Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Ohrid

For one person, living costs are similar in Bansko and in Ohrid: $956 and $968 a month, rent and utilities included.

47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Ohrid
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Ohrid Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Ohrid

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Ohrid

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

A single person spends $956 per month in Bansko vs $968 in Ohrid, rent included.

Bansko $956
Ohrid $968

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Bansko vs $1,539 in Ohrid, rent included.

Bansko $1,467
Ohrid $1,539

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Bansko vs $2,110 in Ohrid, rent included.

Bansko $1,979
Ohrid $2,110

Bansko is about 1% cheaper than Ohrid, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bansko and Ohrid are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 29% lower, Ohrid 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.06

$7.19 MKD 392

20.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.94 BGN 78.2

$36.12 MKD 1,970

24.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 BGN 15.28

$7.27 MKD 397

20.77%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.62 MKD 143

-11.07%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$2.93 MKD 160

-46.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$1.84 MKD 100

-55.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$3.71 MKD 202

-54.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$4.47 MKD 244

-55.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.00

$1.27 MKD 69.5

36.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.40

$0.72 MKD 39.05

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.51

$1.74 MKD 94.8

-17.24%

Eggs

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$2.26 MKD 123

4.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 BGN 16.34

$8.24 MKD 450

13.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BGN 11.15

$8.53 MKD 465

-24.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 BGN 14.76

$14.71 MKD 803

-42.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 BGN 2.28

$1.06 MKD 57.7

23.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.82

$1.26 MKD 68.5

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$1.50 MKD 81.8

15.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.99 MKD 108

-2.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.10 MKD 60.3

-14.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$1.36 MKD 74.1

-44.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.95

$1.04 MKD 56.6

-47.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.02

$0.79 MKD 42.94

-25.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 BGN 5.66

$3.34 MKD 182

-2.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 BGN 9.05

$5.57 MKD 304

-6.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.89

$1.09 MKD 59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$1.54 MKD 84.3

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BGN 1.45

$1.06 MKD 57.9

-20.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

$23.66 MKD 1,291

14.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 BGN 2.34

$1.11 MKD 60.5

20.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$0.94 MKD 51.4

-30.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 BGN 17.51

$8.81 MKD 481

14.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 BGN 2.57

$1.50 MKD 81.6

-1.33%

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

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

$30.4K MKD 1.7M

-4.00%

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

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

$30.8K MKD 1.7M

-32.04%

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

$92.4 BGN 161

$127 MKD 6,949

-27.44%

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

$14.52 BGN 25.26

$17.88 MKD 975

-18.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 BGN 21.43

$26.68 MKD 1,456

-53.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.70 BGN 55.2

$33.72 MKD 1,839

-5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

$18.05 MKD 985

-52.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 BGN 9.78

$6.18 MKD 337

-9.06%

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

$230 BGN 401

$269 MKD 14.7K

-14.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 BGN 3,947

$3,382 MKD 184.5K

-32.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.10 BGN 52.4

$95.3 MKD 5,196

-68.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 BGN 34.13

$53.3 MKD 2,909

-63.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.86 BGN 79.8

$102 MKD 5,544

-54.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.69 BGN 83.0

$135 MKD 7,348

-64.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 BGN 902

$286 MKD 15.6K

81.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 BGN 621

$170 MKD 9,269

110.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 BGN 1,069

$540 MKD 29.4K

13.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 BGN 990

$361 MKD 19.7K

57.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 BGN 2,073

$2,038 MKD 111.2K

-41.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 BGN 1,669

$1,334 MKD 72.8K

-28.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 BGN 2,965

$613 MKD 33.4K

177.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

7.3

-59.04%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ohrid: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$357 37.3%

Ohrid

$170 17.6% 52.4% $187

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$192 20.1%

Ohrid

$215 22.3% 12.3% $24

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15.2%

Ohrid

$157 16.3% 8.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.5%

Ohrid

$172 17.8% 44.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$64 6.7%

Ohrid

$173 17.9% 169% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.5%

Ohrid

$46 4.8% 7.3% $3.1

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.7%

Ohrid

$34 3.5% 3.7% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Bansko versus $286 in Ohrid. 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 178% 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 $45.00 in Bansko versus $36.00 in Ohrid. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Bansko vs $215 in Ohrid – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇲🇰 Ohrid

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

06:04 6:04 AM

1 h behind Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

38,940

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bansko Ohrid 240 km

From you

Bansko
Ohrid

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 Ohrid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $956 in Bansko, $968 in Ohrid – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,434 per month in Bansko and $1,451 in Ohrid. 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 $45.00 in Bansko and $36.00 in Ohrid. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $956 in Bansko and $968 in Ohrid. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Ohrid at $968. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ohrid 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 $956 in Bansko to $968 in Ohrid. 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, Ohrid makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.