Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $3,504 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $30,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,504

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,504 per month in Amsterdam vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,504
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $5,010 per month in Amsterdam vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,010
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $6,516 per month in Amsterdam vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,516
Bansko $1,957

Amsterdam costs about 261% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Amsterdam sits 161% above the global median, while Bansko is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.37 €19.96

$8.66 BGN 15.15

158.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 €81.2

$46.63 BGN 81.6

95.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.36 €13.71

$9.01 BGN 15.77

70.48%

Cappuccino

$4.60 €4.11

$2.24 BGN 3.92

105.36%

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

$3.74 €3.33

$1.50 BGN 2.63

149.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.70

$0.86 BGN 1.51

252.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 €6.62

$1.76 BGN 3.07

321.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €5.07

$2.00 BGN 3.51

184.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-15.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 €2.13

$0.81 BGN 1.42

193.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$1.52 BGN 2.66

67.11%

Eggs

$5.24 €4.68

$2.30 BGN 4.02

127.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.95 €15.13

$9.60 BGN 16.81

76.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.41 €11.97

$6.32 BGN 11.06

112.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 €20.53

$8.64 BGN 15.12

166.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.45

$1.28 BGN 2.24

114.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$1.68 BGN 2.95

68.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.70 BGN 2.98

54.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 €3.45

$1.89 BGN 3.30

104.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$0.93 BGN 1.63

156.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.53

$0.76 BGN 1.32

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.28

$0.54 BGN 0.95

164.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.59

$0.58 BGN 1.02

206.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.48 €12.92

$3.44 BGN 6.02

320.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 €8.22

$5.14 BGN 9.00

79.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.11 BGN 1.94

60.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.26

$1.70 BGN 2.97

48.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.72 €3.32

$0.88 BGN 1.55

322.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €104

$26.76 BGN 46.83

334.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.19

$1.29 BGN 2.26

264.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.40 €3.04

$0.65 BGN 1.14

423.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.74 €34.57

$10.18 BGN 17.81

280.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.61 €2.33

$1.50 BGN 2.63

74.00%

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

$41.7K €37.2K

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

44.65%

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

$38.2K €34.1K

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

77.87%

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

$298 €266

$91.4 BGN 160

225.73%

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

$22.98 €20.51

$14.68 BGN 25.68

56.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 €47.26

$12.07 BGN 21.12

338.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 €53.9

$32.28 BGN 56.5

87.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.40 €31.59

$8.60 BGN 15.05

311.63%

Cinema Ticket

$16.86 €15.05

$5.63 BGN 9.86

199.47%

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

$2,764 €2,466

$228 BGN 400

1109.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.3K

$2,311 BGN 4,045

639.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €83.2

$30.48 BGN 53.3

205.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.20 €36.77

$19.01 BGN 33.26

116.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €89.3

$45.53 BGN 79.7

119.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €119

$48.67 BGN 85.2

173.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 €2,325

$521 BGN 913

399.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 €1,720

$367 BGN 643

424.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,903 €3,483

$634 BGN 1,110

515.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,115 €2,780

$558 BGN 976

458.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K €9,201

$1,204 BGN 2,106

756.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,540 €5,836

$971 BGN 1,699

573.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,524 €4,038

$1,670 BGN 2,923

170.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

2.99

9.36%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$1.9K 55.8%

Bansko

$367 38% 80.9% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$388 11.2%

Bansko

$193 20% 50.2% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$374 10.8%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 68.4% $256

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$356 10.3%

Bansko

$145 15% 59.1% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$165 4.8%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 60.9% $101

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 77.2% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$94 2.7%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 53.7% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,605 in Amsterdam versus $521 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 171% higher in Amsterdam, 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 $91.0 in Amsterdam versus $47.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $193 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

09:17 9:17 AM

1 h ahead of Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Amsterdam Bansko 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Amsterdam
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

Amsterdam vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 261%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,255 per month in Amsterdam and $1,455 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 334% less in Bansko. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,764 per month in Amsterdam and $228 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Amsterdam at $3,504. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam 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 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 Bansko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.