Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and El Nido

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $739 a month against $965 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
36

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$965

/mo nomad

El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in El Nido

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

A single person spends $965 per month in Bansko vs $739 in El Nido, rent included.

Bansko $965
El Nido $739

A couple spends around $1,481 per month in Bansko vs $1,148 in El Nido, rent included.

Bansko $1,481
El Nido $1,148

A family of three spends $1,998 per month in Bansko vs $1,557 in El Nido, rent included.

Bansko $1,998
El Nido $1,557

Bansko costs about 30% more than El Nido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and El Nido are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 29% lower, El Nido 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.74 BGN 15.20

$4.84 ₱305

80.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.37 BGN 80.7

$28.13 ₱1,771

64.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 BGN 15.52

$3.70 ₱233

141.08%

Cappuccino

$2.27 BGN 3.94

$2.25 ₱142

0.89%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.73

$1.17 ₱73.8

34.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.32 ₱20.45

178.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$1.30 ₱81.8

33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 BGN 3.39

$1.99 ₱125

-2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.11

$1.59 ₱100

12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$1.00 ₱63.1

-19.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 BGN 2.62

$1.29 ₱81.4

17.05%

Eggs

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$1.95 ₱123

20.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 BGN 16.61

$5.33 ₱336

79.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 BGN 11.54

$3.98 ₱250

66.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.37 BGN 14.57

$6.98 ₱439

19.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 BGN 2.26

$2.25 ₱142

-42.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.54 ₱97.1

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$2.26 ₱142

-25.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 BGN 3.34

$1.16 ₱72.8

65.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.95 ₱123

-51.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 BGN 1.31

$2.01 ₱127

-62.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 BGN 1.02

$0.92 ₱58.0

-35.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.02

$0.53 ₱33.65

9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 BGN 5.67

$3.35 ₱211

-2.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 BGN 9.04

$7.24 ₱456

-28.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 BGN 1.98

$1.00 ₱62.9

14.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$1.87 ₱118

-6.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 BGN 1.57

$0.24 ₱15.07

275.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.72 BGN 46.50

$10.28 ₱648

159.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 BGN 2.26

$0.85 ₱53.8

52.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BGN 1.06

$0.20 ₱12.47

205.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 BGN 17.91

$1.72 ₱108

498.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 BGN 2.71

$1.31 ₱82.3

19.08%

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

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

51.93%

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

$21.3K BGN 37.1K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-1.21%

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

$92.8 BGN 161

$121 ₱7,638

-23.49%

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

$15.05 BGN 26.18

$14.38 ₱906

4.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.19 BGN 21.21

$24.44 ₱1,539

-50.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.83 BGN 57.1

$34.90 ₱2,197

-5.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.40 BGN 14.61

$3.99 ₱251

110.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 BGN 9.67

$5.23 ₱329

6.31%

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

$230 BGN 400

$124 ₱7,818

84.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,295 BGN 3,994

$6,869 ₱432.4K

-66.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.31 BGN 52.7

$33.86 ₱2,132

-10.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.41 BGN 33.78

$18.81 ₱1,185

3.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.34 BGN 78.9

$66.9 ₱4,211

-32.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.47 BGN 84.3

$49.95 ₱3,145

-2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 BGN 894

$269 ₱17.0K

90.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 BGN 627

$177 ₱11.2K

103.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 BGN 1,096

$535 ₱33.7K

17.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 BGN 993

$358 ₱22.5K

59.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,202 BGN 2,091

$2,607 ₱164.1K

-53.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$972 BGN 1,691

$900 ₱56.7K

7.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,665 BGN 2,898

$257 ₱16.2K

548.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

6.79

-55.96%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 18, 2026

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$361 37.4%

El Nido

$177 24% 50.9% $183

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$194 20.2%

El Nido

$174 23.6% 10.4% $20

Eating Out

Bansko

$146 15.2%

El Nido

$93 12.6% 36.2% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$120 12.5%

El Nido

$160 21.7% 33.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

El Nido

$76 10.3% 18.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.6%

El Nido

$45 6.1% 3.2% $1.4

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.6%

El Nido

$13 1.8% 62.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $514 in Bansko versus $269 in El Nido. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 549% higher in Bansko, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Bansko versus $28.00 in El Nido. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $174 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇵🇭 El Nido

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

03:10 3:10 AM

5 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

50,494

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko El Nido 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
El Nido

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 El Nido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $965 in Bansko, $739 in El Nido – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,447 per month in Bansko and $1,109 in El Nido. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Nido, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Bansko and $28.00 in El Nido. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $965 in Bansko and $739 in El Nido. That's a gap of about 30%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Bansko at $965. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $739 in El Nido to $965 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 El Nido. 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.