Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Island Garden City of Samal

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $747 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
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Island Garden City of Samal Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $956 per month in Bansko vs $747 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Bansko $956
Island Garden City of Samal $747

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Bansko vs $1,102 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Bansko $1,467
Island Garden City of Samal $1,102

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Bansko vs $1,457 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Bansko $1,979
Island Garden City of Samal $1,457

Bansko costs about 28% more than Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and Island Garden City of Samal are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 29% lower, Island Garden City of Samal 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.06

$1.22 ₱76.6

609.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.94 BGN 78.2

$17.02 ₱1,072

164.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 BGN 15.28

$4.07 ₱256

115.72%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.18 ₱137

6.88%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$1.04 ₱65.7

50.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$0.64 ₱40.33

28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$1.18 ₱74.5

42.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.98 ₱125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.00

$2.03 ₱128

-14.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.40

$1.14 ₱71.5

-29.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.51

$0.88 ₱55.2

63.64%

Eggs

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$1.87 ₱118

26.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 BGN 16.34

$6.26 ₱394

50.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BGN 11.15

$4.64 ₱292

38.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 BGN 14.76

$9.10 ₱573

-6.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 BGN 2.28

$2.73 ₱172

-52.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.82

$1.12 ₱70.4

44.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$2.38 ₱150

-27.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.14 ₱71.7

70.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.98 ₱125

-52.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$3.41 ₱215

-77.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.95

$1.21 ₱76.0

-54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.02

$0.72 ₱45.46

-18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 BGN 5.66

$2.49 ₱156

30.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 BGN 9.05

$7.76 ₱489

-32.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.89

$1.23 ₱77.5

-11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$1.68 ₱106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BGN 1.45

$0.29 ₱18.09

189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

$11.62 ₱732

132.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 BGN 2.34

$0.83 ₱52.0

61.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$0.25 ₱15.83

160.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 BGN 17.51

$1.92 ₱121

423.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 BGN 2.57

$1.24 ₱78.0

19.35%

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

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

37.45%

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

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

10.87%

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

$92.4 BGN 161

$98.4 ₱6,196

-6.08%

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

$14.52 BGN 25.26

$19.24 ₱1,211

-24.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 BGN 21.43

$31.01 ₱1,952

-60.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.70 BGN 55.2

$29.89 ₱1,882

6.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

$4.57 ₱288

86.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 BGN 9.78

$4.87 ₱307

15.40%

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

$230 BGN 401

$107 ₱6,729

115.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 BGN 3,947

$7,691 ₱484.2K

-70.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.10 BGN 52.4

$33.60 ₱2,115

-10.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 BGN 34.13

$19.67 ₱1,238

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.86 BGN 79.8

$70.4 ₱4,433

-34.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.69 BGN 83.0

$62.4 ₱3,929

-23.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 BGN 902

$250 ₱15.7K

107.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 BGN 621

$197 ₱12.4K

81.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 BGN 1,069

$504 ₱31.7K

21.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 BGN 990

$315 ₱19.8K

80.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 BGN 2,073

$2,056 ₱129.4K

-42.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 BGN 1,669

$1,083 ₱68.2K

-11.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 BGN 2,965

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

8.31

-64.02%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Last update for Island Garden City of Samal: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$357 37.3%

Island Garden City of Samal

$197 26.3% 44.9% $160

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$192 20.1%

Island Garden City of Samal

$199 26.6% 3.6% $7

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15.2%

Island Garden City of Samal

$65 8.7% 55.5% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.5%

Island Garden City of Samal

$149 19.9% 24.7% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$64 6.7%

Island Garden City of Samal

$84 11.2% 29.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.5%

Island Garden City of Samal

$40 5.3% 7.7% $3.3

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.7%

Island Garden City of Samal

$15 2% 57.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Bansko versus $250 in Island Garden City of Samal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Bansko versus $17.00 in Island Garden City of Samal. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Bansko vs $199 in Island Garden City of Samal – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

06:35 6:35 AM

5 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

116,771

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Island Garden City of Samal 10,480 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $956 in Bansko, $747 in Island Garden City of Samal – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,434 per month in Bansko and $1,121 in Island Garden City of Samal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal, 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 $45.00 in Bansko and $17.00 in Island Garden City of Samal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $956 in Bansko and $747 in Island Garden City of Samal. That's a gap of about 28%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Island Garden City of Samal, where all-in costs run around $747, than in Bansko at $956. In Island Garden City of Samal 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 $747 in Island Garden City of Samal to $956 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 Island Garden City of Samal. 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.