Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Kedah

For one person, living is cheaper in Kedah: $877 a month against $964 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bansko outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Kedah
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Kedah Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$964

/mo nomad

Kedah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Kedah

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

A single person spends $964 per month in Bansko vs $877 in Kedah, rent included.

Bansko $964
Kedah $877

A couple spends around $1,471 per month in Bansko vs $1,399 in Kedah, rent included.

Bansko $1,471
Kedah $1,399

A family of three spends $1,978 per month in Bansko vs $1,920 in Kedah, rent included.

Bansko $1,978
Kedah $1,920

Bansko costs about 10% more than Kedah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and Kedah are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 29% lower, Kedah 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 BGN 14.68

$3.72 MYR 15.14

124.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.11 BGN 79.4

$12.32 MYR 50.2

266.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 BGN 16.08

$4.56 MYR 18.59

100.44%

Cappuccino

$2.31 BGN 4.06

$2.91 MYR 11.87

-20.62%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.76

$0.77 MYR 3.14

103.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 BGN 1.53

$0.39 MYR 1.59

123.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 BGN 2.99

$4.24 MYR 17.26

-59.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 BGN 3.56

$4.36 MYR 17.75

-53.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.06

$1.88 MYR 7.66

-7.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.40

$1.06 MYR 4.32

-24.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 BGN 2.58

$1.72 MYR 6.99

-14.53%

Eggs

$2.24 BGN 3.95

$2.19 MYR 8.91

2.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 BGN 16.73

$13.55 MYR 55.2

-29.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 BGN 11.22

$4.34 MYR 17.69

47.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 BGN 14.93

$8.84 MYR 36.02

-4.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 BGN 2.20

$2.94 MYR 11.98

-57.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 BGN 3.02

$1.63 MYR 6.65

5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 BGN 3.08

$2.75 MYR 11.20

-36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 BGN 3.46

$1.45 MYR 5.92

35.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 BGN 1.75

$1.10 MYR 4.48

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.27

$1.09 MYR 4.43

-33.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 BGN 1.04

$1.13 MYR 4.61

-47.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 BGN 0.97

$0.57 MYR 2.34

-3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 BGN 5.90

$4.62 MYR 18.83

-27.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 BGN 8.84

$18.76 MYR 76.5

-73.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 BGN 1.91

$2.98 MYR 12.15

-63.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 BGN 2.97

$5.33 MYR 21.72

-68.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 BGN 1.44

$0.76 MYR 3.10

7.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.75 BGN 47.09

$12.85 MYR 52.4

108.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 BGN 2.28

$1.66 MYR 6.76

-21.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BGN 1.07

$0.38 MYR 1.54

60.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 BGN 17.55

$7.29 MYR 29.70

36.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$0.60 MYR 2.46

150.00%

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

$28.9K BGN 51.0K

$45.6K MYR 185.9K

-36.56%

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

$21.2K BGN 37.3K

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

-40.93%

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

$93.8 BGN 165

$36.47 MYR 149

157.14%

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

$14.81 BGN 26.06

$9.66 MYR 39.35

53.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.13 BGN 21.34

$29.48 MYR 120

-58.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.80 BGN 57.7

$34.63 MYR 141

-5.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.57 BGN 15.08

$6.85 MYR 27.92

25.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BGN 9.70

$4.79 MYR 19.53

15.03%

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

$228 BGN 402

$388 MYR 1,579

-41.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,259 BGN 3,977

$10.7K MYR 43.4K

-78.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.12 BGN 53.0

$58.9 MYR 240

-48.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.45 BGN 34.24

$34.76 MYR 142

-44.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.08 BGN 81.1

$81.6 MYR 333

-43.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.97 BGN 86.2

$70.7 MYR 288

-30.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$522 BGN 918

$358 MYR 1,458

45.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 BGN 641

$258 MYR 1,051

41.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 BGN 1,107

$712 MYR 2,902

-11.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 BGN 1,000

$607 MYR 2,472

-6.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,159 BGN 2,041

$1,930 MYR 7,865

-39.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 BGN 1,681

$1,258 MYR 5,124

-24.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,669 BGN 2,938

$1,339 MYR 5,456

24.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

4.04

-25.99%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kedah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$364 37.8%

Kedah

$258 29.4% 29.2% $106

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$192 19.9%

Kedah

$257 29.3% 33.9% $65

Eating Out

Bansko

$144 15%

Kedah

$113 12.9% 21.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$121 12.5%

Kedah

$76 8.6% 37.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.8%

Kedah

$111 12.6% 70% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.5%

Kedah

$44 5% 0.9% $0.4

Getting Around

Bansko

$34 3.6%

Kedah

$19 2.2% 43.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $522 in Bansko versus $358 in Kedah. 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 25% higher in Bansko. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko versus $12 in Kedah. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Bansko vs $257 in Kedah – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇲🇾 Kedah

🕒 Local time

20:35 8:35 PM

02:35 2:35 AM

6 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

417,800

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BGN (1 BGN = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Kedah 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Kedah

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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $964 in Bansko, $877 in Kedah – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,446 per month in Bansko and $1,316 in Kedah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kedah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $358 there versus $522 in Bansko.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko and $12 in Kedah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $964 in Bansko and $877 in Kedah. That’s a gap of about 10%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $964 in Bansko and $877 in Kedah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $877 in Kedah to $964 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 Kedah. 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.