Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $968 a month against $1,032 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baghdad outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,032

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,032 in Baghdad versus $968 in Bansko.

Baghdad $1,032
Bansko $968

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,490 in Baghdad versus $1,479 in Bansko.

Baghdad $1,490
Bansko $1,479

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,949 in Baghdad versus $1,989 in Bansko.

Baghdad $1,949
Bansko $1,989

Living in Baghdad is roughly 7% more expensive than in Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 24% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.34 IQD 6,556

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-50.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.47 IQD 40.0K

$45.43 BGN 79.1

-41.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 IQD 9,677

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-28.25%

Cappuccino

$2.67 IQD 4,034

$2.33 BGN 4.06

14.59%

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

$0.39 IQD 587

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-73.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$0.83 BGN 1.44

-73.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 IQD 4,857

$1.75 BGN 3.05

83.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 IQD 4,937

$2.01 BGN 3.49

62.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 IQD 1,378

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-47.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,006

$0.86 BGN 1.49

-22.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,077

$1.46 BGN 2.55

-6.16%

Eggs

$1.69 IQD 2,557

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-27.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.37 IQD 5,091

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-64.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.90 IQD 5,900

$6.30 BGN 10.96

-38.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.44 IQD 18.8K

$8.64 BGN 15.04

43.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,557

$1.32 BGN 2.29

-21.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,356

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-45.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,418

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-45.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 963

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-67.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 IQD 904

$0.95 BGN 1.66

-36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 861

$0.72 BGN 1.26

-20.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 IQD 883

$0.55 BGN 0.96

5.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 IQD 935

$0.59 BGN 1.03

5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 IQD 2,331

$3.33 BGN 5.79

-53.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 IQD 18.1K

$5.08 BGN 8.84

135.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,874

$1.12 BGN 1.95

69.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 IQD 2,833

$1.73 BGN 3.01

8.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 IQD 518

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-61.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.50 IQD 29.5K

$27.08 BGN 47.11

-27.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 IQD 3,059

$1.64 BGN 2.85

23.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 IQD 1,976

$0.91 BGN 1.59

43.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 IQD 10.2K

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-32.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 870

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-61.33%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

-42.65%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

-22.93%

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

$191 IQD 288.4K

$92.5 BGN 161

106.28%

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

$20.02 IQD 30.3K

$14.59 BGN 25.39

37.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

$12.13 BGN 21.11

218.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.72 IQD 60.0K

$31.84 BGN 55.4

24.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 IQD 27.8K

$8.46 BGN 14.72

117.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 IQD 15.1K

$5.51 BGN 9.59

81.13%

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

$145 IQD 218.4K

$227 BGN 395

-36.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,369 IQD 8.1M

$2,311 BGN 4,021

132.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.76 IQD 37.4K

$30.56 BGN 53.2

-18.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 IQD 50.0K

$18.95 BGN 32.97

74.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.3 IQD 89.6K

$45.80 BGN 79.7

29.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.11 IQD 63.6K

$48.28 BGN 84.0

-12.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 IQD 800.5K

$510 BGN 887

3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 IQD 526.3K

$364 BGN 634

-4.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 IQD 1.5M

$624 BGN 1,085

58.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 IQD 923.3K

$566 BGN 985

7.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,348 IQD 6.6M

$1,166 BGN 2,028

272.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

$969 BGN 1,686

44.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$517 IQD 780.9K

$1,680 BGN 2,923

-69.24%

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 Baghdad: October 31, 2026

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$348 33.8%

Bansko

$364 37.6% 4.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$250 24.2%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 52.2% $130

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$162 15.7%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 18.9% $31

Eating Out

Baghdad

$111 10.8%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 32.8% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$72 7%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 9.8% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$60 5.8%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 28.2% $17

Getting Around

Baghdad

$29 2.9%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 25.1% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $530 in Baghdad and $510 in Bansko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bansko pays about 3.3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26 in Baghdad vs $45 in Bansko for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $193 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

01:10 1:10 AM

1 h behind Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

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 5, 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 5, 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

Baghdad Bansko 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Baghdad
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

Baghdad vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bansko wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bansko the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Baghdad. 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: $530 in Baghdad versus $510 in Bansko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 28% less than in Bansko. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $145 in Baghdad versus $227 in Bansko. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bansko gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.