Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alor Setar and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Alor Setar: $881 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bansko outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Alor Setar
Learn more

Alor Setar Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$881

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $881 per month in Alor Setar vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Alor Setar $881
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $1,277 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,277
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $1,672 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,672
Bansko $1,979

Alor Setar is about 8% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Alor Setar and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Alor Setar 35% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$8.66 BGN 15.06

-75.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.30 MYR 50.2

$44.94 BGN 78.2

-72.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 MYR 17.44

$8.78 BGN 15.28

-51.25%

Cappuccino

$1.82 MYR 7.40

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-21.89%

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

$0.56 MYR 2.30

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-64.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.24

$0.82 BGN 1.43

-63.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.25 MYR 17.33

$1.68 BGN 2.92

152.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MYR 17.68

$1.98 BGN 3.45

118.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MYR 6.51

$1.73 BGN 3.00

-7.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MYR 3.49

$0.80 BGN 1.40

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.85

$1.44 BGN 2.51

16.67%

Eggs

$1.51 MYR 6.17

$2.36 BGN 4.10

-36.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 MYR 55.6

$9.39 BGN 16.34

45.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.76

$6.41 BGN 11.15

-32.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.75 MYR 35.68

$8.48 BGN 14.76

3.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 11.98

$1.31 BGN 2.28

124.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.04

$1.62 BGN 2.82

-23.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 MYR 11.10

$1.73 BGN 3.01

57.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.91

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-25.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.33

$0.94 BGN 1.63

12.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.62

$0.76 BGN 1.32

48.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.48

$0.55 BGN 0.95

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.18

$0.59 BGN 1.02

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.37

$3.25 BGN 5.66

38.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.89 MYR 77.1

$5.20 BGN 9.05

263.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 MYR 11.83

$1.09 BGN 1.89

166.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 MYR 21.88

$1.68 BGN 2.92

219.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MYR 3.21

$0.84 BGN 1.45

-5.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.78 MYR 43.98

$27.06 BGN 47.09

-60.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$1.34 BGN 2.34

24.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MYR 1.65

$0.65 BGN 1.14

-38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 MYR 30.08

$10.06 BGN 17.51

-26.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-65.54%

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

$41.8K MYR 170.3K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

43.28%

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

$35.9K MYR 146.6K

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

71.77%

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

$37.61 MYR 153

$92.4 BGN 161

-59.31%

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

$7.49 MYR 30.57

$14.52 BGN 25.26

-48.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.82 MYR 89.0

$12.32 BGN 21.43

77.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.96 MYR 163

$31.70 BGN 55.2

26.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.19 MYR 29.33

$8.53 BGN 14.84

-15.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MYR 20.19

$5.62 BGN 9.78

-11.92%

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

$427 MYR 1,741

$230 BGN 401

85.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.7K

$2,268 BGN 3,947

371.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 MYR 246

$30.10 BGN 52.4

100.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 MYR 141

$19.62 BGN 34.13

75.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 MYR 336

$45.86 BGN 79.8

79.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 MYR 281

$47.69 BGN 83.0

44.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 MYR 1,513

$518 BGN 902

-28.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 MYR 1,246

$357 BGN 621

-14.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 MYR 2,700

$614 BGN 1,069

7.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 MYR 1,831

$569 BGN 990

-21.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,986 MYR 8,103

$1,191 BGN 2,073

66.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$970 MYR 3,958

$959 BGN 1,669

1.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,642 MYR 6,697

$1,704 BGN 2,965

-3.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

2.99

35.12%

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

Last update for Alor Setar: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alor Setar

$305 34.7%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 16.9% $52

Groceries & Markets

Alor Setar

$246 27.9%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 21.9% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Alor Setar

$111 12.6%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 41.8% $46

Eating Out

Alor Setar

$85 9.6%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 71.9% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alor Setar

$67 7.6%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 78.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Alor Setar

$50 5.7%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 13.9% $6.9

Getting Around

Alor Setar

$18 2%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 98.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $371 in Alor Setar 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 4% 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 $12.00 in Alor Setar versus $45.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Alor Setar vs $192 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Alor Setar

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

21:52 9:52 PM

5 h behind Alor Setar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

423,868

8,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alor Setar Bansko 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Alor Setar
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

Alor Setar vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bansko costs about 9% more than Alor Setar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,321 per month in Alor Setar 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 Alor Setar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $427 per month in Alor Setar and $230 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 28% 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 Alor Setar, where all-in costs run around $881, than in Bansko at $956. In Alor Setar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Alor Setar costs $881 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 Alor Setar. 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.