Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thimphu and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Thimphu: $510 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Thimphu
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Thimphu Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Thimphu

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$510

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $510 per month in Thimphu vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Thimphu $510
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $799 per month in Thimphu vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Thimphu $799
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $1,088 per month in Thimphu vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Thimphu $1,088
Sofia $3,324

Thimphu is about 68% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Thimphu sits 62% below the global median, while Sofia is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.56 BTN 248

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-85.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.16 BTN 1,371

$66.9 BGN 117

-78.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 BTN 474

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-58.45%

Cappuccino

$1.31 BTN 127

$3.42 BGN 5.99

-61.70%

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

$0.49 BTN 47.08

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-79.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 BTN 16.46

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-90.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 BTN 247

$3.33 BGN 5.83

-23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 BTN 155

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-64.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 BTN 74.7

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-59.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 BTN 102

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-29.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 BTN 100

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-53.39%

Eggs

$1.84 BTN 179

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-58.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.69 BTN 357

$11.56 BGN 20.22

-68.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 BTN 388

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-54.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.01 BTN 389

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-76.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 BTN 243

$2.17 BGN 3.79

15.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 BTN 151

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 BTN 152

$1.84 BGN 3.22

-14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 BTN 68.6

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-83.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 BTN 54.2

$1.03 BGN 1.80

-45.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 BTN 68.3

$0.93 BGN 1.62

-24.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 BTN 37.98

$1.20 BGN 2.11

-67.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 BTN 30.20

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-66.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 BTN 369

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-11.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.91 BTN 282

$7.33 BGN 12.83

-60.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 BTN 60.5

$1.18 BGN 2.06

-47.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 BTN 127

$1.87 BGN 3.28

-29.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 BTN 73.5

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-12.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.18 BTN 502

$28.14 BGN 49.24

-81.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 BTN 72.6

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-56.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 BTN 147

$0.96 BGN 1.68

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.16 BTN 15.50

$15.54 BGN 27.19

-98.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 BTN 73.3

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-57.54%

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

$16.8K BTN 1.6M

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

-44.13%

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

$15.0K BTN 1.5M

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

-42.93%

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

$34.28 BTN 3,319

$156 BGN 273

-78.02%

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

$35.89 BTN 3,475

$21.21 BGN 37.11

69.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.76 BTN 2,398

$15.64 BGN 27.37

58.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.99 BTN 4,550

$46.76 BGN 81.8

0.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.41 BTN 718

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-73.29%

Cinema Ticket

$3.17 BTN 307

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-68.36%

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

$45.87 BTN 4,442

$766 BGN 1,341

-94.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$576 BTN 55.7K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-95.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 BTN 4,872

$89.7 BGN 157

-43.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.08 BTN 2,429

$40.88 BGN 71.5

-38.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 BTN 6,566

$106 BGN 186

-36.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$14.29 BTN 1,383

$105 BGN 183

-86.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 BTN 12.2K

$796 BGN 1,393

-84.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.0 BTN 8,324

$607 BGN 1,063

-85.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 BTN 18.1K

$1,563 BGN 2,735

-88.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 BTN 15.1K

$1,060 BGN 1,855

-85.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,543 BTN 633.6K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

50.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$384 BTN 37.2K

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-88.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$351 BTN 34.0K

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-79.81%

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 Thimphu: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Thimphu

$125 24.2%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 131% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thimphu

$95 18.4%

Sofia

$193 12% 103% $98

Accommodation & Living

Thimphu

$86 16.7%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 607% $521

Clothing & Footwear

Thimphu

$71 13.7%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 117% $83

Eating Out

Thimphu

$69 13.5%

Sofia

$256 16% 269% $187

Sport & Entertainment

Thimphu

$53 10.3%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 25.2% $13

Getting Around

Thimphu

$17 3.2%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 130% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $126 in Thimphu versus $796 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 395% 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 $14.00 in Thimphu versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $125 vs $287 – making Thimphu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇹 Thimphu

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

04:52 4:52 AM

3 h behind Thimphu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,676 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BTN = 10.33 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.21 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to BTN – Bhutanese Ngultrum Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇹 Bhutanese Ngultrum (Nu.)

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.83 BTN (100 BTN = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.21 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

USD to BTN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Thimphu Sofia 6,110 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Thimphu
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

Thimphu vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $510 in Thimphu, $1,589 in Sofia – roughly 212% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $764 per month in Thimphu and $2,384 in Sofia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thimphu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $510 in Thimphu and $1,589 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 212%.

Public transport costs about 443% less in Thimphu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Thimphu, where all-in costs run around $510, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Thimphu 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 $510 in Thimphu to $1,589 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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