Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Balikpapan

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $668 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
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Balikpapan Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Balikpapan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $956 in Bansko versus $668 in Balikpapan.

Bansko $956
Balikpapan $668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Bansko versus $1,048 in Balikpapan.

Bansko $1,467
Balikpapan $1,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Bansko versus $1,428 in Balikpapan.

Bansko $1,979
Balikpapan $1,428

Living in Bansko is roughly 43% more expensive than in Balikpapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bansko 29% lower, Balikpapan 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.06

$1.39 Rp 25.0K

523.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.94 BGN 78.2

$10.95 Rp 197.1K

310.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 BGN 15.28

$3.05 Rp 55.0K

187.87%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.36 Rp 24.5K

71.32%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$0.37 Rp 6,712

324.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$0.38 Rp 6,871

115.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$2.25 Rp 40.4K

-25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

-40.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.00

$1.13 Rp 20.3K

53.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.40

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

-25.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.51

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

24.14%

Eggs

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$2.54 Rp 45.8K

-7.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 BGN 16.34

$7.38 Rp 132.8K

27.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BGN 11.15

$2.92 Rp 52.6K

119.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 BGN 14.76

$8.04 Rp 144.7K

5.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 BGN 2.28

$2.25 Rp 40.5K

-41.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.82

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

24.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

-1.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

52.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.26 Rp 22.7K

-25.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

-60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.95

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

-29.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.02

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

-18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 BGN 5.66

$1.89 Rp 34.0K

71.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 BGN 9.05

$20.83 Rp 374.9K

-75.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.89

$1.87 Rp 33.7K

-41.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$3.02 Rp 54.3K

-44.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BGN 1.45

$0.29 Rp 5,219

189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 BGN 2.34

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

16.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$0.38 Rp 6,777

71.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 BGN 17.51

$2.59 Rp 46.7K

288.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 BGN 2.57

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

92.21%

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

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

$23.4K Rp 420.6M

24.72%

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

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

$31.0K Rp 558.8M

-32.61%

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

$92.4 BGN 161

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

36.97%

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

$14.52 BGN 25.26

$4.36 Rp 78.4K

233.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 BGN 21.43

$29.86 Rp 537.4K

-58.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.70 BGN 55.2

$23.74 Rp 427.4K

33.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

$8.46 Rp 152.2K

0.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 BGN 9.78

$2.84 Rp 51.1K

97.89%

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

$230 BGN 401

$93.1 Rp 1.7M

147.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 BGN 3,947

$8,570 Rp 154.3M

-73.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.10 BGN 52.4

$38.14 Rp 686.6K

-21.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 BGN 34.13

$18.66 Rp 335.9K

5.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.86 BGN 79.8

$141 Rp 2.5M

-67.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.69 BGN 83.0

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

-32.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 BGN 902

$203 Rp 3.7M

155.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 BGN 621

$148 Rp 2.7M

141.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 BGN 1,069

$537 Rp 9.7M

14.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 BGN 990

$361 Rp 6.5M

57.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 BGN 2,073

$1,258 Rp 22.6M

-5.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 BGN 1,669

$818 Rp 14.7M

17.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 BGN 2,965

$238 Rp 4.3M

616.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

9.46

-68.39%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Last update for Balikpapan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$357 37.3%

Balikpapan

$148 22.1% 58.6% $209

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$192 20.1%

Balikpapan

$206 30.9% 7.6% $15

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15.2%

Balikpapan

$57 8.6% 60.5% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.5%

Balikpapan

$102 15.2% 14.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$64 6.7%

Balikpapan

$121 18.1% 87.3% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.5%

Balikpapan

$29 4.4% 31.5% $14

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.7%

Balikpapan

$4.2 * 0.6% 88% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Bansko and $203 in Balikpapan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bansko pays 616% 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 $11.00 in Balikpapan. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $206, with Bansko cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

16:39 4:39 PM

5 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

701,066

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Balikpapan 10,380 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Balikpapan

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 Balikpapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bansko and Balikpapan differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($956 vs $668 including rent). Balikpapan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 616% 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: $518 in Bansko versus $203 in Balikpapan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Bansko versus $93.1 in Balikpapan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Balikpapan – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $45.00 in Bansko. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Balikpapan versus $956 in Bansko, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Balikpapan but tight or insufficient in Bansko. The gap between the two cities makes Balikpapan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Bansko and Balikpapan 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 Balikpapan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Bansko. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.