Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Arugam Bay

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Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Arugam Bay

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.15

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 BGN 81.6

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 BGN 15.77

Cappuccino

$2.24 BGN 3.92

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

$1.50 BGN 2.63

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.51

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 BGN 2.66

Eggs

$2.30 BGN 4.02

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 BGN 16.81

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 BGN 11.06

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.12

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.24

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 BGN 3.30

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 BGN 6.02

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 BGN 9.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 BGN 17.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.63

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

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

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

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

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

$91.4 BGN 160

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

$14.68 BGN 25.68

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.07 BGN 21.12

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 BGN 56.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 BGN 9.86

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

$228 BGN 400

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,045

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.48 BGN 53.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.01 BGN 33.26

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.53 BGN 79.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 BGN 85.2

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 BGN 913

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 BGN 643

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 BGN 1,110

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 BGN 976

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,204 BGN 2,106

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$971 BGN 1,699

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,670 BGN 2,923

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

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

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Last update for Arugam Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$367 38%

Arugam Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 20%

Arugam Bay

–

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15%

Arugam Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$118 12.2%

Arugam Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Arugam Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.5%

Arugam Bay

–

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.6%

Arugam Bay

–

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇱🇰 Arugam Bay

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

13:18 1:18 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

5,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bansko Arugam Bay 6,910 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Arugam Bay

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 Arugam Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Arugam Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arugam Bay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.