Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Medina

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $968 a month against $1,327 in Medina, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Medina
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Medina Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Medina

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Medina

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

A single person spends $968 per month in Bansko vs $1,327 in Medina, rent included.

Bansko $968
Medina $1,327

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Bansko vs $1,779 in Medina, rent included.

Bansko $1,479
Medina $1,779

A family of three spends $1,989 per month in Bansko vs $2,231 in Medina, rent included.

Bansko $1,989
Medina $2,231

Bansko is about 27% cheaper than Medina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bansko and Medina are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 28% lower, Medina 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$5.53 SAR 20.75

59.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.43 BGN 79.1

$32.26 SAR 121

40.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 BGN 15.52

$8.20 SAR 30.78

8.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$2.60 SAR 9.76

-10.38%

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

$1.49 BGN 2.60

$0.73 SAR 2.72

104.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$0.25 SAR 0.94

232.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 BGN 3.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 BGN 3.49

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 BGN 3.00

$1.48 SAR 5.57

16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 BGN 1.49

$0.92 SAR 3.46

-6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 BGN 2.55

$2.37 SAR 8.89

-38.40%

Eggs

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$2.00 SAR 7.51

16.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 BGN 16.60

$5.35 SAR 20.08

78.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 BGN 10.96

$7.09 SAR 26.61

-11.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.04

$12.52 SAR 47.01

-30.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 BGN 2.29

$2.35 SAR 8.82

-43.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.86

$2.00 SAR 7.49

-17.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 BGN 3.02

$2.25 SAR 8.43

-22.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.47 SAR 5.51

31.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 BGN 1.66

$1.37 SAR 5.14

-30.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$1.32 SAR 4.95

-45.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.96

$0.92 SAR 3.46

-40.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$0.70 SAR 2.63

-15.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SAR 5.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 BGN 5.79

$7.41 SAR 27.82

-55.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 BGN 8.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 BGN 1.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$1.08 SAR 4.06

-17.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.08 BGN 47.11

$36.54 SAR 137

-25.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

$1.35 SAR 5.07

21.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-46.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$5.71 SAR 21.42

75.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.61

$0.65 SAR 2.43

130.77%

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

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

$42.0K SAR 157.8K

-32.07%

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

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

$20.5K SAR 76.9K

3.71%

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

$92.5 BGN 161

$147 SAR 552

-37.12%

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

$14.59 BGN 25.39

$28.09 SAR 105

-48.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.13 BGN 21.11

$87.7 SAR 329

-86.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 BGN 55.4

$78.4 SAR 294

-59.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 BGN 14.72

$8.93 SAR 33.52

-5.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BGN 9.59

$13.10 SAR 49.16

-57.94%

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

$227 BGN 395

$291 SAR 1,091

-21.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,021

$5,499 SAR 20.6K

-57.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.56 BGN 53.2

$37.75 SAR 142

-19.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.95 BGN 32.97

$52.3 SAR 196

-63.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.80 BGN 79.7

$65.7 SAR 247

-30.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.28 BGN 84.0

$68.6 SAR 258

-29.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 BGN 887

$562 SAR 2,109

-9.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 BGN 634

$515 SAR 1,931

-29.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 BGN 1,085

$753 SAR 2,825

-17.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 BGN 985

$560 SAR 2,102

1.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,166 BGN 2,028

$2,284 SAR 8,574

-48.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 BGN 1,686

$1,323 SAR 4,966

-26.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,680 BGN 2,923

$1,233 SAR 4,627

36.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

4.17

-28.30%

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

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Last update for Medina: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$364 37.6%

Medina

$515 38.8% 41.3% $150

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 19.9%

Medina

$190 14.3% 1.8% $3.5

Eating Out

Bansko

$147 15.2%

Medina

$104 7.8% 29.5% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.3%

Medina

$263 19.8% 121% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Medina

$101 7.6% 56.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.4%

Medina

$105 7.9% 144% $62

Getting Around

Bansko

$37 3.8%

Medina

$51 3.8% 37.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $510 in Bansko versus $562 in Medina. 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 36% 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 $45 in Bansko versus $32 in Medina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $190 – making Medina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇸🇦 Medina

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

05:31 5:31 AM

1 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

1,100,093

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, 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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bansko Medina 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Medina

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 Medina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $968 in Bansko, $1,327 in Medina – Bansko comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,452 per month in Bansko and $1,991 in Medina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $510 in Bansko and $562 in Medina. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $968 in Bansko and $1,327 in Medina. That makes Bansko about 27% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $227 per month in Bansko and $291 in Medina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $968, than in Medina at $1,327. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medina 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.