Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Haugesund

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $2,654 in Haugesund, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Bansko
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$956
/mo nomad
Haugesund
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,654
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Haugesund

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

A single person spends $956 per month in Bansko vs $2,654 in Haugesund, rent included.

  • Bansko $956
  • Haugesund $2,654

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Bansko vs $3,956 in Haugesund, rent included.

  • Bansko $1,467
  • Haugesund $3,956

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Bansko vs $5,259 in Haugesund, rent included.

  • Bansko $1,979
  • Haugesund $5,259

Bansko is about 64% cheaper than Haugesund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bansko sits 29% below the global median, while Haugesund is 97% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bansko
Haugesund
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.66 BGN 15.06
$21.97 NOK 207
-60.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.94 BGN 78.2
$105 NOK 987
-57.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.78 BGN 15.28
$14.38 NOK 135
-38.94%
Cappuccino
$2.33 BGN 4.05
$4.59 NOK 43.19
-49.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 BGN 2.74
$5.08 NOK 47.78
-69.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 BGN 1.43
$3.98 NOK 37.48
-79.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.68 BGN 2.92
$11.63 NOK 109
-85.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 BGN 3.45
$10.31 NOK 97.0
-80.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bansko
Haugesund
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 BGN 3.00
$2.18 NOK 20.52
-20.64%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 BGN 1.40
$3.80 NOK 35.73
-78.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 BGN 2.51
$3.50 NOK 32.92
-58.86%
Eggs
$2.36 BGN 4.10
$4.79 NOK 45.06
-50.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.39 BGN 16.34
$11.80 NOK 111
-20.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.41 BGN 11.15
$15.02 NOK 141
-57.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.48 BGN 14.76
$33.81 NOK 318
-74.92%
Apples (1kg)
$1.31 BGN 2.28
$3.08 NOK 29.02
-57.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 BGN 2.82
$2.12 NOK 20.00
-23.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.73 BGN 3.01
$3.44 NOK 32.37
-49.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.94 BGN 3.38
$4.21 NOK 39.58
-53.92%
Potato (1kg)
$0.94 BGN 1.63
$2.42 NOK 22.77
-61.16%
Onion (1kg)
$0.76 BGN 1.32
$3.32 NOK 31.23
-77.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.55 BGN 0.95
$3.00 NOK 28.20
-81.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 BGN 1.02
$1.83 NOK 17.26
-67.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.25 BGN 5.66
$17.21 NOK 162
-81.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.20 BGN 9.05
$14.47 NOK 136
-64.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 BGN 1.89
$3.58 NOK 33.70
-69.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 BGN 2.92
$4.16 NOK 39.17
-59.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Bansko
Haugesund
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.84 BGN 1.45
$3.56 NOK 33.51
-76.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.06 BGN 47.09
$67.4 NOK 635
-59.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.34 BGN 2.34
$12.19 NOK 115
-89.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.65 BGN 1.14
$1.79 NOK 16.81
-63.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.06 BGN 17.51
$56.2 NOK 529
-82.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 BGN 2.57
$2.45 NOK 23.03
-39.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K BGN 50.7K
$44.3K NOK 417.0K
-34.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.9K BGN 36.4K
$43.5K NOK 409.6K
-51.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bansko
Haugesund
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.4 BGN 161
$275 NOK 2,591
-66.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.52 BGN 25.26
$32.80 NOK 309
-55.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.32 BGN 21.43
$55.8 NOK 525
-77.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bansko
Haugesund
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.70 BGN 55.2
$49.71 NOK 468
-36.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.53 BGN 14.84
$36.17 NOK 341
-76.42%
Cinema Ticket
$5.62 BGN 9.78
$16.92 NOK 159
-66.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bansko
Haugesund
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$230 BGN 401
$241 NOK 2,269
-4.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,268 BGN 3,947
$2,918 NOK 27.5K
-22.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bansko
Haugesund
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$30.10 BGN 52.4
$97.4 NOK 917
-69.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.62 BGN 34.13
$53.6 NOK 504
-63.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$45.86 BGN 79.8
$87.1 NOK 820
-47.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$47.69 BGN 83.0
$155 NOK 1,463
-69.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bansko
Haugesund
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$518 BGN 902
$1,576 NOK 14.8K
-67.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$357 BGN 621
$1,067 NOK 10.0K
-66.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$614 BGN 1,069
$2,099 NOK 19.8K
-70.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$569 BGN 990
$1,668 NOK 15.7K
-65.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,191 BGN 2,073
$6,302 NOK 59.3K
-81.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$959 BGN 1,669
$4,637 NOK 43.6K
-79.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bansko
Haugesund
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,704 BGN 2,965
$3,952 NOK 37.2K
-56.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.99
5.2
-42.50%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Last update for Haugesund: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bansko
$357
Haugesund
$1.1K 199% $710
Groceries & Markets
Bansko
$192
Haugesund
$471 145% $279
Eating Out
Bansko
$145
Haugesund
$389 167% $243
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bansko
$119
Haugesund
$364 205% $245
Clothing & Footwear
Bansko
$64
Haugesund
$177 175% $113
Sport & Entertainment
Bansko
$43
Haugesund
$84 94.6% $41
Getting Around
Bansko
$35
Haugesund
$103 194% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Bansko versus $1,576 in Haugesund. 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 132% higher in Haugesund, 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 $45.00 in Bansko versus $105 in Haugesund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $471 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Bansko
🇳🇴 Haugesund
🕒 Local time
15:31 3:31 PM
14:31 2:31 PM
1 h behind Bansko
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,000
38,362
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bansko Haugesund 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bansko
  • Haugesund

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 Haugesund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bansko and in Haugesund compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $956 in Bansko, $2,654 in Haugesund – roughly 178% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Bansko compared to Haugesund?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,434 per month in Bansko and $3,981 in Haugesund. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bansko and Haugesund?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bansko, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Bansko and $105 in Haugesund. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bansko or Haugesund?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $956 in Bansko and $2,654 in Haugesund. That's a gap of about 178%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Haugesund at $2,654. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Haugesund it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Bansko and Haugesund?
It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $956 in Bansko to $2,654 in Haugesund. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Bansko or Haugesund safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Bansko and Haugesund?
If budget matters most, go with Bansko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Haugesund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Bansko vs other spots: cost of living compared

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