Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Toamasina

For one person, living is cheaper in Toamasina: $465 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Toamasina

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Toamasina

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $465 in Toamasina, rent included.

Sofia $1,585
Toamasina $465

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $751 in Toamasina, rent included.

Sofia $2,486
Toamasina $751

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $1,038 in Toamasina, rent included.

Sofia $3,387
Toamasina $1,038

Sofia costs about 241% more than Toamasina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Toamasina is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$2.71 MGA 12.4K

511.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

$15.16 MGA 69.3K

346.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

$4.50 MGA 20.5K

159.56%

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$1.08 MGA 4,949

215.74%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.56 MGA 2,579

321.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 BGN 6.94

$1.08 MGA 4,933

269.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 BGN 7.88

$1.12 MGA 5,137

304.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.12 MGA 5,119

73.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$1.09 MGA 4,961

42.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.02 MGA 4,663

130.39%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$1.82 MGA 8,340

152.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

$12.63 MGA 57.7K

-9.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$7.68 MGA 35.1K

12.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$6.15 MGA 28.1K

181.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

$1.52 MGA 6,927

41.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.34 MGA 6,145

47.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

$1.51 MGA 6,881

21.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$0.69 MGA 3,160

518.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.58 MGA 2,647

79.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.55 MGA 2,528

61.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

$0.31 MGA 1,436

283.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.45 MGA 2,053

84.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$1.77 MGA 8,070

148.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$0.88 MGA 4,043

31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

$1.07 MGA 4,879

77.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

$0.34 MGA 1,566

170.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.11 BGN 48.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BGN 2.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 BGN 28.87

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$1.09 MGA 5,004

59.63%

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

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

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

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

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

$158 BGN 275

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

$21.27 BGN 37.01

$31.65 MGA 144.7K

-32.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$67.0 MGA 306.1K

-77.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 BGN 81.5

$21.94 MGA 100.3K

113.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$6.51 MGA 29.8K

53.61%

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

$815 BGN 1,419

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 BGN 152

$8.59 MGA 39.2K

913.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

$6.75 MGA 30.8K

467.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

$54.1 MGA 247.4K

95.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

$37.61 MGA 171.9K

184.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 BGN 1,338

$133 MGA 609.7K

476.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 BGN 1,032

$54.4 MGA 248.8K

989.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 BGN 2,662

$436 MGA 2.0M

251.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

$133 MGA 605.8K

700.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,526 BGN 7,875

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,109 BGN 5,410

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,780 BGN 3,098

$134 MGA 614.1K

1225.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

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

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Toamasina: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Toamasina

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Toamasina

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Toamasina

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Toamasina

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Toamasina

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Toamasina

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Toamasina

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Sofia versus $133 in Toamasina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sofia are about 13 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia versus $15 in Toamasina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $169 – making Toamasina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇲🇬 Toamasina

🕒 Local time

11:09 11:09 AM

12:09 12:09 PM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

325,857

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, 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).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4,571 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,133 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sofia Toamasina 7,270 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Toamasina

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 Toamasina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,585 in Sofia, $465 in Toamasina – Toamasina comes out roughly 71% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,378 per month in Sofia and $698 in Toamasina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Toamasina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $133 there versus $769 in Sofia.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Sofia and $15 in Toamasina. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $465 in Toamasina. That makes Toamasina about 71% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Toamasina, where all-in costs run around $465, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Toamasina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $465 in Toamasina to $1,585 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Toamasina. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.