Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Mahé

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $1,799 in Mahé, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Mahé
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Mahé Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Mahé

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$1,799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Mahé

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

A single person spends $970 per month in Bansko vs $1,799 in Mahé, rent included.

Bansko $970
Mahé $1,799

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Bansko vs $2,618 in Mahé, rent included.

Bansko $1,464
Mahé $2,618

A family of three spends $1,957 per month in Bansko vs $3,438 in Mahé, rent included.

Bansko $1,957
Mahé $3,438

Bansko is about 46% cheaper than Mahé, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bansko sits 28% below the global median, while Mahé is 34% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.15

$17.55 SCR 254

-50.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 BGN 81.6

$108 SCR 1,564

-56.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 BGN 15.77

$5.66 SCR 82.0

59.19%

Cappuccino

$2.24 BGN 3.92

$6.59 SCR 95.4

-66.01%

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

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$1.62 SCR 23.47

-7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$12.68 SCR 184

-86.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.51

$9.10 SCR 132

-78.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.58 SCR 22.84

13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$1.09 SCR 15.83

-25.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 BGN 2.66

$1.84 SCR 26.66

-17.39%

Eggs

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$4.29 SCR 62.1

-46.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 BGN 16.81

$15.89 SCR 230

-39.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 BGN 11.06

$8.28 SCR 120

-23.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.12

$12.96 SCR 188

-33.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.24

$2.07 SCR 29.93

-38.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$2.42 SCR 35.04

-29.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 BGN 3.30

$6.59 SCR 95.4

-71.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

$1.06 SCR 15.33

-12.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$1.05 SCR 15.23

-27.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

$1.09 SCR 15.81

-50.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 BGN 6.02

$14.50 SCR 210

-76.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 BGN 9.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

$2.19 SCR 31.75

-22.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

$0.76 SCR 11.03

15.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

$35.50 SCR 514

-24.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 BGN 17.81

$14.40 SCR 209

-29.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$1.48 SCR 21.40

1.35%

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

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

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

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

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

$91.4 BGN 160

$49.22 SCR 713

85.78%

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

$14.68 BGN 25.68

$21.81 SCR 316

-32.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.07 BGN 21.12

$105 SCR 1,523

-88.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 BGN 56.5

$52.9 SCR 766

-39.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 BGN 9.86

$6.26 SCR 90.6

-10.06%

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

$228 BGN 400

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,045

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.48 BGN 53.3

$29.88 SCR 433

2.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.01 BGN 33.26

$11.99 SCR 174

58.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.53 BGN 79.7

$47.18 SCR 683

-3.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 BGN 85.2

$58.8 SCR 851

-17.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 BGN 913

$871 SCR 12.6K

-40.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 BGN 643

$842 SCR 12.2K

-56.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 BGN 1,110

$1,772 SCR 25.7K

-64.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 BGN 976

$1,058 SCR 15.3K

-47.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,204 BGN 2,106

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$971 BGN 1,699

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,670 BGN 2,923

$855 SCR 12.4K

95.31%

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: October 6, 2026

Last update for Mahé: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$367 38%

Mahé

$842 47.9% 129% $475

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 20%

Mahé

$246 * 14% 27.4% $53

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15%

Mahé

$324 * 18.5% 123% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$118 12.2%

Mahé

$176 10% 49.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Mahé

$67 3.8% 2.9% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.5%

Mahé

$65 3.7% 50.2% $22

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.6%

Mahé

$39 * 2.2% 10.6% $3.7

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 $871 in Mahé. 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 95% higher in Bansko, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Bansko versus $108 in Mahé. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $246 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇸🇨 Mahé

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

15:59 3:59 PM

1 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

78,539

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

100 SCR = 6.91 USD

100 SCR = 6.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SCR, 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 = 0.51 EUR).

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 14.48 SCR (100 SCR = 6.91 USD). 1 EUR = 16.23 SCR (100 SCR = 6.16 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bansko Mahé 6,100 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Mahé

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 Mahé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $970 in Bansko, $1,799 in Mahé – roughly 85% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,455 per month in Bansko and $2,698 in Mahé. 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 $1,799 in Mahé. That's a gap of about 85%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Bansko and $108 in Mahé. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Mahé at $1,799. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mahé 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 $1,799 in Mahé. 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, Mahé makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.