Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Windhoek: $1,171 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Windhoek
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Windhoek Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Windhoek

🇳🇦 Namibia

$1,171

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,171 per month in Windhoek vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Windhoek $1,171
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $1,979 per month in Windhoek vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Windhoek $1,979
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $2,787 per month in Windhoek vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Windhoek $2,787
Sofia $3,324

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

Windhoek sits 13% below the global median, while Sofia is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.46 NAD 189

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-32.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.0 NAD 1,040

$66.9 BGN 117

-5.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 NAD 96.4

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-50.38%

Cappuccino

$2.35 NAD 38.73

$3.42 BGN 5.99

-31.29%

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

$0.87 NAD 14.32

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-64.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 NAD 14.41

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-53.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 NAD 32.67

$3.33 BGN 5.83

-40.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NAD 34.95

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-53.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 NAD 25.27

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-20.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 NAD 15.62

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-37.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 NAD 31.81

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-12.67%

Eggs

$3.17 NAD 52.3

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-27.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 NAD 156

$11.56 BGN 20.22

-18.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 NAD 109

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-24.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 NAD 125

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-55.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 NAD 35.47

$2.17 BGN 3.79

-0.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 NAD 31.21

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-7.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 NAD 31.07

$1.84 BGN 3.22

2.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 NAD 32.61

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-53.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NAD 33.07

$1.03 BGN 1.80

94.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 NAD 30.00

$0.93 BGN 1.62

95.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NAD 32.14

$1.20 BGN 2.11

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NAD 17.64

$0.92 BGN 1.62

16.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 NAD 54.8

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-22.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 NAD 112

$7.33 BGN 12.83

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 NAD 23.19

$1.18 BGN 2.06

19.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 NAD 23.47

$1.87 BGN 3.28

-24.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 NAD 12.25

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-14.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.69 NAD 803

$28.14 BGN 49.24

73.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 NAD 13.50

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-52.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 NAD 14.34

$0.96 BGN 1.68

-9.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.56 NAD 257

$15.54 BGN 27.19

0.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 NAD 22.10

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-25.14%

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

$24.3K NAD 400.3K

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

-19.09%

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

$27.1K NAD 447.1K

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

2.77%

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

$139 NAD 2,287

$156 BGN 273

-11.14%

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

$25.91 NAD 428

$21.21 BGN 37.11

22.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NAD 847

$15.64 BGN 27.37

228.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.58 NAD 620

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-19.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 NAD 174

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-61.93%

Cinema Ticket

$5.32 NAD 87.7

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-46.91%

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

$209 NAD 3,445

$766 BGN 1,341

-72.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,376 NAD 88.7K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-57.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 NAD 890

$89.7 BGN 157

-39.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.95 NAD 560

$40.88 BGN 71.5

-16.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NAD 1,501

$106 BGN 186

-14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 NAD 1,574

$105 BGN 183

-8.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 NAD 8,120

$796 BGN 1,393

-38.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 NAD 5,885

$607 BGN 1,063

-41.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 NAD 18.8K

$1,563 BGN 2,735

-27.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 NAD 14.3K

$1,060 BGN 1,855

-18.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,615 NAD 26.6K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

-62.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$601 NAD 9,922

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-81.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$989 NAD 16.3K

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-43.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

2.89

295.16%

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

Last update for Windhoek: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Windhoek

$357 30.2%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 70.3% $251

Groceries & Markets

Windhoek

$223 18.8%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 29% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Windhoek

$216 18.3%

Sofia

$193 12% 10.7% $23

Eating Out

Windhoek

$159 13.4%

Sofia

$256 16% 61.5% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Windhoek

$123 10.4%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 24.5% $30

Getting Around

Windhoek

$57 4.8%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 32.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Windhoek

$48 4.1%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 38.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $492 in Windhoek 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 76% 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 $63.0 in Windhoek versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $287 – making Windhoek the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇦 Windhoek

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

1 h ahead of Windhoek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,500 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Namibian Dollar NAD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 NAD = 6.06 USD

100 NAD = 5.4 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to NAD – Namibian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇦 Namibian Dollar ($)

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 NAD (100 NAD = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 NAD (100 NAD = 5.4 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 NAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Windhoek Sofia 7,280 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Windhoek
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

Windhoek vs Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,171 in Windhoek, $1,589 in Sofia – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,756 per month in Windhoek 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 Windhoek, 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 $1,171 in Windhoek and $1,589 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 36%.

Public transport costs about 73% less in Windhoek. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Windhoek, where all-in costs run around $1,171, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Windhoek 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 $1,171 in Windhoek 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 Windhoek. 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.