Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Phnom Penh

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $1,037 in Phnom Penh, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. The total is higher in Phnom Penh despite lower rent and utilities.

47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Phnom Penh
Learn more

Phnom Penh Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Phnom Penh

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Phnom Penh

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

A single person spends $970 per month in Bansko vs $1,037 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

Bansko $970
Phnom Penh $1,037

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Bansko vs $1,654 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

Bansko $1,464
Phnom Penh $1,654

A family of three spends $1,957 per month in Bansko vs $2,271 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

Bansko $1,957
Phnom Penh $2,271

Bansko is about 6% cheaper than Phnom Penh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bansko and Phnom Penh are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 28% lower, Phnom Penh 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.15

$4.08 ៛16.5K

112.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 BGN 81.6

$39.62 ៛160.5K

17.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 BGN 15.77

$6.91 ៛28.0K

30.39%

Cappuccino

$2.24 BGN 3.92

$3.02 ៛12.2K

-25.83%

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

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$1.87 ៛7,572

-19.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

$0.61 ៛2,484

40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$0.98 ៛3,964

79.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.51

$2.94 ៛11.9K

-31.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$2.17 ៛8,802

-17.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$1.61 ៛6,506

-49.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 BGN 2.66

$1.07 ៛4,316

42.06%

Eggs

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$1.73 ៛7,023

32.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 BGN 16.81

$14.96 ៛60.6K

-35.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 BGN 11.06

$4.07 ៛16.5K

55.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.12

$9.25 ៛37.5K

-6.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.24

$3.87 ៛15.7K

-66.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

$1.70 ៛6,879

-1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$4.30 ៛17.4K

-60.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 BGN 3.30

$2.13 ៛8,646

-11.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

$1.62 ៛6,549

-42.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$1.28 ៛5,172

-40.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

$1.15 ៛4,656

-53.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.02

$0.77 ៛3,099

-24.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 BGN 6.02

$1.95 ៛7,883

76.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 BGN 9.00

$11.20 ៛45.4K

-54.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

$1.03 ៛4,165

7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

$1.79 ៛7,263

-5.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

$0.47 ៛1,900

87.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

$9.74 ៛39.4K

174.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

$1.10 ៛4,455

17.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$0.98 ៛3,954

-33.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 BGN 17.81

$5.15 ៛20.9K

97.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$1.35 ៛5,484

11.11%

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

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

$35.5K ៛143.9M

-18.93%

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

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

$43.9K ៛177.6M

-51.08%

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

$91.4 BGN 160

$106 ៛431.3K

-14.13%

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

$14.68 BGN 25.68

$7.39 ៛29.9K

98.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.07 BGN 21.12

$25.24 ៛102.2K

-52.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 BGN 56.5

$40.80 ៛165.2K

-20.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

$10.94 ៛44.3K

-21.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 BGN 9.86

$4.97 ៛20.1K

13.28%

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

$228 BGN 400

$665 ៛2.7M

-65.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,045

$11.0K ៛44.5M

-78.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.48 BGN 53.3

$27.67 ៛112.1K

10.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.01 BGN 33.26

$24.26 ៛98.2K

-21.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.53 BGN 79.7

$89.8 ៛363.6K

-49.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 BGN 85.2

$59.1 ៛239.3K

-17.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 BGN 913

$639 ៛2.6M

-18.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 BGN 643

$370 ៛1.5M

-0.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 BGN 1,110

$1,148 ៛4.7M

-44.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 BGN 976

$803 ៛3.3M

-30.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,204 BGN 2,106

$2,883 ៛11.7M

-58.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$971 BGN 1,699

$1,488 ៛6.0M

-34.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,670 BGN 2,923

$330 ៛1.3M

405.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

8.07

-62.95%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$367 38%

Phnom Penh

$370 35.9% 0.6% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 20%

Phnom Penh

$252 24.5% 30.3% $59

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15%

Phnom Penh

$110 10.7% 24.1% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$118 12.2%

Phnom Penh

$139 13.5% 17.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Phnom Penh

$90 8.8% 39.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.5%

Phnom Penh

$51 4.9% 16.5% $7.2

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.6%

Phnom Penh

$18 1.7% 49.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Bansko versus $639 in Phnom Penh. 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 406% 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 $47.00 in Bansko versus $40.00 in Phnom Penh. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Bansko vs $252 in Phnom Penh – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇰🇭 Phnom Penh

🕒 Local time

04:54 4:54 AM

08:54 8:54 AM

4 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

2,009,264 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, 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).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,050 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,542 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Phnom Penh 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Phnom Penh

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 Phnom Penh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $970 in Bansko, $1,037 in Phnom Penh – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,455 per month in Bansko and $1,556 in Phnom Penh. 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 $47.00 in Bansko and $40.00 in Phnom Penh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $970 in Bansko and $1,037 in Phnom Penh. That's a gap of about 7%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Phnom Penh at $1,037. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phnom Penh 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 $970 in Bansko to $1,037 in Phnom Penh. 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, Phnom Penh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.