Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $537 a month against $968 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$537

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Mahajanga

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

A single person spends $968 per month in Bansko vs $537 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Bansko $968
Mahajanga $537

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Bansko vs $788 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Bansko $1,479
Mahajanga $788

A family of three spends $1,989 per month in Bansko vs $1,040 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Bansko $1,989
Mahajanga $1,040

Bansko costs about 80% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and Mahajanga are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 28% lower, Mahajanga 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$1.93 MGA 8,840

357.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.43 BGN 79.1

$17.36 MGA 79.3K

161.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 BGN 15.52

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$0.63 MGA 2,877

269.84%

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

$1.49 BGN 2.60

$0.84 MGA 3,839

77.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$0.92 MGA 4,195

-9.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 BGN 3.05

$1.02 MGA 4,673

71.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 BGN 3.49

$1.57 MGA 7,200

28.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 BGN 3.00

$1.30 MGA 5,965

32.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 BGN 1.49

$0.86 MGA 3,938

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 BGN 2.55

$0.64 MGA 2,908

128.13%

Eggs

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$2.15 MGA 9,816

8.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 BGN 16.60

$6.43 MGA 29.4K

48.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 BGN 10.96

$6.41 MGA 29.3K

-1.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.04

$3.49 MGA 15.9K

147.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 BGN 2.29

$1.13 MGA 5,150

16.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.86

$0.60 MGA 2,736

175.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 BGN 3.02

$0.64 MGA 2,939

171.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$0.64 MGA 2,912

203.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 BGN 1.66

$0.48 MGA 2,172

97.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$0.50 MGA 2,264

44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.96

$0.34 MGA 1,567

61.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$0.54 MGA 2,456

9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 BGN 5.79

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 BGN 8.84

$9.03 MGA 41.3K

-43.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 BGN 1.95

$0.74 MGA 3,380

51.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$0.89 MGA 4,079

94.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.22 MGA 1,005

304.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.08 BGN 47.11

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.00 BGN 17.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.61

$1.30 MGA 5,929

15.38%

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

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

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

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

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

$92.5 BGN 161

$43.20 MGA 197.5K

114.14%

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

$14.59 BGN 25.39

$6.50 MGA 29.7K

124.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.13 BGN 21.11

$21.96 MGA 100.4K

-44.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 BGN 55.4

$17.86 MGA 81.6K

78.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 BGN 14.72

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BGN 9.59

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

$227 BGN 395

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,021

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.56 BGN 53.2

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.95 BGN 32.97

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.80 BGN 79.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.28 BGN 84.0

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 BGN 887

$329 MGA 1.5M

54.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 BGN 634

$265 MGA 1.2M

37.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 BGN 1,085

$651 MGA 3.0M

-4.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 BGN 985

$436 MGA 2.0M

29.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,166 BGN 2,028

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 BGN 1,686

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,680 BGN 2,923

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

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

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$364 37.6%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 19.9%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Bansko

$147 15.2%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.3%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.4%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Bansko

$37 3.8%

Mahajanga

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $510 in Bansko versus $329 in Mahajanga. 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 $45 in Bansko versus $17 in Mahajanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $143 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

1 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

246,022

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4,572 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,132 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Mahajanga 6,820 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Mahajanga

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 Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $968 in Bansko, $537 in Mahajanga – Mahajanga comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,452 per month in Bansko and $805 in Mahajanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahajanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $329 there versus $510 in Bansko.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko and $17 in Mahajanga. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $968 in Bansko and $537 in Mahajanga. That makes Mahajanga about 45% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $537, than in Bansko at $968. In Mahajanga 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 $537 in Mahajanga to $968 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.