Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Amparai

For one person, living is cheaper in Amparai: $501 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Amparai
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Amparai Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Amparai

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Amparai

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 Amparai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $956 in Bansko versus $501 in Amparai.

Bansko $956
Amparai $501

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Bansko versus $815 in Amparai.

Bansko $1,467
Amparai $815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Bansko versus $1,128 in Amparai.

Bansko $1,979
Amparai $1,128

Living in Bansko is roughly 91% more expensive than in Amparai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bansko 29% lower, Amparai 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.06

$4.34 LKR 1,437

99.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.94 BGN 78.2

$24.60 LKR 8,148

82.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 BGN 15.28

$7.64 LKR 2,532

14.92%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.50 LKR 829

-6.80%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$0.73 LKR 242

115.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$0.27 LKR 89.6

203.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$2.23 LKR 737

-24.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$3.12 LKR 1,033

-36.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.00

$1.64 LKR 542

5.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.40

$0.54 LKR 178

48.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.51

$0.74 LKR 245

94.59%

Eggs

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$1.57 LKR 521

50.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 BGN 16.34

$13.64 LKR 4,517

-31.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BGN 11.15

$4.78 LKR 1,582

34.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 BGN 14.76

$7.58 LKR 2,512

11.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 BGN 2.28

$6.65 LKR 2,201

-80.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.82

$0.79 LKR 262

105.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$4.61 LKR 1,527

-62.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.22 LKR 405

59.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.02 LKR 339

-7.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$0.80 LKR 265

-5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.95

$0.93 LKR 308

-40.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.02

$0.46 LKR 153

28.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 BGN 5.66

$10.32 LKR 3,420

-68.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 BGN 9.05

$13.38 LKR 4,433

-61.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.89

$1.90 LKR 630

-42.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$2.93 LKR 972

-42.66%

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)

$1.34 BGN 2.34

$0.40 LKR 133

235.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$0.35 LKR 115

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 BGN 17.51

$0.94 LKR 311

970.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 BGN 2.57

$1.38 LKR 456

7.25%

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

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

$37.3K LKR 12.4M

-21.90%

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

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

$40.3K LKR 13.4M

-48.10%

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

$92.4 BGN 161

$54.2 LKR 18.0K

70.47%

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

$14.52 BGN 25.26

$4.14 LKR 1,372

250.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 BGN 21.43

$20.40 LKR 6,756

-39.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.70 BGN 55.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 BGN 9.78

$1.81 LKR 598

210.50%

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

$230 BGN 401

$37.41 LKR 12.4K

515.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 BGN 3,947

$1,223 LKR 404.9K

85.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.10 BGN 52.4

$17.96 LKR 5,948

67.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 BGN 34.13

$16.50 LKR 5,464

18.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.86 BGN 79.8

$78.4 LKR 26.0K

-41.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.69 BGN 83.0

$42.66 LKR 14.1K

11.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 BGN 902

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 BGN 621

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 BGN 1,069

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 BGN 990

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 BGN 2,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 BGN 1,669

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 BGN 2,965

$90.4 LKR 29.9K

1784.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

12.69

-76.44%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Last update for Amparai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$357 37.3%

Amparai

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$192 20.1%

Amparai

$237 47.4% 23.6% $45

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15.2%

Amparai

$109 21.8% 25% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.5%

Amparai

$79 15.7% 34% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$64 6.7%

Amparai

$70 14% 8.5% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.5%

Amparai

$3.6 * 0.7% 91.6% $39

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.7%

Amparai

$2.1 * 0.4% 93.9% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

Bansko pays 1784% 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: $45.00 in Bansko vs $25.00 in Amparai. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $237, with Bansko cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇱🇰 Amparai

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

19:28 7:28 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

110,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

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).

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).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Amparai 6,860 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Amparai

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 Amparai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amparai is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1784% higher in Bansko, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $230 in Bansko versus $37.41 in Amparai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Amparai – 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 $501 in Amparai versus $956 in Bansko, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Amparai but tight or insufficient in Bansko. The gap between the two cities makes Amparai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Amparai 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, Bansko and Amparai 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 Amparai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Bansko. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.