Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Shiraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiraz: $544 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Shiraz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,585 in Sofia versus $544 in Shiraz.

Sofia $1,585
Shiraz $544

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Sofia versus $813 in Shiraz.

Sofia $2,486
Shiraz $813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Sofia versus $1,082 in Shiraz.

Sofia $3,387
Shiraz $1,082

Living in Sofia is roughly 192% more expensive than in Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sofia is 17% above, Shiraz is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$4.46 $4.46

271.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$12.88 $12.88

425.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$4.12 $4.12

183.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 $0.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$1.21 $1.21

181.82%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.60 $0.60

293.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

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

$0.67 $0.67

189.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.45 $0.45

244.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.88 $1.88

25.00%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.19 $1.19

286.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$2.25 $2.25

409.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$2.94 $2.94

194.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$10.02 $10.02

73.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$1.12 $1.12

91.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.56 $1.56

26.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$0.90 $0.90

103.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$0.59 $0.59

623.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.53 $0.53

96.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.53 $0.53

67.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.47 $0.47

153.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.21 $0.21

295.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.87 $0.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$2.97 $2.97

48.15%

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

$0.11 $0.11

736.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

$2.98 $2.98

843.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

$0.38 $0.38

339.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$0.20 $0.20

325.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

$3.53 $3.53

369.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

$66.2K $66.2K

-54.77%

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

$53.1K $53.1K

-52.88%

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

$158 BGN 275

$23.42 $23.42

574.04%

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$2.07 $2.07

927.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$16.82 $16.82

-10.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$18.40 $18.40

154.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

$13.74 $13.74

102.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$2.04 $2.04

390.20%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

$103 $103

694.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

$2,386 $2,386

513.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$22.62 $22.62

285.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$18.48 $18.48

107.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$96.3 $96.3

9.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$54.6 $54.6

96.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$293 $293

162.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$219 $219

170.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$545 $545

180.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$323 $323

228.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

$1,154 $1,154

292.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

$503 $503

518.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$237 $237

652.26%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Shiraz: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Shiraz

$219 40.3% 63.1% $374

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Shiraz

$103 19% 64% $184

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Shiraz

$65 * 12% 74.4% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Shiraz

$42 7.8% 78.2% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Shiraz

$86 15.9% 43.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Shiraz

$22 4.1% 66.4% $44

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Shiraz

$4.8 0.9% 87.3% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $769 in Sofia and $293 in Shiraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays about 7.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Sofia vs $13 in Shiraz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $103 per month, with Shiraz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🕒 Local time

11:29 11:29 AM

12:59 12:59 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

1,565,572

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Shiraz 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Shiraz

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 Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiraz is about 66% 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 7.5 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: $769 in Sofia versus $293 in Shiraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $815 in Sofia versus $103 in Shiraz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 178% higher in Sofia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $544 in Shiraz versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shiraz but tight or insufficient in Sofia. The gap between the two cities makes Shiraz 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 Shiraz are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Shiraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.