Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $354 a month against $970 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Manzini

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

A single person spends $970 per month in Bansko vs $354 in Manzini, rent included.

Bansko $970
Manzini $354

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Bansko vs $515 in Manzini, rent included.

Bansko $1,464
Manzini $515

A family of three spends $1,957 per month in Bansko vs $677 in Manzini, rent included.

Bansko $1,957
Manzini $677

Bansko costs about 174% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and Manzini are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 28% lower, Manzini 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.15

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 BGN 81.6

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 BGN 15.77

Cappuccino

$2.24 BGN 3.92

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

$1.50 BGN 2.63

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.51

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.29 SZL 21.19

38.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$0.96 SZL 15.84

-15.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 BGN 2.66

$1.79 SZL 29.52

-15.08%

Eggs

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$1.18 SZL 19.51

94.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 BGN 16.81

$7.49 SZL 124

28.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 BGN 11.06

$2.96 SZL 48.83

113.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.12

$1.85 SZL 30.51

367.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.24

$1.33 SZL 21.91

-3.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

$0.59 SZL 9.73

184.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$0.83 SZL 13.65

104.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 BGN 3.30

$0.51 SZL 8.48

270.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

$0.58 SZL 9.60

60.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$0.47 SZL 7.73

61.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

$0.45 SZL 7.36

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.02

$0.70 SZL 11.47

-17.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 BGN 6.02

$3.13 SZL 51.7

9.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 BGN 9.00

$3.20 SZL 52.8

60.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

$0.63 SZL 10.39

76.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

$0.78 SZL 12.80

117.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

$0.60 SZL 9.89

46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

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

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$1.32 SZL 21.79

13.64%

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

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

$17.1K SZL 282.0K

68.37%

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

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

$15.7K SZL 259.3K

36.37%

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

$91.4 BGN 160

$72.4 SZL 1,193

26.32%

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

$14.68 BGN 25.68

$12.23 SZL 202

20.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.07 BGN 21.12

$29.97 SZL 494

-59.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 BGN 56.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 BGN 9.86

$3.68 SZL 60.6

52.99%

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

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.01 BGN 33.26

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.53 BGN 79.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 BGN 85.2

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 BGN 913

$170 SZL 2,801

206.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 BGN 643

$105 SZL 1,734

249.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 BGN 1,110

$367 SZL 6,054

72.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 BGN 976

$274 SZL 4,517

103.53%

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

$404 SZL 6,657

313.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

-70.10%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Last update for Manzini: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$367 38%

Manzini

–

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 20%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$118 12.2%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.5%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.6%

Manzini

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Bansko versus $170 in Manzini. 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 314% higher in Bansko, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

06:03 6:03 AM

1 h behind Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

110,508

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, 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).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Manzini 7,640 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Manzini

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 Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $970 in Bansko, $354 in Manzini – roughly 174% 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 $530 in Manzini. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, 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 $354 in Manzini. That's a gap of about 174%.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Bansko, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manzini, where all-in costs run around $354, than in Bansko at $970. In Manzini 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 $354 in Manzini to $970 in Bansko. 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 Manzini. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.