Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Shurugwi

For one person, living is cheaper in Shurugwi: $579 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Shurugwi
Learn more

Shurugwi Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Shurugwi

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Shurugwi

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in Sofia vs $579 in Shurugwi, rent included.

Sofia $1,594
Shurugwi $579

A couple spends around $2,478 per month in Sofia vs $949 in Shurugwi, rent included.

Sofia $2,478
Shurugwi $949

A family of three spends $3,361 per month in Sofia vs $1,320 in Shurugwi, rent included.

Sofia $3,361
Shurugwi $1,320

Sofia costs about 175% more than Shurugwi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 18% above the global median, while Shurugwi is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 BGN 29.35

$10.11 ZWL 269

66.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 BGN 115

$39.64 ZWL 1,055

66.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 BGN 19.69

$5.80 ZWL 154

95.17%

Cappuccino

$3.43 BGN 5.98

$1.69 ZWL 45.06

102.96%

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

$2.41 BGN 4.19

$0.97 ZWL 25.82

148.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.22

$0.48 ZWL 12.79

285.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 BGN 6.44

$1.28 ZWL 33.94

189.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.97

$2.06 ZWL 54.7

122.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 BGN 3.51

$1.48 ZWL 39.43

36.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$0.98 ZWL 26.00

59.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.67 ZWL 44.40

39.52%

Eggs

$4.36 BGN 7.59

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

124.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 BGN 20.47

$11.52 ZWL 307

2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.30 ZWL 141

66.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 BGN 30.38

$6.34 ZWL 169

175.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.74

$3.07 ZWL 81.8

-29.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.44

$1.65 ZWL 44.01

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.37

$2.01 ZWL 53.4

-3.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 BGN 7.37

$1.51 ZWL 40.30

180.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.80

$1.67 ZWL 44.46

-37.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 BGN 1.48

$1.80 ZWL 47.97

-52.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BGN 2.00

$1.22 ZWL 32.55

-5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.99 ZWL 26.31

-10.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 BGN 7.33

$1.95 ZWL 51.8

115.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 BGN 12.98

$8.20 ZWL 218

-9.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BGN 2.01

$1.38 ZWL 36.77

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 BGN 3.23

$1.97 ZWL 52.4

-6.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$3.94 ZWL 105

-57.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.97 ZWL 52.5

-52.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 BGN 26.70

$5.04 ZWL 134

204.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.94

$1.84 ZWL 48.95

-8.15%

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

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

$22.1K ZWL 587.6K

34.94%

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

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

$27.8K ZWL 738.7K

-5.85%

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

$156 BGN 272

$52.0 ZWL 1,383

200.27%

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

$21.56 BGN 37.52

$21.89 ZWL 582

-1.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 BGN 26.51

$68.3 ZWL 1,818

-77.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.08 BGN 80.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 BGN 17.72

$9.97 ZWL 265

2.11%

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

$774 BGN 1,347

$429 ZWL 11.4K

80.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

$8,436 ZWL 224.5K

51.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 BGN 157

$23.20 ZWL 617

287.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 BGN 71.8

$21.19 ZWL 564

94.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 BGN 183

$38.89 ZWL 1,035

170.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 186

$39.82 ZWL 1,060

167.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 BGN 1,362

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 BGN 1,038

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 BGN 2,638

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 BGN 1,792

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,735 BGN 3,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

13.69

-78.89%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Shurugwi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$597 37.4%

Shurugwi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$290 18.2%

Shurugwi

$213 36.7% 26.8% $78

Eating Out

Sofia

$255 16%

Shurugwi

$135 23.3% 47.1% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$193 12.1%

Shurugwi

$142 24.6% 26.3% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$154 9.7%

Shurugwi

$55 9.6% 64.1% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$66 4.2%

Shurugwi

$20 * 3.5% 70% $47

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Shurugwi

$14 * 2.4% 64% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Sofia versus $40.00 in Shurugwi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $213 – making Shurugwi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇿🇼 Shurugwi

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

05:19 5:19 AM

1 h behind Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

16,866

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Shurugwi 6,970 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Shurugwi

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 Shurugwi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sofia costs about 175% more than Shurugwi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in Sofia and $868 in Shurugwi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Sofia and $40.00 in Shurugwi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shurugwi, where all-in costs run around $579, than in Sofia at $1,594. In Shurugwi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Shurugwi costs $579 versus $1,594 in Sofia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Shurugwi. 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.