Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Sousse

For one person, living is cheaper in Sousse: $778 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,589
/mo nomad
Sousse
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$778
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Sousse

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Sofia vs $778 in Sousse, rent included.

  • Sofia $1,589
  • Sousse $778

A couple spends around $2,456 per month in Sofia vs $1,256 in Sousse, rent included.

  • Sofia $2,456
  • Sousse $1,256

A family of three spends $3,324 per month in Sofia vs $1,733 in Sousse, rent included.

  • Sofia $3,324
  • Sousse $1,733

Sofia costs about 104% more than Sousse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 19% above the global median, while Sousse is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sofia
Sousse
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.10 BGN 29.93
$4.94 TND 14.77
246.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.9 BGN 117
$23.57 TND 70.4
183.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.77 BGN 20.59
$6.76 TND 20.20
74.11%
Cappuccino
$3.42 BGN 5.99
$1.05 TND 3.12
225.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 BGN 4.23
$0.75 TND 2.24
222.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 BGN 3.26
$0.37 TND 1.12
402.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.33 BGN 5.83
$1.71 TND 5.10
94.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 BGN 7.92
$1.65 TND 4.93
174.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sofia
Sousse
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 BGN 3.36
$0.45 TND 1.34
326.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.51 BGN 2.64
$0.15 TND 0.46
906.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.21 BGN 3.88
$1.28 TND 3.83
72.66%
Eggs
$4.40 BGN 7.69
$1.66 TND 4.96
165.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.56 BGN 20.22
$13.80 TND 41.23
-16.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.79 BGN 15.38
$5.64 TND 16.85
55.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 BGN 29.71
$14.21 TND 42.45
19.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 BGN 3.79
$2.05 TND 6.14
5.85%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 BGN 3.57
$3.57 TND 10.66
-42.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.84 BGN 3.22
$0.98 TND 2.93
87.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.29 BGN 7.51
$0.70 TND 2.09
512.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.03 BGN 1.80
$0.86 TND 2.58
19.77%
Onion (1kg)
$0.93 BGN 1.62
$0.68 TND 2.03
36.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 BGN 2.11
$0.43 TND 1.29
179.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 BGN 1.62
$0.30 TND 0.90
206.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 BGN 7.53
$3.75 TND 11.21
14.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.33 BGN 12.83
$5.98 TND 17.88
22.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 BGN 2.06
$1.08 TND 3.23
9.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 BGN 3.28
$1.17 TND 3.50
59.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Sofia
Sousse
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 BGN 1.52
$0.34 TND 1.03
155.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.14 BGN 49.24
$9.92 TND 29.65
183.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.74 BGN 3.04
$0.31 TND 0.94
461.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.96 BGN 1.68
$0.64 TND 1.92
50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.54 BGN 27.19
$3.98 TND 11.90
290.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 BGN 3.14
$0.87 TND 2.59
105.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0K BGN 52.5K
$40.0K TND 119.6K
-25.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K BGN 46.1K
$36.8K TND 110.0K
-28.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
Sousse
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$156 BGN 273
$75.6 TND 226
106.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.21 BGN 37.11
$13.63 TND 40.72
55.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.64 BGN 27.37
$19.75 TND 59.0
-20.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
Sousse
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.76 BGN 81.8
$28.30 TND 84.6
65.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.74 BGN 48.54
$26.72 TND 79.8
3.82%
Cinema Ticket
$10.02 BGN 17.53
$6.45 TND 19.27
55.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sofia
Sousse
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$766 BGN 1,341
$93.4 TND 279
720.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K BGN 22.4K
$3,224 TND 9,635
296.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
Sousse
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.7 BGN 157
$51.5 TND 154
74.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.88 BGN 71.5
$71.4 TND 213
-42.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 BGN 186
$150 TND 450
-29.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 BGN 183
$101 TND 301
4.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sofia
Sousse
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$796 BGN 1,393
$243 TND 727
227.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$607 BGN 1,063
$159 TND 476
280.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,563 BGN 2,735
$524 TND 1,565
198.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,060 BGN 1,855
$341 TND 1,019
210.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,357 BGN 7,626
$992 TND 2,963
339.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,250 BGN 5,688
$635 TND 1,896
412.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sofia
Sousse
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,740 BGN 3,044
$381 TND 1,138
356.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.89
11.4
-74.65%

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

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Last update for Sousse: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$607
Sousse
$159 73.7% $448
Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$287
Sousse
$198 31.1% $89
Eating Out
Sofia
$256
Sousse
$89 65.4% $167
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$193
Sousse
$109 43.5% $84
Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$154
Sousse
$168 9.6% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$67
Sousse
$41 38.3% $26
Getting Around
Sofia
$38
Sousse
$15 61.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Sofia versus $243 in Sousse. 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 357% 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 $24.00 in Sousse. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $198 – making Sousse the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Sofia
🇹🇳 Sousse
🕒 Local time
05:45 5:45 AM
03:45 3:45 AM
2 h behind Sofia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,286,383 Capital
221,530
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.335 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sofia Sousse 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sofia
  • Sousse

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 Sousse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sofia and in Sousse compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Sofia, $778 in Sousse – roughly 104% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Sofia compared to Sousse?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Sofia and $1,168 in Sousse. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sofia and Sousse?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sousse, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sofia or Sousse?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Sofia and $778 in Sousse. That's a gap of about 104%.
How do commuting costs compare in Sofia and in Sousse?
Public transport costs about 184% less in Sousse. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sousse, where all-in costs run around $778, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Sousse 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 Sousse?
It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $778 in Sousse to $1,589 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Sofia or Sousse 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 Sousse?
If budget matters most, go with Sousse. 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.

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