Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-mawsil and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $597 a month against $968 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
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Al-mawsil Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$597

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-mawsil 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 Al-mawsil and in Bansko actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $597 in Al-mawsil versus $968 in Bansko.

Al-mawsil $597
Bansko $968

Estimated couple costs with rent: $906 in Al-mawsil versus $1,479 in Bansko.

Al-mawsil $906
Bansko $1,479

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,214 in Al-mawsil versus $1,989 in Bansko.

Al-mawsil $1,214
Bansko $1,989

Living in Al-mawsil costs roughly 38% less than in Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-mawsil 56% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.17 IQD 6,296

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-52.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.66 IQD 16.1K

$45.43 BGN 79.1

-76.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 IQD 7,265

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-46.08%

Cappuccino

$0.68 IQD 1,029

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-70.82%

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

$0.32 IQD 482

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-78.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 IQD 265

$0.83 BGN 1.44

-78.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 IQD 1,224

$1.75 BGN 3.05

-53.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 IQD 2,029

$2.01 BGN 3.49

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 IQD 1,037

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-59.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 IQD 976

$0.86 BGN 1.49

-24.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 872

$1.46 BGN 2.55

-60.27%

Eggs

$0.95 IQD 1,435

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-59.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 IQD 10.9K

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-24.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 IQD 4,522

$6.30 BGN 10.96

-52.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.89 IQD 11.9K

$8.64 BGN 15.04

-8.68%

Apples (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,031

$1.32 BGN 2.29

-48.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,033

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-58.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.49 IQD 738

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-71.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.24 IQD 364

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-87.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 IQD 410

$0.95 BGN 1.66

-71.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 IQD 482

$0.72 BGN 1.26

-55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 911

$0.55 BGN 0.96

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 779

$0.59 BGN 1.03

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.61 IQD 2,425

$3.33 BGN 5.79

-51.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 IQD 16.3K

$5.08 BGN 8.84

112.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 IQD 2,237

$1.12 BGN 1.95

32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 IQD 2,810

$1.73 BGN 3.01

7.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 IQD 523

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-60.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.92 IQD 39.2K

$27.08 BGN 47.11

-4.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,521

$1.64 BGN 2.85

1.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 IQD 2,349

$0.91 BGN 1.59

70.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 IQD 6,008

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-60.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.29 IQD 432

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-80.67%

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

$13.4K IQD 20.2M

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

-53.25%

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

$15.4K IQD 23.3M

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

-27.28%

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

$90.9 IQD 137.3K

$92.5 BGN 161

-1.77%

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

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

$14.59 BGN 25.39

-17.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.19 IQD 35.0K

$12.13 BGN 21.11

91.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.94 IQD 55.8K

$31.84 BGN 55.4

16.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

$8.46 BGN 14.72

-20.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.54 IQD 9,880

$5.51 BGN 9.59

18.69%

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

$295 IQD 445.5K

$227 BGN 395

29.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$589 IQD 889.3K

$2,311 BGN 4,021

-74.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.58 IQD 25.1K

$30.56 BGN 53.2

-45.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.00 IQD 19.6K

$18.95 BGN 32.97

-31.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

$45.80 BGN 79.7

29.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$16.06 IQD 24.3K

$48.28 BGN 84.0

-66.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$212 IQD 319.8K

$510 BGN 887

-58.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 IQD 210.0K

$364 BGN 634

-61.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 IQD 564.8K

$624 BGN 1,085

-40.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 IQD 475.0K

$566 BGN 985

-44.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$868 IQD 1.3M

$1,166 BGN 2,028

-25.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 IQD 741.2K

$969 BGN 1,686

-49.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$522 IQD 788.5K

$1,680 BGN 2,923

-68.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

2.99

-15.38%

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

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 31, 2026

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al-mawsil

$139 23.3%

Bansko

$364 37.6% 162% $225

Groceries & Markets

Al-mawsil

$133 22.3%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 45% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-mawsil

$126 21.1%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 5.5% $6.9

Eating Out

Al-mawsil

$65 10.8%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 128% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 14.3% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Al-mawsil

$47 7.9%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 36.8% $17

Getting Around

Al-mawsil

$37 6.2%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $212 in Al-mawsil and $510 in Bansko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bansko pays about 3.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $11 in Al-mawsil vs $45 in Bansko for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $133 vs $193 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

13:07 1:07 PM

12:07 12:07 PM

1 h behind Al-mawsil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,683,000

8,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,697 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 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 IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al-mawsil Bansko 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Al-mawsil
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

Al-mawsil vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Al-mawsil. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $212 in Al-mawsil versus $510 in Bansko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $295 in Al-mawsil versus $227 in Bansko. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Bansko. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Bansko. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.