Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandung: $641 a month against $970 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bandung
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$641
/mo nomad
Bansko
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$970
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $641 in Bandung versus $970 in Bansko.

  • Bandung $641
  • Bansko $970

Estimated couple costs with rent: $947 in Bandung versus $1,464 in Bansko.

  • Bandung $947
  • Bansko $1,464

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,252 in Bandung versus $1,957 in Bansko.

  • Bandung $1,252
  • Bansko $1,957

Living in Bandung costs roughly 34% less than in Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bandung
Bansko
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.42 Rp 25.4K
$8.66 BGN 15.15
-83.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.13 Rp 252.5K
$46.63 BGN 81.6
-69.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.31 Rp 59.1K
$9.01 BGN 15.77
-63.26%
Cappuccino
$1.48 Rp 26.5K
$2.24 BGN 3.92
-33.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 Rp 8,397
$1.50 BGN 2.63
-68.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 Rp 3,921
$0.86 BGN 1.51
-74.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.09 Rp 55.1K
$1.76 BGN 3.07
75.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 Rp 53.5K
$2.00 BGN 3.51
49.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bandung
Bansko
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 Rp 20.1K
$1.79 BGN 3.14
-36.87%
White Bread (500g)
$0.99 Rp 17.7K
$0.81 BGN 1.42
22.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.88 Rp 15.7K
$1.52 BGN 2.66
-42.11%
Eggs
$1.47 Rp 26.3K
$2.30 BGN 4.02
-36.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.36 Rp 131.6K
$9.60 BGN 16.81
-23.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.81 Rp 50.3K
$6.32 BGN 11.06
-55.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.75 Rp 138.6K
$8.64 BGN 15.12
-10.30%
Apples (1kg)
$2.19 Rp 39.1K
$1.28 BGN 2.24
71.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 Rp 19.1K
$1.68 BGN 2.95
-36.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.50 Rp 26.8K
$1.70 BGN 2.98
-11.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.96 Rp 17.1K
$1.89 BGN 3.30
-49.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 Rp 19.6K
$0.93 BGN 1.63
18.28%
Onion (1kg)
$1.95 Rp 34.8K
$0.76 BGN 1.32
156.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.70 Rp 12.5K
$0.54 BGN 0.95
29.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 Rp 7,728
$0.58 BGN 1.02
-25.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.62 Rp 46.9K
$3.44 BGN 6.02
-23.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.77 Rp 407.0K
$5.14 BGN 9.00
343.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 Rp 32.6K
$1.11 BGN 1.94
63.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 Rp 56.8K
$1.70 BGN 2.97
87.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Bandung
Bansko
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,788
$0.88 BGN 1.55
-69.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.61 Rp 171.7K
$26.76 BGN 46.83
-64.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.86 Rp 15.3K
$1.29 BGN 2.26
-33.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.55 Rp 9,771
$0.65 BGN 1.14
-15.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.23 Rp 39.8K
$10.18 BGN 17.81
-78.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 Rp 16.1K
$1.50 BGN 2.63
-40.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K Rp 376.3M
$28.8K BGN 50.4K
-26.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.2K Rp 522.8M
$21.5K BGN 37.5K
36.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bandung
Bansko
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$33.58 Rp 600.2K
$91.4 BGN 160
-63.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.25 Rp 75.9K
$14.68 BGN 25.68
-71.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.25 Rp 344.1K
$12.07 BGN 21.12
59.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bandung
Bansko
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.05 Rp 322.6K
$32.28 BGN 56.5
-44.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.00 Rp 107.3K
$8.60 BGN 15.05
-30.23%
Cinema Ticket
$2.84 Rp 50.8K
$5.63 BGN 9.86
-49.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bandung
Bansko
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$95.7 Rp 1.7M
$228 BGN 400
-58.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,240 Rp 147.3M
$2,311 BGN 4,045
256.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bandung
Bansko
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.08 Rp 698.5K
$30.48 BGN 53.3
28.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.18 Rp 575.3K
$19.01 BGN 33.26
69.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.5 Rp 1.4M
$45.53 BGN 79.7
68.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.5 Rp 1.2M
$48.67 BGN 85.2
42.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bandung
Bansko
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$214 Rp 3.8M
$521 BGN 913
-58.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$178 Rp 3.2M
$367 BGN 643
-51.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$381 Rp 6.8M
$634 BGN 1,110
-39.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$266 Rp 4.8M
$558 BGN 976
-52.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$725 Rp 13.0M
$1,204 BGN 2,106
-39.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$312 Rp 5.6M
$971 BGN 1,699
-67.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bandung
Bansko
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$281 Rp 5.0M
$1,670 BGN 2,923
-83.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.38
2.99
280.60%

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

Last update for Bandung: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Bandung
$194
Bansko
$193 0.6% $1.2
Accommodation & Living
Bandung
$178
Bansko
$367 106% $189
Clothing & Footwear
Bandung
$98
Bansko
$65 33.9% $33
Eating Out
Bandung
$63
Bansko
$145 130% $82
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bandung
$57
Bansko
$118 107% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Bandung
$24
Bansko
$44 83.4% $20
Getting Around
Bandung
$14
Bansko
$35 144% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $214 in Bandung and $521 in Bansko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bansko pays 494% 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: $14.00 in Bandung vs $47.00 in Bansko. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $193, with Bansko cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bandung
🇧🇬 Bansko
🕒 Local time
13:22 1:22 PM
09:22 9:22 AM
4 h behind Bandung
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,390,120
8,000
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bandung Bansko 10,040 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bandung
  • 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
Bandung vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bandung or Bansko?
Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Bansko. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Bandung or in Bansko?
On paper, salaries run 494% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bandung compared to Bansko?
Rent for a central apartment: $214 in Bandung versus $521 in Bansko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Bandung or in Bansko?
Shoppers in Bansko pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How do dining costs compare in Bandung and in Bansko?
Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $47.00 in Bansko. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bandung or in Bansko?
At $641 in Bandung versus $970 in Bansko, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bandung but tight or insufficient in Bansko. The gap between the two cities makes Bandung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bandung or Bansko?
Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $641 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.
How safe is Bandung compared to Bansko?
Safety-wise, Bandung 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Bandung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Bansko. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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