Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toamasina and Sofia

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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Toamasina

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$465

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Toamasina $465
Sofia $1,585

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

Toamasina $751
Sofia $2,486

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

Toamasina $1,038
Sofia $3,387

Toamasina is about 71% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 MGA 12.4K

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-83.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.16 MGA 69.3K

$67.7 BGN 118

-77.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.50 MGA 20.5K

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-61.47%

Cappuccino

$1.08 MGA 4,949

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-68.33%

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

$0.56 MGA 2,579

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-76.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 BGN 2.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 MGA 4,933

$3.99 BGN 6.94

-72.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MGA 5,137

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-75.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 MGA 5,119

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-42.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 MGA 4,961

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-29.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 MGA 4,663

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-56.60%

Eggs

$1.82 MGA 8,340

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-60.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 MGA 57.7K

$11.47 BGN 19.96

10.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.68 MGA 35.1K

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-11.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.15 MGA 28.1K

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-64.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 MGA 6,927

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-29.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 MGA 6,145

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-32.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 MGA 6,881

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-17.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 MGA 3,160

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-83.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MGA 2,647

$1.04 BGN 1.82

-44.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 MGA 2,528

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-38.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 MGA 1,436

$1.19 BGN 2.06

-73.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 2,053

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-45.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.77 MGA 8,070

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-59.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 BGN 12.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MGA 4,043

$1.16 BGN 2.01

-24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MGA 4,879

$1.90 BGN 3.30

-43.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MGA 1,566

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-63.04%

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)

$1.09 MGA 5,004

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-37.36%

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)

$31.65 MGA 144.7K

$21.27 BGN 37.01

48.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 MGA 306.1K

$15.12 BGN 26.30

342.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.94 MGA 100.3K

$46.85 BGN 81.5

-53.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.82 BGN 48.41

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MGA 29.8K

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-34.90%

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)

$8.59 MGA 39.2K

$87.1 BGN 152

-90.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$6.75 MGA 30.8K

$38.28 BGN 66.6

-82.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.1 MGA 247.4K

$106 BGN 184

-48.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.61 MGA 171.9K

$107 BGN 187

-64.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 MGA 609.7K

$769 BGN 1,338

-82.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$54.4 MGA 248.8K

$593 BGN 1,032

-90.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 MGA 2.0M

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-71.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 MGA 605.8K

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-87.51%

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)

$134 MGA 614.1K

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-92.45%

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 Toamasina: 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

Toamasina

–

Sofia

$593 37.4%

Groceries & Markets

Toamasina

–

Sofia

$288 18.2%

Eating Out

Toamasina

–

Sofia

$254 16%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toamasina

–

Sofia

$194 12.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Toamasina

–

Sofia

$152 9.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Toamasina

–

Sofia

$67 4.2%

Getting Around

Toamasina

–

Sofia

$38 2.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $133 in Toamasina 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 13 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

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

Good to know

🇲🇬 Toamasina

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

10:49 10:49 AM

1 h behind Toamasina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,857

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

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).

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 MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toamasina Sofia 7,270 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Toamasina
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

Toamasina vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $698 per month in Toamasina 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 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 $15 in Toamasina and $68 in Sofia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $465 in Toamasina and $1,585 in Sofia. 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.