Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Kutaisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kutaisi: $886 a month against $970 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.

47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kutaisi
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Kutaisi Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Kutaisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Kutaisi

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

A single person spends $970 per month in Bansko vs $886 in Kutaisi, rent included.

Bansko $970
Kutaisi $886

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Bansko vs $1,318 in Kutaisi, rent included.

Bansko $1,464
Kutaisi $1,318

A family of three spends $1,957 per month in Bansko vs $1,750 in Kutaisi, rent included.

Bansko $1,957
Kutaisi $1,750

Bansko costs about 9% more than Kutaisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bansko and Kutaisi are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 28% lower, Kutaisi 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.15

$9.85 ₾25.53

-12.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 BGN 81.6

$31.26 ₾81.0

49.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 BGN 15.77

$10.59 ₾27.44

-14.92%

Cappuccino

$2.24 BGN 3.92

$2.06 ₾5.33

8.74%

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

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$0.74 ₾1.92

102.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

$0.55 ₾1.42

56.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$1.21 ₾3.15

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.51

$1.90 ₾4.92

5.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.75 ₾4.54

2.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$0.51 ₾1.31

58.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 BGN 2.66

$1.19 ₾3.09

27.73%

Eggs

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$2.37 ₾6.14

-2.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 BGN 16.81

$6.11 ₾15.84

57.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 BGN 11.06

$4.80 ₾12.45

31.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.12

$10.54 ₾27.32

-18.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.24

$1.21 ₾3.14

5.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

$1.60 ₾4.14

5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$1.54 ₾4.00

10.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 BGN 3.30

$1.72 ₾4.47

9.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

$0.71 ₾1.83

30.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$0.65 ₾1.69

16.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

$1.22 ₾3.15

-55.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.02

$0.63 ₾1.63

-7.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 BGN 6.02

$3.06 ₾7.94

12.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 BGN 9.00

$3.77 ₾9.76

36.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

$1.57 ₾4.06

-29.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

$2.59 ₾6.72

-34.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

$0.33 ₾0.87

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

$7.73 ₾20.04

246.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

$0.75 ₾1.94

72.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$0.74 ₾1.93

-12.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 BGN 17.81

$5.63 ₾14.59

80.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$1.27 ₾3.30

18.11%

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

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

$23.1K ₾59.9K

24.64%

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

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

$22.3K ₾57.8K

-3.76%

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

$91.4 BGN 160

$77.5 ₾201

17.94%

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

$14.68 BGN 25.68

$8.75 ₾22.67

67.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.07 BGN 21.12

$15.25 ₾39.52

-20.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 BGN 56.5

$41.90 ₾109

-22.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

$8.49 ₾22.00

1.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 BGN 9.86

$4.77 ₾12.36

18.03%

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

$228 BGN 400

$132 ₾342

73.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,045

$2,675 ₾6,934

-13.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.48 BGN 53.3

$57.6 ₾149

-47.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.01 BGN 33.26

$39.87 ₾103

-52.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.53 BGN 79.7

$96.2 ₾249

-52.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 BGN 85.2

$86.5 ₾224

-43.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 BGN 913

$362 ₾939

44.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 BGN 643

$262 ₾679

40.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 BGN 1,110

$517 ₾1,340

22.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 BGN 976

$343 ₾889

62.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,204 BGN 2,106

$1,069 ₾2,772

12.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$971 BGN 1,699

$669 ₾1,735

45.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,670 BGN 2,923

$474 ₾1,229

252.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

15.67

-80.92%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Last update for Kutaisi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$367 38%

Kutaisi

$262 29.7% 28.7% $106

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 20%

Kutaisi

$178 20.1% 8% $16

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15%

Kutaisi

$150 17% 3.4% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$118 12.2%

Kutaisi

$102 11.5% 14.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Kutaisi

$126 14.3% 94.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.5%

Kutaisi

$51 5.8% 18.1% $7.9

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.6%

Kutaisi

$14 1.5% 61.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Bansko versus $362 in Kutaisi. 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 252% 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 $47.00 in Bansko versus $31.00 in Kutaisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $178 – making Kutaisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇬🇪 Kutaisi

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

07:42 7:42 AM

1 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

130,411

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, 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).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Kutaisi 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Kutaisi

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 Kutaisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $970 in Bansko, $886 in Kutaisi – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,455 per month in Bansko and $1,329 in Kutaisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kutaisi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Bansko and $31.00 in Kutaisi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $970 in Bansko and $886 in Kutaisi. That's a gap of about 9%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kutaisi, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Bansko at $970. In Kutaisi 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 $886 in Kutaisi to $970 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 Kutaisi. 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.