Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atsugi and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $1,244 in Atsugi, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Atsugi
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,244
/mo nomad
Bansko
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$956
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Atsugi versus $956 in Bansko.

  • Atsugi $1,244
  • Bansko $956

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,157 in Atsugi versus $1,467 in Bansko.

  • Atsugi $2,157
  • Bansko $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,070 in Atsugi versus $1,979 in Bansko.

  • Atsugi $3,070
  • Bansko $1,979

Living in Atsugi is roughly 30% more expensive than in Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Atsugi 8% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Atsugi
Bansko
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 ¥1,252
$8.66 BGN 15.06
-8.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.65 ¥4,052
$44.94 BGN 78.2
-42.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.95 ¥782
$8.78 BGN 15.28
-43.62%
Cappuccino
$1.90 ¥301
$2.33 BGN 4.05
-18.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ¥147
$1.57 BGN 2.74
-40.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 ¥107
$0.82 BGN 1.43
-17.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.72 ¥429
$1.68 BGN 2.92
61.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 ¥484
$1.98 BGN 3.45
55.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Atsugi
Bansko
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 ¥238
$1.73 BGN 3.00
-12.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 ¥233
$0.80 BGN 1.40
85.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.05 ¥640
$1.44 BGN 2.51
181.25%
Eggs
$2.08 ¥328
$2.36 BGN 4.10
-11.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.93 ¥2,517
$9.39 BGN 16.34
69.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.48 ¥708
$6.41 BGN 11.15
-30.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.30 ¥1,943
$8.48 BGN 14.76
45.05%
Apples (1kg)
$5.30 ¥838
$1.31 BGN 2.28
304.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 ¥312
$1.62 BGN 2.82
22.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.80 ¥601
$1.73 BGN 3.01
119.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.70 ¥426
$1.94 BGN 3.38
39.18%
Potato (1kg)
$2.64 ¥417
$0.94 BGN 1.63
180.85%
Onion (1kg)
$1.92 ¥304
$0.76 BGN 1.32
152.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 ¥184
$0.55 BGN 0.95
110.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 ¥142
$0.59 BGN 1.02
52.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.52 ¥557
$3.25 BGN 5.66
8.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.35 ¥1,477
$5.20 BGN 9.05
79.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ¥255
$1.09 BGN 1.89
47.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 ¥340
$1.68 BGN 2.92
27.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Atsugi
Bansko
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 ¥412
$0.84 BGN 1.45
210.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.4 ¥8,275
$27.06 BGN 47.09
93.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.11 ¥491
$1.34 BGN 2.34
132.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.81 ¥445
$0.65 BGN 1.14
332.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.62 ¥1,520
$10.06 BGN 17.51
-4.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 ¥166
$1.48 BGN 2.57
-29.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$12.7K ¥2.0M
$29.1K BGN 50.7K
-56.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.3K ¥2.4M
$20.9K BGN 36.4K
-26.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Atsugi
Bansko
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$230 ¥36.3K
$92.4 BGN 161
148.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.11 ¥2,230
$14.52 BGN 25.26
-2.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.54 ¥4,825
$12.32 BGN 21.43
147.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Atsugi
Bansko
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 ¥8,147
$31.70 BGN 55.2
62.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.46 ¥1,179
$8.53 BGN 14.84
-12.54%
Cinema Ticket
$11.56 ¥1,827
$5.62 BGN 9.78
105.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Atsugi
Bansko
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$321 ¥50.7K
$230 BGN 401
39.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,085 ¥961.3K
$2,268 BGN 3,947
168.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Atsugi
Bansko
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.67 ¥6,425
$30.10 BGN 52.4
35.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.20 ¥3,824
$19.62 BGN 34.13
23.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$53.4 ¥8,433
$45.86 BGN 79.8
16.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$31.98 ¥5,053
$47.69 BGN 83.0
-32.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Atsugi
Bansko
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$523 ¥82.6K
$518 BGN 902
0.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$334 ¥52.7K
$357 BGN 621
-6.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,090 ¥172.2K
$614 BGN 1,069
77.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 ¥199.1K
$569 BGN 990
121.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,945 ¥623.3K
$1,191 BGN 2,073
231.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,794 ¥283.4K
$959 BGN 1,669
87.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Atsugi
Bansko
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,774 ¥596.3K
$1,704 BGN 2,965
121.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.02
2.99
-32.44%

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

Last update for Atsugi: 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
Atsugi
$334
Bansko
$357 7% $23
Groceries & Markets
Atsugi
$287
Bansko
$192 33.1% $95
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Atsugi
$274
Bansko
$119 56.5% $155
Eating Out
Atsugi
$127
Bansko
$145 14.3% $18
Getting Around
Atsugi
$80
Bansko
$35 56.2% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Atsugi
$75
Bansko
$43 42.5% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Atsugi
$68
Bansko
$64 4.6% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $523 in Atsugi and $518 in Bansko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atsugi pays 122% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $26.00 in Atsugi vs $45.00 in Bansko. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $192, with Bansko cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Atsugi
🇧🇬 Bansko
🕒 Local time
13:40 1:40 PM
07:40 7:40 AM
6 h behind Atsugi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
223,705
8,000
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Atsugi Bansko 9,230 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Atsugi
  • 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
Atsugi vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Atsugi and in Bansko?
Atsugi and Bansko differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $956 including rent). Bansko is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Atsugi or Bansko?
Average pay runs 122% higher in Atsugi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Atsugi and in Bansko?
Rent for a central apartment: $523 in Atsugi versus $518 in Bansko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Bansko – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $26.00 in Atsugi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Atsugi or Bansko?
All in, you'll spend $1,244 per month in Atsugi versus $956 in Bansko – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $956 in Bansko versus $1,244 in Atsugi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bansko but tight or insufficient in Atsugi. The gap between the two cities makes Bansko the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Atsugi and Bansko?
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.
Is Atsugi or Bansko safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Atsugi and Bansko are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Atsugi or Bansko?
Expats usually find Bansko gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Atsugi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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