher, 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: $789 in Sofia versus $295 in Shahrekord. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $785 in Sofia versus $93 in Shahrekord. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 157% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $529 in Shahrekord versus $1,609 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shahrekord but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Shahrekord the clear choice for anyone on this 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 Shahrekord are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Shahrekord gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.