Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Ula and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $968 a month against $1,230 in Al-Ula, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

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

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Al-Ula

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,230

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,230 per month in Al-Ula vs $968 in Bansko, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,230
Bansko $968

A couple spends around $1,822 per month in Al-Ula vs $1,479 in Bansko, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,822
Bansko $1,479

A family of three spends $2,414 per month in Al-Ula vs $1,989 in Bansko, rent included.

Al-Ula $2,414
Bansko $1,989

Al-Ula costs about 27% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Al-Ula and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Al-Ula 9% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 SAR 28.12

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-15.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.71 SAR 142

$45.43 BGN 79.1

-16.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 SAR 29.80

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-10.99%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 SAR 8.55

Cappuccino

$3.20 SAR 12.02

$2.33 BGN 4.06

37.34%

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

$0.88 SAR 3.30

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-40.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$0.83 BGN 1.44

-69.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 BGN 3.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 BGN 3.49

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 SAR 7.26

$1.72 BGN 3.00

12.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 SAR 4.64

$0.86 BGN 1.49

44.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.81

$1.46 BGN 2.55

60.96%

Eggs

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$2.33 BGN 4.06

4.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 SAR 28.35

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-20.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 SAR 30.29

$6.30 BGN 10.96

28.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 SAR 47.10

$8.64 BGN 15.04

45.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 SAR 8.00

$1.32 BGN 2.29

61.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 SAR 5.73

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-7.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.86

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.14

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-15.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.74

$0.95 BGN 1.66

32.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$0.72 BGN 1.26

77.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 SAR 4.77

$0.55 BGN 0.96

130.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.05

$0.59 BGN 1.03

-6.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.01 SAR 11.28

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 SAR 25.38

$3.33 BGN 5.79

103.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 BGN 8.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 BGN 1.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 SAR 4.03

$0.89 BGN 1.55

20.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.17 SAR 140

$27.08 BGN 47.11

37.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 SAR 9.96

$1.64 BGN 2.85

61.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$0.91 BGN 1.59

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.08 SAR 60.3

$10.00 BGN 17.39

60.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 SAR 2.58

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-54.00%

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

$30.1K SAR 112.9K

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

5.30%

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

$22.0K SAR 82.7K

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

3.81%

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

$112 SAR 419

$92.5 BGN 161

20.60%

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

$32.23 SAR 121

$14.59 BGN 25.39

120.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 SAR 279

$12.13 BGN 21.11

513.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.8 SAR 315

$31.84 BGN 55.4

163.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 BGN 14.72

Cinema Ticket

$13.90 SAR 52.2

$5.51 BGN 9.59

152.27%

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

$460 SAR 1,728

$227 BGN 395

102.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K SAR 41.3K

$2,311 BGN 4,021

375.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.58 SAR 141

$30.56 BGN 53.2

22.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 SAR 213

$18.95 BGN 32.97

199.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 SAR 373

$45.80 BGN 79.7

116.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 SAR 318

$48.28 BGN 84.0

75.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 SAR 2,266

$510 BGN 887

18.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 SAR 1,474

$364 BGN 634

7.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 SAR 3,379

$624 BGN 1,085

44.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 SAR 2,296

$566 BGN 985

8.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,857 SAR 6,969

$1,166 BGN 2,028

59.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,089 SAR 4,088

$969 BGN 1,686

12.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,680 BGN 2,923

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

2.99

85.28%

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

Last update for Al-Ula: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al-Ula

$393 31.9%

Bansko

$364 37.6% 7.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Ula

$218 17.7%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 45.3% $99

Groceries & Markets

Al-Ula

$204 16.6%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 5.2% $11

Eating Out

Al-Ula

$127 10.3%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 16.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Ula

$125 10.2%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 48.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Ula

$112 9.1%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 61.6% $69

Getting Around

Al-Ula

$52 4.2%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 29% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $604 in Al-Ula versus $510 in Bansko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Al-Ula versus $45 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $204 in Al-Ula vs $193 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al-Ula

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

06:45 6:45 AM

05:45 5:45 AM

1 h behind Al-Ula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,413

8,000

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 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 SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Al-Ula Bansko 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,230 in Al-Ula, $968 in Bansko – Bansko comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,845 per month in Al-Ula and $1,452 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bansko, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $510 there versus $604 in Al-Ula.

Kindergarten costs $460 per month in Al-Ula and $227 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Al-Ula, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $968, than in Al-Ula at $1,230. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Al-Ula it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bansko – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.