Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Jeddah

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $968 a month against $1,394 in Jeddah, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Bansko, Bulgaria
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Bansko
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$968
/mo nomad
Jeddah
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,394
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Jeddah

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

A single person spends $968 per month in Bansko vs $1,394 in Jeddah, rent included.

  • Bansko $968
  • Jeddah $1,394

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Bansko vs $2,161 in Jeddah, rent included.

  • Bansko $1,479
  • Jeddah $2,161

A family of three spends $1,989 per month in Bansko vs $2,928 in Jeddah, rent included.

  • Bansko $1,989
  • Jeddah $2,928

Bansko is about 31% cheaper than Jeddah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Bansko sits 28% below the global median, while Jeddah is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bansko
Jeddah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.83 BGN 15.37
$6.69 SAR 25.10
31.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.43 BGN 79.1
$76.2 SAR 286
-40.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.92 BGN 15.52
$9.56 SAR 35.88
-6.69%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.56 SAR 9.60
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.60 SAR 9.75
-
Cappuccino
$2.33 BGN 4.06
$3.80 SAR 14.26
-38.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 BGN 2.60
$1.03 SAR 3.87
44.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 BGN 1.44
$0.25 SAR 0.94
232.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.75 BGN 3.05
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 BGN 3.49
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bansko
Jeddah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 BGN 3.00
$1.74 SAR 6.53
-1.15%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 BGN 1.49
$1.27 SAR 4.78
-32.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.46 BGN 2.55
$2.29 SAR 8.59
-36.24%
Eggs
$2.33 BGN 4.06
$2.47 SAR 9.26
-5.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.54 BGN 16.60
$6.44 SAR 24.19
48.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.30 BGN 10.96
$8.32 SAR 31.23
-24.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.64 BGN 15.04
$13.26 SAR 49.79
-34.84%
Apples (1kg)
$1.32 BGN 2.29
$2.08 SAR 7.80
-36.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 BGN 2.86
$1.73 SAR 6.51
-4.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.74 BGN 3.02
$1.56 SAR 5.84
11.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.94 BGN 3.38
$1.66 SAR 6.24
16.87%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 BGN 1.66
$1.12 SAR 4.20
-15.18%
Onion (1kg)
$0.72 BGN 1.26
$1.24 SAR 4.65
-41.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.55 BGN 0.96
$1.07 SAR 4.03
-48.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 BGN 1.03
$0.50 SAR 1.88
18.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$4.18 SAR 15.70
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.75 SAR 6.57
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.59 SAR 9.73
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.33 BGN 5.79
$6.55 SAR 24.58
-49.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.08 BGN 8.84
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 BGN 1.95
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 BGN 3.01
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Bansko
Jeddah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 BGN 1.55
$0.90 SAR 3.38
-1.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.08 BGN 47.11
$54.6 SAR 205
-50.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.64 BGN 2.85
$3.22 SAR 12.09
-49.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.91 BGN 1.59
$1.68 SAR 6.30
-45.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.00 BGN 17.39
$14.37 SAR 53.9
-30.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 BGN 2.61
$0.64 SAR 2.42
134.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K BGN 49.7K
$37.7K SAR 141.6K
-24.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.2K BGN 36.9K
$22.0K SAR 82.7K
-3.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bansko
Jeddah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.5 BGN 161
$88.3 SAR 331
4.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.59 BGN 25.39
$38.71 SAR 145
-62.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.13 BGN 21.11
$68.5 SAR 257
-82.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bansko
Jeddah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.84 BGN 55.4
$69.9 SAR 262
-54.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.46 BGN 14.72
$37.61 SAR 141
-77.51%
Cinema Ticket
$5.51 BGN 9.59
$11.72 SAR 43.98
-52.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bansko
Jeddah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$227 BGN 395
$781 SAR 2,930
-70.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,311 BGN 4,021
$15.1K SAR 56.8K
-84.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bansko
Jeddah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$30.56 BGN 53.2
$74.5 SAR 280
-58.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.95 BGN 32.97
$56.2 SAR 211
-66.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$45.80 BGN 79.7
$99.0 SAR 372
-53.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$48.28 BGN 84.0
$92.3 SAR 347
-47.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bansko
Jeddah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$510 BGN 887
$801 SAR 3,008
-36.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$364 BGN 634
$556 SAR 2,087
-34.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$624 BGN 1,085
$1,329 SAR 4,987
-53.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$566 BGN 985
$864 SAR 3,244
-34.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,166 BGN 2,028
$1,683 SAR 6,317
-30.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$969 BGN 1,686
$1,119 SAR 4,201
-13.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bansko
Jeddah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,680 BGN 2,923
$1,650 SAR 6,191
1.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.99
5.39
-44.53%

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

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Last update for Jeddah: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bansko
$364
Jeddah
$556 52.7% $192
Groceries & Markets
Bansko
$193
Jeddah
$201 4.3% $8.4
Eating Out
Bansko
$147
Jeddah
$133 9.9% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bansko
$119
Jeddah
$196 64% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Bansko
$65
Jeddah
$145 124% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Bansko
$43
Jeddah
$93 118% $50
Getting Around
Bansko
$37
Jeddah
$70 89.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $510 in Bansko versus $801 in Jeddah. 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 in Bansko versus $76 in Jeddah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $201 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Bansko
🇸🇦 Jeddah
🕒 Local time
03:41 3:41 AM
04:41 4:41 AM
1 h ahead of Bansko
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,000
3,430,697
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bansko Jeddah 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bansko
  • Jeddah

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 Jeddah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bansko and in Jeddah compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $968 in Bansko, $1,394 in Jeddah – Bansko comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.
What salary covers living expenses in Bansko compared to Jeddah?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,452 per month in Bansko and $2,091 in Jeddah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bansko and Jeddah?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bansko, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $510 there versus $801 in Jeddah.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko and $76 in Jeddah. 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 Jeddah?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $968 in Bansko and $1,394 in Jeddah. That makes Bansko about 31% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $968, than in Jeddah at $1,394. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jeddah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Bansko or Jeddah?
Families tend to lean toward Bansko – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Bansko or Jeddah safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Where should expats move: Bansko or Jeddah?
For expats, Bansko is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 31% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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