Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $1,257 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Makati

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

A single person spends $970 per month in Bansko vs $1,257 in Makati, rent included.

Bansko $970
Makati $1,257

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Bansko vs $2,052 in Makati, rent included.

Bansko $1,464
Makati $2,052

A family of three spends $1,957 per month in Bansko vs $2,847 in Makati, rent included.

Bansko $1,957
Makati $2,847

Bansko is about 23% cheaper than Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bansko and Makati are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 28% lower, Makati 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.15

$6.56 ₱411

32.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 BGN 81.6

$40.13 ₱2,517

16.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 BGN 15.77

$4.75 ₱298

89.68%

Cappuccino

$2.24 BGN 3.92

$2.65 ₱166

-15.47%

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

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$1.08 ₱67.6

38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

$0.50 ₱31.47

72.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$2.44 ₱153

-27.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.51

$3.10 ₱195

-35.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.83 ₱115

-2.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$1.24 ₱77.7

-34.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 BGN 2.66

$1.01 ₱63.5

50.50%

Eggs

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$2.37 ₱148

-2.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 BGN 16.81

$7.35 ₱461

30.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 BGN 11.06

$4.91 ₱308

28.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.12

$6.81 ₱427

26.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.24

$4.09 ₱257

-68.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

$2.00 ₱125

-16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$3.27 ₱205

-48.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 BGN 3.30

$2.29 ₱144

-17.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

$3.59 ₱225

-74.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$3.45 ₱216

-77.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

$1.07 ₱67.0

-49.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.02

$1.11 ₱69.7

-47.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 BGN 6.02

$2.66 ₱167

29.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 BGN 9.00

$8.01 ₱502

-35.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

$1.35 ₱84.5

-17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

$1.98 ₱124

-14.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

$0.99 ₱61.9

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

$57.4 ₱3,599

-53.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

$0.66 ₱41.39

95.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$0.23 ₱14.46

182.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 BGN 17.81

$1.88 ₱118

441.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$1.26 ₱79.0

19.05%

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

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

$21.5K ₱1.3M

34.17%

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

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

$19.8K ₱1.2M

8.31%

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

$91.4 BGN 160

$155 ₱9,726

-41.03%

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

$14.68 BGN 25.68

$15.90 ₱997

-7.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.07 BGN 21.12

$32.67 ₱2,049

-63.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 BGN 56.5

$55.4 ₱3,473

-41.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

$14.51 ₱910

-40.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 BGN 9.86

$6.98 ₱438

-19.34%

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

$228 BGN 400

$783 ₱49.1K

-70.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,045

$7,340 ₱460.4K

-68.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.48 BGN 53.3

$59.6 ₱3,738

-48.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.01 BGN 33.26

$37.48 ₱2,351

-49.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.53 BGN 79.7

$82.5 ₱5,171

-44.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 BGN 85.2

$102 ₱6,383

-52.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 BGN 913

$828 ₱51.9K

-37.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 BGN 643

$416 ₱26.1K

-11.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 BGN 1,110

$2,318 ₱145.4K

-72.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 BGN 976

$1,067 ₱66.9K

-47.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,204 BGN 2,106

$6,082 ₱381.5K

-80.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$971 BGN 1,699

$3,765 ₱236.1K

-74.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,670 BGN 2,923

$616 ₱38.6K

171.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

7.5

-60.13%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$367 38%

Makati

$416 33.8% 13.3% $49

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 20%

Makati

$230 18.7% 19.2% $37

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15%

Makati

$123 10% 15.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$118 12.2%

Makati

$204 16.5% 72.3% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Makati

$127 10.3% 95.8% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.5%

Makati

$69 5.6% 59.2% $26

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.6%

Makati

$63 5.1% 81.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Bansko versus $828 in Makati. 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 171% 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 $40.00 in Makati. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Bansko vs $230 in Makati – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

14:07 2:07 PM

5 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

582,602

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Makati 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Makati

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 Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $970 in Bansko, $1,257 in Makati – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,455 per month in Bansko and $1,885 in Makati. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Bansko and $40.00 in Makati. 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 $1,257 in Makati. That's a gap of about 30%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Makati at $1,257. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Makati has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $970 in Bansko to $1,257 in Makati. 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, Makati makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.