Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and San Juan

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $749 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$749

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in San Juan

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

A single person spends $956 per month in Bansko vs $749 in San Juan, rent included.

Bansko $956
San Juan $749

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Bansko vs $1,101 in San Juan, rent included.

Bansko $1,467
San Juan $1,101

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Bansko vs $1,452 in San Juan, rent included.

Bansko $1,979
San Juan $1,452

Bansko costs about 28% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and San Juan are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 29% lower, San Juan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.06

$4.05 ₱255

113.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.94 BGN 78.2

$16.88 ₱1,063

166.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 BGN 15.28

$2.82 ₱177

211.35%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$2.76 ₱174

-15.58%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$0.66 ₱41.32

137.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$0.31 ₱19.49

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$1.07 ₱67.3

57.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.56 ₱98.5

26.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.00

$1.69 ₱107

2.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.40

$1.12 ₱70.5

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.51

$0.84 ₱52.7

71.43%

Eggs

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$1.82 ₱114

29.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 BGN 16.34

$5.24 ₱330

79.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BGN 11.15

$3.46 ₱218

85.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 BGN 14.76

$7.21 ₱454

17.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 BGN 2.28

$2.32 ₱146

-43.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.82

$1.36 ₱85.9

19.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$2.33 ₱147

-25.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.06 ₱66.8

83.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.69 ₱107

-44.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$1.74 ₱110

-56.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.95

$0.67 ₱42.19

-17.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.02

$0.97 ₱61.3

-39.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 BGN 5.66

$2.71 ₱171

19.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 BGN 9.05

$7.79 ₱490

-33.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.89

$0.92 ₱58.0

18.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$1.84 ₱116

-8.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BGN 1.45

$0.26 ₱16.26

223.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

$12.14 ₱765

122.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 BGN 2.34

$0.79 ₱49.73

69.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$0.23 ₱14.52

182.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 BGN 17.51

$1.95 ₱123

415.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 BGN 2.57

$1.24 ₱77.8

19.35%

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

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

38.94%

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

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

10.33%

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

$92.4 BGN 161

$141 ₱8,881

-34.44%

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

$14.52 BGN 25.26

$14.25 ₱898

1.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 BGN 21.43

$24.38 ₱1,536

-49.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.70 BGN 55.2

$30.07 ₱1,894

5.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

$4.41 ₱278

93.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 BGN 9.78

$5.07 ₱319

10.85%

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

$230 BGN 401

$74.3 ₱4,679

210.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 BGN 3,947

$2,556 ₱161.0K

-11.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.10 BGN 52.4

$29.32 ₱1,847

2.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 BGN 34.13

$19.71 ₱1,241

-0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.86 BGN 79.8

$72.1 ₱4,541

-36.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.69 BGN 83.0

$56.8 ₱3,575

-15.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 BGN 902

$303 ₱19.1K

70.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 BGN 621

$173 ₱10.9K

105.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 BGN 1,069

$515 ₱32.4K

19.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 BGN 990

$302 ₱19.0K

88.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 BGN 2,073

$2,681 ₱168.9K

-55.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 BGN 1,669

$1,115 ₱70.2K

-13.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 BGN 2,965

$243 ₱15.3K

599.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

6.75

-55.70%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$357 37.3%

San Juan

$173 23.1% 51.4% $184

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$192 20.1%

San Juan

$175 23.3% 9% $17

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15.2%

San Juan

$86 11.5% 40.7% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.5%

San Juan

$180 24% 50.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$64 6.7%

San Juan

$80 10.7% 24.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.5%

San Juan

$40 5.4% 6.4% $2.7

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.7%

San Juan

$15 2% 56.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Bansko versus $303 in San Juan. 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 600% higher in Bansko, 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 $45.00 in Bansko versus $17.00 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $175 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇵🇭 San Juan

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

04:01 4:01 AM

5 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

126,347

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko San Juan 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
San Juan

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 San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $956 in Bansko, $749 in San Juan – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,434 per month in Bansko and $1,124 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, 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 $17.00 in San Juan. 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 $749 in San Juan. That's a gap of about 28%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan, where all-in costs run around $749, than in Bansko at $956. In San Juan 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 $749 in San Juan to $956 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 San Juan. 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.