Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Kumanovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumanovo: $793 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Kumanovo
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Kumanovo Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Kumanovo

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Kumanovo

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

A single person spends $956 per month in Bansko vs $793 in Kumanovo, rent included.

Bansko $956
Kumanovo $793

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Bansko vs $1,162 in Kumanovo, rent included.

Bansko $1,467
Kumanovo $1,162

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Bansko vs $1,532 in Kumanovo, rent included.

Bansko $1,979
Kumanovo $1,532

Bansko costs about 21% more than Kumanovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and Kumanovo are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 29% lower, Kumanovo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.06

$6.53 MKD 356

32.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.94 BGN 78.2

$27.26 MKD 1,487

64.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 BGN 15.28

$6.61 MKD 361

32.83%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.45 MKD 79.0

60.69%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$1.40 MKD 76.2

12.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$1.01 MKD 55.2

-18.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$1.56 MKD 85.1

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.69 MKD 92.0

17.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.00

$1.23 MKD 66.9

40.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.40

$0.73 MKD 40.01

9.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.51

$1.77 MKD 96.4

-18.64%

Eggs

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$2.34 MKD 128

0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 BGN 16.34

$7.98 MKD 435

17.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BGN 11.15

$7.57 MKD 413

-15.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 BGN 14.76

$11.49 MKD 627

-26.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 BGN 2.28

$0.94 MKD 51.2

39.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.82

$1.44 MKD 78.6

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$1.31 MKD 71.4

32.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.74 MKD 95.0

11.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.85 MKD 46.29

10.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$0.80 MKD 43.60

-5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.95

$0.52 MKD 28.25

5.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.02

$0.59 MKD 32.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 BGN 5.66

$3.13 MKD 171

3.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 BGN 9.05

$7.13 MKD 389

-27.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.89

$1.05 MKD 57.5

3.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$1.04 MKD 57.0

61.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BGN 1.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 BGN 2.34

$1.12 MKD 61.0

19.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$0.62 MKD 33.68

4.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 BGN 17.51

$5.72 MKD 312

75.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 BGN 2.57

$1.45 MKD 79.0

2.07%

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

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

$35.5K MKD 1.9M

-17.89%

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

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

$27.1K MKD 1.5M

-22.81%

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

$92.4 BGN 161

$128 MKD 6,956

-27.52%

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

$14.52 BGN 25.26

$16.68 MKD 910

-12.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 BGN 21.43

$18.70 MKD 1,020

-34.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.70 BGN 55.2

$27.77 MKD 1,515

14.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

$18.35 MKD 1,001

-53.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 BGN 9.78

$5.53 MKD 301

1.63%

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

$230 BGN 401

$356 MKD 19.4K

-35.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 BGN 3,947

$5,659 MKD 308.7K

-59.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.10 BGN 52.4

$41.62 MKD 2,270

-27.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 BGN 34.13

$19.80 MKD 1,080

-0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.86 BGN 79.8

$80.5 MKD 4,392

-43.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.69 BGN 83.0

$49.21 MKD 2,685

-3.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 BGN 902

$241 MKD 13.1K

115.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 BGN 621

$196 MKD 10.7K

82.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 BGN 1,069

$410 MKD 22.4K

49.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 BGN 990

$247 MKD 13.4K

130.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 BGN 2,073

$1,610 MKD 87.8K

-25.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 BGN 1,669

$1,434 MKD 78.2K

-33.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 BGN 2,965

$554 MKD 30.2K

207.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

-25.25%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kumanovo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$357 37.3%

Kumanovo

$196 24.7% 45.2% $161

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$192 20.1%

Kumanovo

$194 24.5% 1.4% $2.7

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15.2%

Kumanovo

$110 13.9% 24.2% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.5%

Kumanovo

$163 20.6% 36.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$64 6.7%

Kumanovo

$86 10.9% 33.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.5%

Kumanovo

$39 4.9% 9.6% $4.1

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.7%

Kumanovo

$4.2 * 0.5% 88% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Bansko versus $241 in Kumanovo. 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 208% higher in Bansko, 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 $27.00 in Kumanovo. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Bansko vs $194 in Kumanovo – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇲🇰 Kumanovo

🕒 Local time

17:54 5:54 PM

16:54 4:54 PM

1 h behind Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

75,051

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Bansko Kumanovo 150 km

From you

Bansko
Kumanovo

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 Kumanovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $956 in Bansko, $793 in Kumanovo – roughly 21% 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 $1,189 in Kumanovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kumanovo, 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 $956 in Bansko and $793 in Kumanovo. That's a gap of about 21%.

Kindergarten costs $230 per month in Bansko and $356 in Kumanovo. 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 Kumanovo, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Bansko at $956. In Kumanovo 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 $793 in Kumanovo 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 Kumanovo. 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.