Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Ta'izz

For one person, living is cheaper in Ta’izz: $667 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sofia, Bulgaria
Ta'izz, Yemen
Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$1,585
/mo nomad
Ta'izz
🇾🇪 Yemen
$667
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Ta'izz

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $667 in Ta’izz, rent included.

  • Sofia $1,585
  • Ta'izz $667

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $1,188 in Ta’izz, rent included.

  • Sofia $2,486
  • Ta'izz $1,188

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $1,709 in Ta’izz, rent included.

  • Sofia $3,387
  • Ta'izz $1,709

Sofia costs about 138% more than Ta’izz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Ta’izz is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sofia
Ta'izz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.57 BGN 28.84
$6.27 YER 1,478
164.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.7 BGN 118
$24.91 YER 5,878
171.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.68 BGN 20.33
$9.35 YER 2,205
24.92%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.30 YER 1,014
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.98 YER 1,175
-
Cappuccino
$3.41 BGN 5.93
$3.67 YER 865
-7.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 BGN 4.11
$1.17 YER 276
101.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 BGN 2.91
$0.59 YER 139
183.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.99 BGN 6.94
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 BGN 7.88
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sofia
Ta'izz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 BGN 3.38
$2.05 YER 483
-5.37%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 BGN 2.70
$1.66 YER 391
-6.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 BGN 4.09
$2.05 YER 484
14.63%
Eggs
$4.60 BGN 8.00
$3.58 YER 844
28.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.47 BGN 19.96
$17.12 YER 4,040
-33.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.65 BGN 15.04
$8.21 YER 1,937
5.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.34 BGN 30.17
$19.04 YER 4,493
-8.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 BGN 3.73
$3.40 YER 803
-36.76%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 BGN 3.45
$1.01 YER 237
96.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 BGN 3.18
$2.21 YER 521
-17.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.27 BGN 7.43
$1.72 YER 405
148.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 BGN 1.82
$1.51 YER 357
-31.13%
Onion (1kg)
$0.89 BGN 1.54
$1.34 YER 315
-33.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 BGN 2.06
$1.24 YER 293
-4.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 BGN 1.45
$0.68 YER 160
22.06%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$2.50 YER 589
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.88 YER 443
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.49 YER 587
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 BGN 7.66
$5.40 YER 1,275
-18.52%
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
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Sofia
Ta'izz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.92 BGN 1.60
$0.83 YER 195
10.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.11 BGN 48.91
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.67 BGN 2.90
$0.88 YER 208
89.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 BGN 1.49
$2.09 YER 494
-59.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.59 BGN 28.87
$7.30 YER 1,723
127.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 BGN 3.03
$2.09 YER 494
-16.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K BGN 52.1K
$17.1K YER 4.0M
75.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K BGN 43.5K
$35.2K YER 8.3M
-28.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
Ta'izz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 BGN 275
$84.2 YER 19.9K
87.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.27 BGN 37.01
$23.60 YER 5,569
-9.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.12 BGN 26.30
$21.40 YER 5,048
-29.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
Ta'izz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.85 BGN 81.5
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.82 BGN 48.41
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.00 BGN 17.39
$5.90 YER 1,393
69.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sofia
Ta'izz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$815 BGN 1,419
$34.57 YER 8,156
2258.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K BGN 25.5K
$646 YER 152.4K
2167.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
Ta'izz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.1 BGN 152
$41.95 YER 9,897
107.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.28 BGN 66.6
$122 YER 28.8K
-68.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 BGN 184
$43.04 YER 10.2K
145.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 BGN 187
$41.69 YER 9,835
157.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sofia
Ta'izz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$769 BGN 1,338
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$593 BGN 1,032
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,530 BGN 2,662
$381 YER 89.8K
301.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,061 BGN 1,846
$208 YER 49.1K
409.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,526 BGN 7,875
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,109 BGN 5,410
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sofia
Ta'izz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,780 BGN 3,098
$253 YER 59.7K
603.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.89
11.25
-74.31%

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ta'izz: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sofia
$593
Ta'izz
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Sofia
$288
Ta'izz
$270 6.2% $18
Eating Out
Sofia
$254
Ta'izz
$129 49% $124
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sofia
$194
Ta'izz
$129 33.5% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Sofia
$152
Ta'izz
$112 26.5% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Sofia
$67
Ta'izz
$12 * 82.3% $55
Getting Around
Sofia
$38
Ta'izz
$15 * 61.2% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Sofia are about 7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia versus $25 in Ta’izz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $270 – making Ta’izz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Sofia
🇾🇪 Ta'izz
🕒 Local time
00:21 12:21 AM
01:21 1:21 AM
1 h ahead of Sofia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,286,383 Capital
458,933
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

YER, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 265 YER (1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sofia Ta'izz 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sofia
  • Ta'izz

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 Ta'izz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sofia and in Ta’izz compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,585 in Sofia, $667 in Ta’izz – Ta’izz comes out roughly 58% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Sofia compared to Ta’izz?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,378 per month in Sofia and $1,000 in Ta’izz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia and $25 in Ta’izz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $800 per month?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Ta’izz, where all-in costs run around $667, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Ta’izz 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 Ta’izz?
It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $667 in Ta’izz to $1,585 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Sofia and Ta’izz?
If budget matters most, go with Ta’izz. If higher salaries 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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