Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $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.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
Learn more

Sulaymaniyah Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$667

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sulaymaniyah and in Sofia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sulaymaniyah and in Sofia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Sulaymaniyah $667
Sofia $1,585

A couple spends around $1,035 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $2,486 in Sofia, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,035
Sofia $2,486

A family of three spends $1,403 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $3,387 in Sofia, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,403
Sofia $3,387

Sulaymaniyah is about 58% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 IQD 6,570

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-73.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.15 IQD 30.5K

$67.7 BGN 118

-70.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 IQD 8,935

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-49.40%

Cappuccino

$2.37 IQD 3,580

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-30.50%

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

$0.43 IQD 644

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-81.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-88.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 IQD 4,890

$3.99 BGN 6.94

-18.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 IQD 3,071

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-55.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 IQD 1,732

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-40.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 IQD 1,306

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-44.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-28.51%

Eggs

$1.53 IQD 2,306

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-66.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 IQD 6,514

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-62.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 IQD 5,627

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-56.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 IQD 19.6K

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-25.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 IQD 1,684

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-48.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 IQD 1,631

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-45.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,496

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-45.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 833

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-87.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 IQD 683

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-56.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 940

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-30.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 881

$1.19 BGN 2.06

-51.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 IQD 634

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-49.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 IQD 2,956

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-55.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.04 IQD 15.2K

$7.42 BGN 12.91

35.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 IQD 2,532

$1.16 BGN 2.01

44.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 IQD 1,855

$1.90 BGN 3.30

-35.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 IQD 705

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-48.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 IQD 30.0K

$28.11 BGN 48.91

-29.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 IQD 3,017

$1.67 BGN 2.90

19.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 IQD 2,951

$0.85 BGN 1.49

129.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 IQD 7,164

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-71.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 864

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-67.24%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.7M

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

-41.07%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

-33.35%

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

$86.4 IQD 130.6K

$158 BGN 275

-45.25%

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

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-54.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.74 IQD 35.9K

$15.12 BGN 26.30

57.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.60 IQD 52.3K

$46.85 BGN 81.5

-26.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 IQD 26.9K

$27.82 BGN 48.41

-35.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 IQD 9,711

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-35.70%

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

$150 IQD 226.9K

$815 BGN 1,419

-81.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,562 IQD 3.9M

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

-82.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

$87.1 BGN 152

-81.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.41 IQD 33.9K

$38.28 BGN 66.6

-41.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.43 IQD 55.0K

$106 BGN 184

-65.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.62 IQD 55.3K

$107 BGN 187

-65.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 IQD 282.3K

$769 BGN 1,338

-75.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 IQD 225.9K

$593 BGN 1,032

-74.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 IQD 621.8K

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-73.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 IQD 464.7K

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-71.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$703 IQD 1.1M

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-84.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$541 IQD 817.5K

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-82.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 IQD 758.7K

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-71.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

2.89

99.65%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: November 3, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$163 24.4%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 76.6% $125

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$150 22.4%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 297% $444

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$120 18%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 62% $74

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.5%

Sofia

$254 16% 145% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$50 7.6%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 202% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 40.9% $19

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$33 5%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 12.7% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $187 in Sulaymaniyah versus $769 in Sofia. 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 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Sulaymaniyah versus $68 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $163 vs $288 – making Sulaymaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

12:01 12:01 PM

1 h behind Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,697 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

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).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Sofia 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sulaymaniyah
Sofia

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

Sulaymaniyah vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $667 in Sulaymaniyah, $1,585 in Sofia – Sulaymaniyah comes out roughly 58% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,001 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $2,378 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sulaymaniyah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $187 there versus $769 in Sofia.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $667 in Sulaymaniyah and $1,585 in Sofia. That makes Sulaymaniyah about 58% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Sulaymaniyah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sulaymaniyah, where all-in costs run around $667, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Sulaymaniyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sulaymaniyah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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