Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tabuk and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Tabuk: $1,178 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Tabuk
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Tabuk Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Tabuk

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,178

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tabuk 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 Tabuk and in Sofia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,178 per month in Tabuk vs $1,585 in Sofia, rent included.

Tabuk $1,178
Sofia $1,585

A couple spends around $1,766 per month in Tabuk vs $2,486 in Sofia, rent included.

Tabuk $1,766
Sofia $2,486

A family of three spends $2,354 per month in Tabuk vs $3,387 in Sofia, rent included.

Tabuk $2,354
Sofia $3,387

Tabuk is about 26% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tabuk sits 13% below the global median, while Sofia is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 SAR 27.50

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-55.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.31 SAR 118

$67.7 BGN 118

-53.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.55 SAR 28.34

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-35.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

Cappuccino

$3.13 SAR 11.76

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-8.21%

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

$0.73 SAR 2.73

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-69.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-84.43%

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)

$1.89 SAR 7.11

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-2.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 SAR 3.40

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-41.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 SAR 10.05

$2.35 BGN 4.09

14.04%

Eggs

$2.95 SAR 11.06

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-35.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 SAR 47.41

$11.47 BGN 19.96

10.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 SAR 25.29

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-22.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.74 SAR 47.81

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-26.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.31

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-9.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.28

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-15.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 SAR 6.78

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-1.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 SAR 8.04

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-49.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

$1.04 BGN 1.82

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.86

$0.89 BGN 1.54

134.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

$1.19 BGN 2.06

58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-27.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.72

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 SAR 24.86

$4.40 BGN 7.66

50.45%

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

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$0.92 BGN 1.60

14.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.23 SAR 136

$28.11 BGN 48.91

28.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 SAR 10.14

$1.67 BGN 2.90

61.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$0.85 BGN 1.49

98.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.98 SAR 56.2

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-9.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-62.64%

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

$27.0K SAR 101.5K

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

-9.68%

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

$20.4K SAR 76.6K

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

-18.39%

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

$104 SAR 392

$158 BGN 275

-33.82%

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

$36.05 SAR 135

$21.27 BGN 37.01

69.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 SAR 284

$15.12 BGN 26.30

401.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 SAR 298

$46.85 BGN 81.5

69.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$13.35 SAR 50.1

$10.00 BGN 17.39

33.50%

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

$428 SAR 1,605

$815 BGN 1,419

-47.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,508 SAR 31.9K

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

-41.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.00 SAR 150

$87.1 BGN 152

-54.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.44 SAR 178

$38.28 BGN 66.6

23.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 SAR 338

$106 BGN 184

-14.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.1 SAR 342

$107 BGN 187

-14.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$309 SAR 1,159

$769 BGN 1,338

-59.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 SAR 1,270

$593 BGN 1,032

-42.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 SAR 2,087

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-63.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 SAR 2,128

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-46.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,966 SAR 7,379

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-56.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,192 SAR 4,474

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-61.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,716 SAR 6,442

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-3.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

2.89

91.70%

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

Last update for Tabuk: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tabuk

$338 28.7%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 75.3% $255

Groceries & Markets

Tabuk

$222 18.8%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 29.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tabuk

$216 18.4%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 10.2% $22

Eating Out

Tabuk

$123 10.4%

Sofia

$254 16% 107% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Tabuk

$121 10.3%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 25.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Tabuk

$106 9%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 37% $39

Getting Around

Tabuk

$52 4.4%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 26.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $309 in Tabuk 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 run about 4% 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 $31 in Tabuk versus $68 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $288 – making Tabuk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Tabuk

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

21:09 9:09 PM

20:09 8:09 PM

1 h behind Tabuk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

512,629

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tabuk Sofia 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Tabuk
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

Tabuk vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,178 in Tabuk, $1,585 in Sofia – Tabuk comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,767 per month in Tabuk 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 Tabuk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $309 there versus $769 in Sofia.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,178 in Tabuk and $1,585 in Sofia. That makes Tabuk about 26% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Sofia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tabuk, where all-in costs run around $1,178, than in Sofia at $1,585. In Tabuk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tabuk – 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 Tabuk. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sofia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.