Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between As Samawah and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in As Samawah: $651 a month against $968 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in As Samawah
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As Samawah Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$651

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $651 in As Samawah versus $968 in Bansko.

As Samawah $651
Bansko $968

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,052 in As Samawah versus $1,479 in Bansko.

As Samawah $1,052
Bansko $1,479

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,452 in As Samawah versus $1,989 in Bansko.

As Samawah $1,452
Bansko $1,989

Living in As Samawah costs roughly 33% less than in Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: As Samawah 52% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 IQD 7,041

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-47.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.87 IQD 40.6K

$45.43 BGN 79.1

-40.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 IQD 10.0K

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-25.67%

Cappuccino

$2.82 IQD 4,266

$2.33 BGN 4.06

21.03%

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

$0.35 IQD 522

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-76.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 281

$0.83 BGN 1.44

-77.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 IQD 5,079

$1.75 BGN 3.05

92.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$2.01 BGN 3.49

61.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 IQD 1,367

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-47.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 IQD 951

$0.86 BGN 1.49

-26.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 IQD 1,978

$1.46 BGN 2.55

-10.27%

Eggs

$1.61 IQD 2,436

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-30.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.34 IQD 2,019

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-85.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 IQD 6,070

$6.30 BGN 10.96

-36.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 IQD 17.9K

$8.64 BGN 15.04

37.27%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,455

$1.32 BGN 2.29

-27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,383

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-44.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 IQD 1,256

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-52.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 IQD 606

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-79.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 IQD 784

$0.95 BGN 1.66

-45.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 851

$0.72 BGN 1.26

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 IQD 892

$0.55 BGN 0.96

7.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 IQD 878

$0.59 BGN 1.03

-1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 IQD 2,548

$3.33 BGN 5.79

-49.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

$5.08 BGN 8.84

31.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 IQD 2,973

$1.12 BGN 1.95

75.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 IQD 2,854

$1.73 BGN 3.01

9.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 517

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-61.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.98 IQD 30.2K

$27.08 BGN 47.11

-26.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$1.64 BGN 2.85

19.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 IQD 1,940

$0.91 BGN 1.59

40.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 IQD 3,937

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-73.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 866

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-62.00%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

-41.39%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

-21.69%

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

$69.4 IQD 104.9K

$92.5 BGN 161

-24.99%

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

$16.69 IQD 25.2K

$14.59 BGN 25.39

14.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.78 IQD 25.3K

$12.13 BGN 21.11

38.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

$31.84 BGN 55.4

14.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.68 IQD 25.2K

$8.46 BGN 14.72

97.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 IQD 11.8K

$5.51 BGN 9.59

41.74%

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

$49.72 IQD 75.1K

$227 BGN 395

-78.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,297 IQD 2.0M

$2,311 BGN 4,021

-43.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.54 IQD 38.6K

$30.56 BGN 53.2

-16.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.33 IQD 50.4K

$18.95 BGN 32.97

75.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 IQD 89.0K

$45.80 BGN 79.7

28.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.08 IQD 62.1K

$48.28 BGN 84.0

-14.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 IQD 316.2K

$510 BGN 887

-58.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 IQD 207.7K

$364 BGN 634

-62.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 IQD 254.1K

$624 BGN 1,085

-73.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 IQD 467.1K

$566 BGN 985

-45.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 IQD 1.3M

$1,166 BGN 2,028

-25.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$496 IQD 750.1K

$969 BGN 1,686

-48.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,680 BGN 2,923

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

2.99

37.79%

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

Last update for As Samawah: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

As Samawah

$141 21.7%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 36.6% $52

Accommodation & Living

As Samawah

$137 21.1%

Bansko

$364 37.6% 165% $227

Eating Out

As Samawah

$116 17.9%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 26.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

As Samawah

$103 15.8%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 15.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

As Samawah

$71 11%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 9.6% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

As Samawah

$52 8%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 17.7% $9.2

Getting Around

As Samawah

$30 4.6%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 23.9% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in As Samawah and $510 in Bansko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in As Samawah vs $45 in Bansko for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $141 vs $193 per month, with As Samawah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

06:19 6:19 AM

1 h behind As Samawah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,000

8,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 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 = 1,696 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 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

As Samawah Bansko 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

As Samawah
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

As Samawah vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Samawah is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $977 in As Samawah and $1,452 in Bansko to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $209 in As Samawah versus $510 in Bansko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in As Samawah runs roughly 26% less than in Bansko. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $50 in As Samawah versus $227 in Bansko. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 As Samawah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Bansko. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.