Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sofia and Toliara

For one person, living is cheaper in Toliara: $173 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Toliara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sofia and in Toliara

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

A single person spends $1,585 per month in Sofia vs $173 in Toliara, rent included.

Sofia $1,585
Toliara $173

A couple spends around $2,486 per month in Sofia vs $259 in Toliara, rent included.

Sofia $2,486
Toliara $259

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Sofia vs $346 in Toliara, rent included.

Sofia $3,387
Toliara $346

Sofia costs about 817% more than Toliara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sofia sits 17% above the global median, while Toliara is 87% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 BGN 28.84

$1.71 MGA 7,826

869.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 BGN 118

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 BGN 20.33

Cappuccino

$3.41 BGN 5.93

$0.80 MGA 3,674

326.25%

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

$2.36 BGN 4.11

$0.68 MGA 3,130

247.06%

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

$1.42 MGA 6,477

36.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$0.40 MGA 1,834

487.50%

Eggs

$4.60 BGN 8.00

$2.13 MGA 9,742

115.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 BGN 19.96

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 BGN 15.04

$4.55 MGA 20.8K

90.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 BGN 30.17

$4.98 MGA 22.8K

248.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 BGN 3.73

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$0.64 MGA 2,921

209.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 BGN 3.18

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 BGN 7.43

$1.65 MGA 7,555

158.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.82

$0.48 MGA 2,199

116.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 BGN 2.06

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.64 MGA 2,939

29.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 BGN 7.66

$1.80 MGA 8,242

144.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

$5.54 MGA 25.3K

33.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 BGN 2.01

$0.64 MGA 2,920

81.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 BGN 3.30

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.60

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

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

$16.30 MGA 74.5K

30.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.12 BGN 26.30

$32.87 MGA 150.3K

-54.00%

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

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

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 BGN 66.6

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 BGN 184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 BGN 187

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

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 BGN 1,846

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

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 Toliara: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Toliara

–

Groceries & Markets

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Toliara

–

Eating Out

Sofia

$254 16%

Toliara

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Toliara

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Toliara

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Toliara

–

Getting Around

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Toliara

–

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sofia

🇲🇬 Toliara

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

11:11 11:11 AM

1 h ahead of Sofia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,286,383 Capital

168,756

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sofia Toliara 7,640 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sofia
Toliara

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 Toliara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,585 in Sofia, $173 in Toliara – Toliara comes out roughly 89% 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 $259 in Toliara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,585 in Sofia and $173 in Toliara. That makes Toliara about 89% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 195% more in Sofia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Toliara, where all-in costs run around $173, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Toliara 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 $173 in Toliara to $1,585 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.