Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aqaba and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Aqaba: $919 a month against $968 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $590 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bansko outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Aqaba
Learn more

Aqaba Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Aqaba

🇯🇴 Jordan

$919

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $919 per month in Aqaba vs $968 in Bansko, rent included.

Aqaba $919
Bansko $968

A couple spends around $1,504 per month in Aqaba vs $1,479 in Bansko, rent included.

Aqaba $1,504
Bansko $1,479

A family of three spends $2,088 per month in Aqaba vs $1,989 in Bansko, rent included.

Aqaba $2,088
Bansko $1,989

Aqaba is about 5% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Aqaba and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Aqaba 32% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 JOD 2.05

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-67.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 JOD 49.93

$45.43 BGN 79.1

55.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.21 JOD 2.98

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-52.80%

Cappuccino

$4.43 JOD 3.13

$2.33 BGN 4.06

90.13%

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

$0.65 JOD 0.46

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-56.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 JOD 0.38

$0.83 BGN 1.44

-34.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.54 JOD 6.04

$1.75 BGN 3.05

388.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.02 JOD 7.80

$2.01 BGN 3.49

448.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 JOD 0.36

$0.86 BGN 1.49

-40.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 JOD 1.10

$1.46 BGN 2.55

6.16%

Eggs

$1.70 JOD 1.21

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-27.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.57 JOD 3.94

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-41.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 JOD 3.08

$6.30 BGN 10.96

-31.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 JOD 6.89

$8.64 BGN 15.04

12.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 JOD 1.03

$1.32 BGN 2.29

9.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 JOD 0.98

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-15.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 JOD 0.74

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-40.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 JOD 0.52

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-62.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 JOD 0.52

$0.95 BGN 1.66

-22.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 JOD 0.52

$0.72 BGN 1.26

1.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 JOD 0.42

$0.55 BGN 0.96

7.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 JOD 0.41

$0.59 BGN 1.03

-1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 JOD 2.76

$3.33 BGN 5.79

17.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.22 JOD 12.19

$5.08 BGN 8.84

238.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 JOD 1.95

$1.12 BGN 1.95

145.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 JOD 1.77

$1.73 BGN 3.01

44.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.08 BGN 47.11

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 JOD 0.36

$1.64 BGN 2.85

-68.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 JOD 0.98

$0.91 BGN 1.59

51.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 JOD 4.90

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-30.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 JOD 1.04

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-2.67%

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

$30.6K JOD 21.7K

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

7.13%

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

$31.3K JOD 22.2K

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

47.62%

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

$136 JOD 96.6

$92.5 BGN 161

47.48%

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

$15.27 JOD 10.81

$14.59 BGN 25.39

4.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.17 JOD 22.77

$12.13 BGN 21.11

165.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 JOD 44.73

$31.84 BGN 55.4

98.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 BGN 14.72

Cinema Ticket

$11.25 JOD 7.96

$5.51 BGN 9.59

104.17%

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

$544 JOD 385

$227 BGN 395

139.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,805 JOD 1,985

$2,311 BGN 4,021

21.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.97 JOD 19.80

$30.56 BGN 53.2

-8.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.90 JOD 30.36

$18.95 BGN 32.97

126.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.39 JOD 30.00

$45.80 BGN 79.7

-7.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 JOD 50.4

$48.28 BGN 84.0

47.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 JOD 199

$510 BGN 887

-44.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 JOD 149

$364 BGN 634

-42.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 JOD 483

$624 BGN 1,085

9.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 JOD 321

$566 BGN 985

-20.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,108 JOD 785

$1,166 BGN 2,028

-4.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$561 JOD 397

$969 BGN 1,686

-42.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$570 JOD 404

$1,680 BGN 2,923

-66.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

2.99

132.11%

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

Last update for Aqaba: 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

Aqaba

$211 23%

Bansko

$364 37.6% 72.6% $153

Groceries & Markets

Aqaba

$190 20.7%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 1.7% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aqaba

$184 20%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 35.1% $65

Eating Out

Aqaba

$158 17.2%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 6.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Aqaba

$86 9.3%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 50% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Aqaba

$83 9%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 22.2% $18

Getting Around

Aqaba

$7.4 * 0.8%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 397% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $281 in Aqaba 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.

Salaries in Bansko are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Aqaba versus $45 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Aqaba vs $193 in Bansko – so Aqaba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇴 Aqaba

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

21:09 9:09 PM

1 h behind Aqaba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

140,000

8,000

💱 Currency

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to JOD – Jordanian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇴 Jordanian Dinar (د.ا)

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.795 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to JOD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aqaba Bansko 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Aqaba
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

Aqaba vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bansko is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,379 per month in Aqaba 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 Aqaba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $510 in Bansko.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Aqaba and $45 in Bansko. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Aqaba and $227 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aqaba costs $919 versus $968 in Bansko. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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

If budget matters most, go with Aqaba. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.