Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktau and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $793 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bansko outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
Learn more

Aktau Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aktau and in Bansko

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

A single person spends $793 per month in Aktau vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Aktau $793
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $1,317 per month in Aktau vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Aktau $1,317
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $1,842 per month in Aktau vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Aktau $1,842
Bansko $1,979

Aktau is about 17% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Aktau and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Aktau 41% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.07 ₸5,005

$8.66 BGN 15.06

27.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.55 ₸19.7K

$44.94 BGN 78.2

-3.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 ₸4,596

$8.78 BGN 15.28

15.83%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ₸1,128

$2.33 BGN 4.05

6.87%

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

$0.74 ₸333

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-52.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₸219

$0.82 BGN 1.43

-41.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₸586

$1.68 BGN 2.92

-22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₸690

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-22.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ₸638

$1.73 BGN 3.00

-18.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 ₸211

$0.80 BGN 1.40

-41.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₸864

$1.44 BGN 2.51

32.64%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$2.36 BGN 4.10

-26.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 ₸4,463

$9.39 BGN 16.34

5.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₸1,915

$6.41 BGN 11.15

-33.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.95 ₸4,044

$8.48 BGN 14.76

5.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₸689

$1.31 BGN 2.28

16.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ₸1,013

$1.62 BGN 2.82

38.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₸1,064

$1.73 BGN 3.01

35.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ₸1,264

$1.94 BGN 3.38

44.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₸295

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-30.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₸254

$0.76 BGN 1.32

-26.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 ₸700

$0.55 BGN 0.95

181.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₸424

$0.59 BGN 1.02

59.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 ₸1,172

$3.25 BGN 5.66

-20.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ₸4,313

$5.20 BGN 9.05

83.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₸326

$1.09 BGN 1.89

-33.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸393

$1.68 BGN 2.92

-48.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸82.6

$0.84 BGN 1.45

-78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 ₸512

$1.34 BGN 2.34

-15.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸290

$0.65 BGN 1.14

-1.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 BGN 17.51

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 ₸283

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-57.43%

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

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

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

$31.4K ₸14.2M

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

50.22%

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

$45.69 ₸20.7K

$92.4 BGN 161

-50.57%

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

$7.94 ₸3,587

$14.52 BGN 25.26

-45.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.01 ₸4,979

$12.32 BGN 21.43

-10.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.98 ₸16.3K

$31.70 BGN 55.2

13.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

Cinema Ticket

$3.18 ₸1,437

$5.62 BGN 9.78

-43.42%

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

$143 ₸64.8K

$230 BGN 401

-37.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,621 ₸1.2M

$2,268 BGN 3,947

15.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 ₸30.2K

$30.10 BGN 52.4

121.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.67 ₸18.4K

$19.62 BGN 34.13

107.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ₸32.4K

$45.86 BGN 79.8

56.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 ₸40.5K

$47.69 BGN 83.0

87.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 ₸149.2K

$518 BGN 902

-36.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ₸88.6K

$357 BGN 621

-45.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 ₸249.0K

$614 BGN 1,069

-10.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₸177.8K

$569 BGN 990

-30.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$813 ₸367.6K

$1,191 BGN 2,073

-31.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$659 ₸297.7K

$959 BGN 1,669

-31.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$564 ₸254.8K

$1,704 BGN 2,965

-66.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

368.23%

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

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Aktau

$200 25.3%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 4.3% $8.6

Accommodation & Living

Aktau

$196 24.7%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 82.1% $161

Eating Out

Aktau

$163 20.6%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 11% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Aktau

$121 15.3%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 46.7% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktau

$65 8.2%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 84.5% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Aktau

$42 5.3%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 1.4% $0.6

Getting Around

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 591% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $330 in Aktau versus $518 in Bansko. 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 202% higher in Bansko, 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 $44.00 in Aktau versus $45.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Aktau vs $192 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktau

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

16:44 4:44 PM

14:44 2:44 PM

2 h behind Aktau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,830

8,000

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aktau Bansko 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Aktau
Bansko

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

Aktau vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bansko costs about 21% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,189 per month in Aktau and $1,434 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Aktau and $45.00 in Bansko. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Bansko – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aktau, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Bansko at $956. In Aktau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aktau costs $793 versus $956 in Bansko. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Aktau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.