Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Al-hawiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $968 a month against $1,121 in Al-hawiyah, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Al-hawiyah
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Al-hawiyah Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Al-hawiyah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,121

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Al-hawiyah

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 Al-hawiyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $968 in Bansko versus $1,121 in Al-hawiyah.

Bansko $968
Al-hawiyah $1,121

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Bansko versus $1,611 in Al-hawiyah.

Bansko $1,479
Al-hawiyah $1,611

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,989 in Bansko versus $2,100 in Al-hawiyah.

Bansko $1,989
Al-hawiyah $2,100

Living in Bansko costs roughly 14% less than in Al-hawiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bansko 28% lower, Al-hawiyah 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$4.40 SAR 16.52

100.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.43 BGN 79.1

$26.04 SAR 97.7

74.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 BGN 15.52

$7.07 SAR 26.54

26.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 SAR 5.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$2.61 SAR 9.81

-10.73%

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

$1.49 BGN 2.60

$0.68 SAR 2.54

119.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$0.23 SAR 0.86

260.87%

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

$1.88 SAR 7.05

-8.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 BGN 1.49

$0.93 SAR 3.48

-7.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 BGN 2.55

$2.15 SAR 8.07

-32.09%

Eggs

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$2.69 SAR 10.11

-13.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 BGN 16.60

$5.95 SAR 22.34

60.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 BGN 10.96

$11.65 SAR 43.72

-45.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.04

$12.81 SAR 48.07

-32.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 BGN 2.29

$2.06 SAR 7.72

-35.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.86

$1.62 SAR 6.08

1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 BGN 3.02

$1.82 SAR 6.82

-4.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.49 SAR 5.59

30.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 BGN 1.66

$1.30 SAR 4.87

-26.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$1.44 SAR 5.40

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.96

$1.08 SAR 4.07

-49.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$0.73 SAR 2.74

-19.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.05

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 BGN 5.79

$7.79 SAR 29.23

-57.25%

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

$1.10 SAR 4.11

-19.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.08 BGN 47.11

$37.15 SAR 139

-27.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

$1.69 SAR 6.33

-2.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

$2.67 SAR 10.03

-65.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$14.24 SAR 53.4

-29.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.61

$0.64 SAR 2.41

134.38%

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

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

$26.2K SAR 98.2K

9.10%

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

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

-0.28%

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

$92.5 BGN 161

$65.5 SAR 246

41.34%

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

$14.59 BGN 25.39

$34.01 SAR 128

-57.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.13 BGN 21.11

$61.7 SAR 231

-80.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 BGN 55.4

$71.1 SAR 267

-55.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 BGN 14.72

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BGN 9.59

$14.91 SAR 56.0

-63.04%

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

$227 BGN 395

$483 SAR 1,813

-52.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,021

$5,279 SAR 19.8K

-56.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.56 BGN 53.2

$13.32 SAR 50.0

129.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.95 BGN 32.97

$55.5 SAR 208

-65.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.80 BGN 79.7

$39.73 SAR 149

15.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.28 BGN 84.0

$52.5 SAR 197

-7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 BGN 887

$635 SAR 2,383

-19.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 BGN 634

$422 SAR 1,585

-13.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 BGN 1,085

$824 SAR 3,092

-24.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 BGN 985

$584 SAR 2,192

-3.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,166 BGN 2,028

$1,930 SAR 7,245

-39.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 BGN 1,686

$1,066 SAR 4,000

-9.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,680 BGN 2,923

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

5.25

-43.05%

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

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$364 37.6%

Al-hawiyah

$422 37.7% 15.9% $58

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 19.9%

Al-hawiyah

$217 19.3% 12.2% $24

Eating Out

Bansko

$147 15.2%

Al-hawiyah

$91 8.2% 38% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.3%

Al-hawiyah

$161 14.4% 35.1% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Al-hawiyah

$72 6.5% 12.1% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.4%

Al-hawiyah

$101 9% 135% $58

Getting Around

Bansko

$37 3.8%

Al-hawiyah

$57 5.1% 53.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $510 in Bansko and $635 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45 in Bansko vs $26 in Al-hawiyah. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $217, with Bansko cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇸🇦 Al-hawiyah

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

19:16 7:16 PM

1 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

148,151

💱 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 = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Al-hawiyah 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Al-hawiyah

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 Al-hawiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $968 in Bansko and $1,121 in Al-hawiyah, so Bansko is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,452 in Bansko and $1,682 in Al-hawiyah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $510 in Bansko versus $635 in Al-hawiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $26 versus $45 in Bansko. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $968 per month in Bansko versus $1,121 in Al-hawiyah – Bansko is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.