Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Badulla and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Badulla: $543 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
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Badulla Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$543

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $543 in Badulla versus $956 in Bansko.

Badulla $543
Bansko $956

Estimated couple costs with rent: $877 in Badulla versus $1,467 in Bansko.

Badulla $877
Bansko $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,211 in Badulla versus $1,979 in Bansko.

Badulla $1,211
Bansko $1,979

Living in Badulla costs roughly 43% less than in Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Badulla 60% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 LKR 1,287

$8.66 BGN 15.06

-55.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.05 LKR 8,298

$44.94 BGN 78.2

-44.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.37 LKR 2,442

$8.78 BGN 15.28

-16.06%

Cappuccino

$2.55 LKR 844

$2.33 BGN 4.05

9.44%

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

$0.71 LKR 236

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-54.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.5

$0.82 BGN 1.43

-67.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 735

$1.68 BGN 2.92

32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,015

$1.98 BGN 3.45

55.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 LKR 514

$1.73 BGN 3.00

-10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 174

$0.80 BGN 1.40

-33.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 LKR 199

$1.44 BGN 2.51

-58.33%

Eggs

$1.66 LKR 551

$2.36 BGN 4.10

-29.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 LKR 4,627

$9.39 BGN 16.34

48.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 LKR 1,178

$6.41 BGN 11.15

-44.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 LKR 2,522

$8.48 BGN 14.76

-10.14%

Apples (1kg)

$6.65 LKR 2,202

$1.31 BGN 2.28

407.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.62 BGN 2.82

-46.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 LKR 1,440

$1.73 BGN 3.01

151.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 439

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-31.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 329

$0.94 BGN 1.63

5.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$0.76 BGN 1.32

1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 LKR 287

$0.55 BGN 0.95

58.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$0.59 BGN 1.02

-23.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 LKR 3,354

$3.25 BGN 5.66

211.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 LKR 4,221

$5.20 BGN 9.05

145.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 LKR 628

$1.09 BGN 1.89

74.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 971

$1.68 BGN 2.92

74.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BGN 1.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$1.34 BGN 2.34

-71.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.65 BGN 1.14

-43.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 293

$10.06 BGN 17.51

-91.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 456

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-6.76%

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

$36.5K LKR 12.1M

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

25.30%

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

$40.7K LKR 13.5M

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

94.64%

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

$57.9 LKR 19.2K

$92.4 BGN 161

-37.41%

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

$4.31 LKR 1,429

$14.52 BGN 25.26

-70.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.13 LKR 6,998

$12.32 BGN 21.43

71.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.70 BGN 55.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 LKR 1,488

$5.62 BGN 9.78

-20.11%

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

$38.34 LKR 12.7K

$230 BGN 401

-83.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,205 LKR 399.2K

$2,268 BGN 3,947

-46.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.44 LKR 6,108

$30.10 BGN 52.4

-38.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.32 LKR 5,405

$19.62 BGN 34.13

-16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 LKR 26.6K

$45.86 BGN 79.8

74.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.30 LKR 13.7K

$47.69 BGN 83.0

-13.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.1 LKR 25.2K

$518 BGN 902

-85.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$44.45 LKR 14.7K

$357 BGN 621

-87.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 BGN 1,069

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.9 LKR 29.8K

$569 BGN 990

-84.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,542 LKR 1.5M

$1,191 BGN 2,073

281.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$742 LKR 245.8K

$959 BGN 1,669

-22.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$224 LKR 74.3K

$1,704 BGN 2,965

-86.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

2.99

324.41%

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

Last update for Badulla: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Badulla

$229 42.2%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 16.3% $37

Eating Out

Badulla

$105 19.3%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 38.6% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Badulla

$83 15.3%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 43.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Badulla

$70 12.9%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 8.3% $5.9

Accommodation & Living

Badulla

$44 8.2%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 703% $312

Sport & Entertainment

Badulla

$9 * 1.7%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 378% $34

Getting Around

Badulla

$2.2 * 0.4%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 1463% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $76.1 in Badulla and $518 in Bansko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bansko pays 659% 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: $25.00 in Badulla vs $45.00 in Bansko. Groceries flip the comparison at $229 vs $192, with Bansko cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Badulla

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

15:22 3:22 PM

12:52 12:52 PM

2 h 30 min behind Badulla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

8,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Badulla Bansko 6,830 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Badulla
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

Badulla vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and leisure. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 659% lower in Bansko. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $76.1 in Badulla versus $518 in Bansko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $38.34 in Badulla versus $230 in Bansko. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $45.00 in Bansko. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $543 in Badulla versus $956 in Bansko, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Bansko. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Badulla is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bansko, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Badulla 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.

Expats usually find Badulla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Bansko. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.