Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Manakara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $968 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Manakara

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

A single person spends $968 per month in Bansko vs $397 in Manakara, rent included.

Bansko $968
Manakara $397

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Bansko vs $609 in Manakara, rent included.

Bansko $1,479
Manakara $609

A family of three spends $1,989 per month in Bansko vs $820 in Manakara, rent included.

Bansko $1,989
Manakara $820

Bansko costs about 144% more than Manakara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and Manakara are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 28% lower, Manakara 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$2.16 MGA 9,874

308.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.43 BGN 79.1

$14.51 MGA 66.3K

213.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 BGN 15.52

$3.61 MGA 16.5K

147.09%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$1.19 MGA 5,450

95.80%

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

$1.49 BGN 2.60

$0.60 MGA 2,744

148.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$0.53 MGA 2,414

56.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 BGN 3.05

$1.19 MGA 5,455

47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 BGN 3.49

$1.42 MGA 6,482

41.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 BGN 3.00

$1.72 MGA 7,873

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 BGN 1.49

$1.01 MGA 4,625

-14.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 BGN 2.55

$0.73 MGA 3,317

100.00%

Eggs

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$2.25 MGA 10.3K

3.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 BGN 16.60

$6.62 MGA 30.2K

44.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 BGN 10.96

$3.47 MGA 15.9K

81.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.04

$3.55 MGA 16.2K

143.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 BGN 2.29

$0.96 MGA 4,372

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.86

$0.72 MGA 3,304

129.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 BGN 3.02

$0.34 MGA 1,572

411.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$0.72 MGA 3,284

169.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 BGN 1.66

$0.55 MGA 2,503

72.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$0.77 MGA 3,504

-6.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.96

$0.32 MGA 1,460

71.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$0.64 MGA 2,910

-7.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 BGN 5.79

$1.42 MGA 6,490

134.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 BGN 8.84

$4.34 MGA 19.9K

17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 BGN 1.95

$1.03 MGA 4,707

8.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$1.25 MGA 5,723

38.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.21 MGA 957

323.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.08 BGN 47.11

$35.63 MGA 162.9K

-24.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

$1.08 MGA 4,953

51.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

-59.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$3.31 MGA 15.2K

202.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.61

$1.17 MGA 5,367

28.21%

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

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

$15.2K MGA 69.7M

87.41%

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

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

$20.2K MGA 92.5M

4.95%

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

$92.5 BGN 161

$41.78 MGA 191.0K

121.42%

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

$14.59 BGN 25.39

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.13 BGN 21.11

$52.7 MGA 240.9K

-76.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 BGN 55.4

$11.37 MGA 52.0K

180.04%

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

$21.87 MGA 100.0K

938.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,021

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.56 BGN 53.2

$16.27 MGA 74.4K

87.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.95 BGN 32.97

$20.10 MGA 91.9K

-5.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.80 BGN 79.7

$45.39 MGA 207.5K

0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.28 BGN 84.0

$44.17 MGA 201.9K

9.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 BGN 887

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 BGN 634

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 BGN 1,085

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 BGN 985

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

$114 MGA 519.2K

1379.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

-87.54%

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

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Last update for Manakara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$364 37.6%

Manakara

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 19.9%

Manakara

$130 32.7% 32.9% $63

Eating Out

Bansko

$147 15.2%

Manakara

$56 14.1% 62.2% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.3%

Manakara

$94 * 23.8% 20.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Manakara

$57 14.3% 12.3% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.4%

Manakara

$11 * 2.9% 73.5% $32

Getting Around

Bansko

$37 3.8%

Manakara

$49 12.3% 32.2% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Bansko are about 15 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko versus $15 in Manakara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $130 – making Manakara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇲🇬 Manakara

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

06:27 6:27 AM

1 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

44,237

💱 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 Manakara 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Manakara

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 Manakara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $968 in Bansko, $397 in Manakara – Manakara comes out roughly 59% 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 $595 in Manakara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko and $15 in Manakara. 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 $397 in Manakara. That makes Manakara about 59% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $397 in Manakara to $968 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Manakara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.