Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Koh Phi Phi

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phi Phi
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Koh Phi Phi Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Koh Phi Phi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Koh Phi Phi

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

A single person spends $970 per month in Bansko vs $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi, rent included.

Bansko $970
Koh Phi Phi $1,930

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Bansko vs $3,266 in Koh Phi Phi, rent included.

Bansko $1,464
Koh Phi Phi $3,266

A family of three spends $1,957 per month in Bansko vs $4,603 in Koh Phi Phi, rent included.

Bansko $1,957
Koh Phi Phi $4,603

Bansko is about 50% cheaper than Koh Phi Phi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bansko sits 28% below the global median, while Koh Phi Phi is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.15

$6.82 ฿228

26.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 BGN 81.6

$48.47 ฿1,623

-3.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 BGN 15.77

$12.83 ฿430

-29.77%

Cappuccino

$2.24 BGN 3.92

$4.10 ฿137

-45.37%

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

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$1.36 ฿45.48

10.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

$0.73 ฿24.55

17.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$3.84 ฿129

-54.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.51

$5.54 ฿186

-63.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$2.00 ฿67.1

-10.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$1.72 ฿57.6

-52.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 BGN 2.66

$1.88 ฿63.0

-19.15%

Eggs

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$2.52 ฿84.5

-8.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 BGN 16.81

$23.69 ฿793

-59.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 BGN 11.06

$4.05 ฿136

56.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.12

$13.17 ฿441

-34.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.24

$3.50 ฿117

-63.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

$1.95 ฿65.3

-13.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$2.71 ฿90.7

-37.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 BGN 3.30

$2.55 ฿85.5

-25.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

$1.82 ฿61.0

-48.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$1.65 ฿55.3

-53.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

$1.29 ฿43.10

-58.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.02

$0.62 ฿20.78

-6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 BGN 6.02

$5.08 ฿170

-32.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 BGN 9.00

$21.86 ฿732

-76.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

$2.13 ฿71.3

-47.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

$3.40 ฿114

-50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

$3.05 ฿102

-71.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

$4.13 ฿138

-68.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$1.48 ฿49.50

-56.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 BGN 17.81

$5.21 ฿174

95.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$2.01 ฿67.3

-25.37%

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

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

$37.6K ฿1.3M

-23.41%

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

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

$37.9K ฿1.3M

-43.36%

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

$91.4 BGN 160

$106 ฿3,556

-13.91%

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

$14.68 BGN 25.68

$12.39 ฿415

18.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.07 BGN 21.12

$19.02 ฿637

-36.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 BGN 56.5

$62.1 ฿2,080

-48.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

$13.26 ฿444

-35.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 BGN 9.86

$9.25 ฿310

-39.14%

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

$228 BGN 400

$665 ฿22.3K

-65.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,045

$14.0K ฿467.7K

-83.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.48 BGN 53.3

$67.3 ฿2,252

-54.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.01 BGN 33.26

$29.94 ฿1,002

-36.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.53 BGN 79.7

$100 ฿3,358

-54.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 BGN 85.2

$90.7 ฿3,037

-46.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 BGN 913

$1,569 ฿52.5K

-66.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 BGN 643

$1,007 ฿33.7K

-63.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 BGN 1,110

$4,640 ฿155.3K

-86.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 BGN 976

$2,698 ฿90.3K

-79.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,204 BGN 2,106

$7,572 ฿253.5K

-84.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$971 BGN 1,699

$5,505 ฿184.3K

-82.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,670 BGN 2,923

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

5.57

-46.32%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Last update for Koh Phi Phi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$367 38%

Koh Phi Phi

$1K 53.5% 174% $640

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 20%

Koh Phi Phi

$321 17.1% 66.2% $128

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15%

Koh Phi Phi

$181 9.6% 24.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$118 12.2%

Koh Phi Phi

$138 7.3% 16.4% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Koh Phi Phi

$130 6.9% 101% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.5%

Koh Phi Phi

$81 4.3% 85.2% $37

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.6%

Koh Phi Phi

$24 * 1.3% 32% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Bansko versus $1,569 in Koh Phi Phi. 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 $47.00 in Bansko versus $48.00 in Koh Phi Phi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $321 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇹🇭 Koh Phi Phi

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

12:24 12:24 PM

4 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

2,500

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Koh Phi Phi 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Koh Phi Phi

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 Koh Phi Phi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $970 in Bansko, $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi – roughly 99% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,455 per month in Bansko and $2,894 in Koh Phi Phi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $970 in Bansko and $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi. That's a gap of about 99%.

Kindergarten costs $228 per month in Bansko and $665 in Koh Phi Phi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Koh Phi Phi at $1,930. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Koh Phi Phi 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 $970 in Bansko to $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi. 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 Bansko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Koh Phi Phi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.