Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Ad Dammam

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $968 a month against $1,188 in Ad Dammam, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
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Ad Dammam Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,188

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Ad Dammam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bansko and in Ad Dammam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $968 in Bansko versus $1,188 in Ad Dammam.

Bansko $968
Ad Dammam $1,188

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Bansko versus $1,803 in Ad Dammam.

Bansko $1,479
Ad Dammam $1,803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,989 in Bansko versus $2,418 in Ad Dammam.

Bansko $1,989
Ad Dammam $2,418

Living in Bansko costs roughly 18% less than in Ad Dammam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bansko 28% lower, Ad Dammam 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$6.74 SAR 25.28

31.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.43 BGN 79.1

$34.35 SAR 129

32.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 BGN 15.52

$6.62 SAR 24.84

34.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SAR 8.32

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$3.02 SAR 11.33

-22.85%

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

$1.49 BGN 2.60

$0.77 SAR 2.87

93.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$0.16 SAR 0.59

418.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 BGN 3.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 BGN 3.49

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 BGN 3.00

$1.72 SAR 6.47

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 BGN 1.49

$1.29 SAR 4.84

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 BGN 2.55

$1.88 SAR 7.07

-22.34%

Eggs

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$2.12 SAR 7.96

9.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 BGN 16.60

$7.47 SAR 28.04

27.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 BGN 10.96

$7.70 SAR 28.90

-18.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.04

$12.77 SAR 47.93

-32.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 BGN 2.29

$2.29 SAR 8.59

-42.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.86

$1.63 SAR 6.13

1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 BGN 3.02

$1.64 SAR 6.16

6.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.55 SAR 5.83

25.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 BGN 1.66

$1.08 SAR 4.04

-12.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$1.17 SAR 4.37

-38.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.96

$1.25 SAR 4.71

-56.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$0.56 SAR 2.12

5.36%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.21 SAR 15.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SAR 5.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 BGN 5.79

$7.80 SAR 29.28

-57.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 BGN 8.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 BGN 1.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.88 SAR 3.30

1.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.08 BGN 47.11

$38.25 SAR 144

-29.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

$2.28 SAR 8.57

-28.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

$1.35 SAR 5.08

-32.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$13.89 SAR 52.1

-28.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.61

$0.61 SAR 2.28

145.90%

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

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

$29.1K SAR 109.2K

-1.82%

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

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

$21.2K SAR 79.7K

-0.01%

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

$92.5 BGN 161

$130 SAR 489

-29.05%

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

$14.59 BGN 25.39

$32.31 SAR 121

-54.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.13 BGN 21.11

$64.2 SAR 241

-81.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 BGN 55.4

$70.4 SAR 264

-54.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 BGN 14.72

$28.59 SAR 107

-70.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BGN 9.59

$13.39 SAR 50.3

-58.85%

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

$227 BGN 395

$414 SAR 1,554

-45.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,021

$10.5K SAR 39.4K

-78.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.56 BGN 53.2

$42.50 SAR 160

-28.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.95 BGN 32.97

$48.93 SAR 184

-61.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.80 BGN 79.7

$96.0 SAR 360

-52.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.28 BGN 84.0

$92.0 SAR 345

-47.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 BGN 887

$531 SAR 1,993

-4.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 BGN 634

$376 SAR 1,410

-3.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 BGN 1,085

$947 SAR 3,553

-34.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 BGN 985

$665 SAR 2,495

-14.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,166 BGN 2,028

$1,479 SAR 5,552

-21.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 BGN 1,686

$779 SAR 2,925

24.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,680 BGN 2,923

$1,508 SAR 5,659

11.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

5.9

-49.32%

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

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Last update for Ad Dammam: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$364 37.6%

Ad Dammam

$376 31.6% 3.1% $11

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 19.9%

Ad Dammam

$198 16.7% 2.7% $5.3

Eating Out

Bansko

$147 15.2%

Ad Dammam

$114 9.6% 22.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.3%

Ad Dammam

$227 19.1% 90.3% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Ad Dammam

$126 10.6% 94.6% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.4%

Ad Dammam

$97 8.2% 127% $54

Getting Around

Bansko

$37 3.8%

Ad Dammam

$51 4.3% 37.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $510 in Bansko and $531 in Ad Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bansko pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45 in Bansko vs $34 in Ad Dammam. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $198, with Bansko cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🕒 Local time

07:48 7:48 AM

08:48 8:48 AM

1 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

903,312

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Ad Dammam 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Ad Dammam

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

Bansko vs Ad Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bansko wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Ad Dammam. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bansko the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Bansko, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $510 in Bansko versus $531 in Ad Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $968 per month in Bansko versus $1,188 in Ad Dammam – Bansko is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bansko runs roughly 29% less than in Ad Dammam. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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

Safety-wise, Bansko and Ad Dammam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.