Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Kamakura

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $1,194 in Kamakura, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Bansko
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$956
/mo nomad
Kamakura
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,194
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Kamakura

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

A single person spends $956 per month in Bansko vs $1,194 in Kamakura, rent included.

  • Bansko $956
  • Kamakura $1,194

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Bansko vs $1,888 in Kamakura, rent included.

  • Bansko $1,467
  • Kamakura $1,888

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Bansko vs $2,582 in Kamakura, rent included.

  • Bansko $1,979
  • Kamakura $2,582

Bansko is about 20% cheaper than Kamakura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bansko and Kamakura are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 29% lower, Kamakura 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bansko
Kamakura
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.66 BGN 15.06
$6.34 ¥1,002
36.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.94 BGN 78.2
$31.78 ¥5,020
41.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.78 BGN 15.28
$4.98 ¥787
76.31%
Cappuccino
$2.33 BGN 4.05
$2.48 ¥392
-6.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 BGN 2.74
$1.08 ¥171
45.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 BGN 1.43
$0.80 ¥127
2.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.68 BGN 2.92
$2.57 ¥406
-34.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 BGN 3.45
$3.22 ¥509
-38.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bansko
Kamakura
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 BGN 3.00
$1.38 ¥219
25.36%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 BGN 1.40
$1.50 ¥237
-46.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 BGN 2.51
$3.67 ¥580
-60.76%
Eggs
$2.36 BGN 4.10
$1.99 ¥315
18.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.39 BGN 16.34
$10.47 ¥1,654
-10.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.41 BGN 11.15
$6.18 ¥976
3.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.48 BGN 14.76
$14.39 ¥2,274
-41.07%
Apples (1kg)
$1.31 BGN 2.28
$5.61 ¥886
-76.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 BGN 2.82
$2.69 ¥424
-39.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.73 BGN 3.01
$2.89 ¥457
-40.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.94 BGN 3.38
$4.30 ¥679
-54.88%
Potato (1kg)
$0.94 BGN 1.63
$2.50 ¥395
-62.40%
Onion (1kg)
$0.76 BGN 1.32
$2.55 ¥403
-70.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.55 BGN 0.95
$1.13 ¥179
-51.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 BGN 1.02
$0.76 ¥120
-22.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.25 BGN 5.66
$3.71 ¥587
-12.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.20 BGN 9.05
$6.44 ¥1,017
-19.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 BGN 1.89
$1.81 ¥286
-39.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 BGN 2.92
$2.04 ¥322
-17.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Bansko
Kamakura
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.84 BGN 1.45
$1.50 ¥237
-44.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.06 BGN 47.09
$56.5 ¥8,926
-52.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.34 BGN 2.34
$3.08 ¥487
-56.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.65 BGN 1.14
$2.76 ¥436
-76.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.06 BGN 17.51
$15.85 ¥2,505
-36.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 BGN 2.57
$1.10 ¥173
34.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K BGN 50.7K
$21.6K ¥3.4M
34.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.9K BGN 36.4K
$15.3K ¥2.4M
37.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bansko
Kamakura
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.4 BGN 161
$118 ¥18.6K
-21.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.52 BGN 25.26
$23.42 ¥3,700
-38.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.32 BGN 21.43
$31.10 ¥4,913
-60.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bansko
Kamakura
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.70 BGN 55.2
$52.8 ¥8,335
-39.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.53 BGN 14.84
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.62 BGN 9.78
$12.67 ¥2,001
-55.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bansko
Kamakura
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$230 BGN 401
$584 ¥92.3K
-60.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,268 BGN 3,947
$14.8K ¥2.3M
-84.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bansko
Kamakura
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$30.10 BGN 52.4
$50.9 ¥8,044
-40.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.62 BGN 34.13
$35.32 ¥5,580
-44.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$45.86 BGN 79.8
$59.9 ¥9,456
-23.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$47.69 BGN 83.0
$97.5 ¥15.4K
-51.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bansko
Kamakura
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$518 BGN 902
$568 ¥89.7K
-8.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$357 BGN 621
$346 ¥54.7K
3.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$614 BGN 1,069
$1,212 ¥191.4K
-49.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$569 BGN 990
$748 ¥118.3K
-23.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,191 BGN 2,073
$4,369 ¥690.2K
-72.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$959 BGN 1,669
$1,979 ¥312.6K
-51.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bansko
Kamakura
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,704 BGN 2,965
$1,785 ¥282.0K
-4.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.99
2.02
48.02%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kamakura: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bansko
$357
Kamakura
$346 3% $11
Groceries & Markets
Bansko
$192
Kamakura
$286 49.3% $95
Eating Out
Bansko
$145
Kamakura
$122 16% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bansko
$119
Kamakura
$172 44.3% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Bansko
$64
Kamakura
$110 70% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Bansko
$43
Kamakura
$78 81.8% $35
Getting Around
Bansko
$35
Kamakura
$79 127% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Bansko versus $568 in Kamakura. 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 5% higher in Kamakura, 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 $32.00 in Kamakura. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Bansko vs $286 in Kamakura – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Bansko
🇯🇵 Kamakura
🕒 Local time
06:37 6:37 AM
12:37 12:37 PM
6 h ahead of Bansko
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,000
172,710
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bansko Kamakura 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bansko
  • Kamakura

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 Kamakura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bansko and in Kamakura compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $956 in Bansko, $1,194 in Kamakura – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Bansko compared to Kamakura?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,434 per month in Bansko and $1,791 in Kamakura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bansko and Kamakura?
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 $32.00 in Kamakura. 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 Kamakura?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $956 in Bansko and $1,194 in Kamakura. That's a gap of about 25%.
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 Kamakura at $1,194. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kamakura it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Bansko and Kamakura?
It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $956 in Bansko to $1,194 in Kamakura. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Bansko or Kamakura 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 Kamakura?
If budget matters most, go with Bansko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kamakura makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Bansko vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?