Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Manama

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $968 a month against $1,566 in Manama, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Manama
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Manama Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Manama

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,566

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Manama

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

A single person spends $968 per month in Bansko vs $1,566 in Manama, rent included.

Bansko $968
Manama $1,566

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Bansko vs $2,442 in Manama, rent included.

Bansko $1,479
Manama $2,442

A family of three spends $1,989 per month in Bansko vs $3,319 in Manama, rent included.

Bansko $1,989
Manama $3,319

Bansko is about 38% cheaper than Manama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Bansko sits 28% below the global median, while Manama is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.22 BHD 1.97

69.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.43 BGN 79.1

$53.5 BHD 20.16

-15.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 BGN 15.52

$7.87 BHD 2.97

13.34%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$4.67 BHD 1.76

-50.11%

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

$1.49 BGN 2.60

$0.85 BHD 0.32

75.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$0.30 BHD 0.11

176.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 BGN 3.05

$6.75 BHD 2.55

-74.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 BGN 3.49

$10.22 BHD 3.86

-80.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 BGN 3.00

$1.40 BHD 0.53

22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 BGN 1.49

$1.11 BHD 0.42

-22.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 BGN 2.55

$2.28 BHD 0.86

-35.96%

Eggs

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$2.31 BHD 0.87

0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 BGN 16.60

$8.81 BHD 3.32

8.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 BGN 10.96

$6.44 BHD 2.43

-2.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.04

$8.45 BHD 3.19

2.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 BGN 2.29

$2.29 BHD 0.86

-42.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.86

$2.23 BHD 0.84

-26.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 BGN 3.02

$1.93 BHD 0.73

-9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.38 BHD 0.52

40.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 BGN 1.66

$1.01 BHD 0.38

-5.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$1.42 BHD 0.54

-49.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.96

$1.55 BHD 0.58

-64.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$0.84 BHD 0.32

-29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 BGN 5.79

$5.39 BHD 2.03

-38.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 BGN 8.84

$18.82 BHD 7.10

-73.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 BGN 1.95

$3.63 BHD 1.37

-69.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$2.63 BHD 0.99

-34.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.77 BHD 0.29

15.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.08 BGN 47.11

$36.68 BHD 13.84

-26.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

$5.26 BHD 1.98

-68.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

$3.52 BHD 1.33

-74.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$15.84 BHD 5.98

-36.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.61

$0.70 BHD 0.26

114.29%

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

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

$26.3K BHD 9,929

8.49%

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

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

$19.8K BHD 7,467

7.28%

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

$92.5 BGN 161

$154 BHD 58.1

-39.89%

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

$14.59 BGN 25.39

$24.50 BHD 9.24

-40.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.13 BGN 21.11

$34.60 BHD 13.05

-64.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 BGN 55.4

$68.4 BHD 25.81

-53.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 BGN 14.72

$30.54 BHD 11.52

-72.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BGN 9.59

$10.73 BHD 4.05

-48.65%

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

$227 BGN 395

$614 BHD 231

-62.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,021

$11.4K BHD 4,303

-79.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.56 BGN 53.2

$50.5 BHD 19.05

-39.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.95 BGN 32.97

$57.5 BHD 21.70

-67.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.80 BGN 79.7

$87.3 BHD 32.92

-47.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.28 BGN 84.0

$88.2 BHD 33.26

-45.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 BGN 887

$1,010 BHD 381

-49.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 BGN 634

$642 BHD 242

-43.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 BGN 1,085

$2,120 BHD 800

-70.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 BGN 985

$1,300 BHD 490

-56.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,166 BGN 2,028

$2,588 BHD 976

-54.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 BGN 1,686

$1,992 BHD 751

-51.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,680 BGN 2,923

$2,384 BHD 899

-29.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

6.21

-51.85%

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

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Last update for Manama: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$364 37.6%

Manama

$642 41% 76.3% $278

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 19.9%

Manama

$250 16% 29.5% $57

Eating Out

Bansko

$147 15.2%

Manama

$180 11.5% 22.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.3%

Manama

$213 13.6% 78.6% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Manama

$128 8.2% 97.4% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.4%

Manama

$90 5.7% 110% $47

Getting Around

Bansko

$37 3.8%

Manama

$63 4% 69.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $510 in Bansko versus $1,010 in Manama. 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 42% higher in Manama, 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 $45 in Bansko versus $53 in Manama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $250 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇧🇭 Manama

🕒 Local time

20:45 8:45 PM

21:45 9:45 PM

1 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

157,474 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Manama 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Manama

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 Manama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $968 in Bansko, $1,566 in Manama – Bansko comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,452 per month in Bansko and $2,348 in Manama. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $510 there versus $1,010 in Manama.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko and $53 in Manama. 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 $1,566 in Manama. That makes Bansko about 38% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $968, than in Manama at $1,566. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manama it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bansko – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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