Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Sandakan, Sabah

For one person, living costs are similar in Bansko and in Sandakan, Sabah: $965 and $934 a month, rent and utilities included.

47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
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Sandakan, Sabah Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$965

/mo nomad

Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Sandakan, Sabah

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

A single person spends $965 per month in Bansko vs $934 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Bansko $965
Sandakan, Sabah $934

A couple spends around $1,481 per month in Bansko vs $1,397 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Bansko $1,481
Sandakan, Sabah $1,397

A family of three spends $1,998 per month in Bansko vs $1,860 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent included.

Bansko $1,998
Sandakan, Sabah $1,860

Bansko costs about 3% more than Sandakan, Sabah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bansko and Sandakan, Sabah are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 29% lower, Sandakan, Sabah 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.74 BGN 15.20

$3.75 MYR 15.28

133.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.37 BGN 80.7

$19.24 MYR 78.5

141.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 BGN 15.52

$4.77 MYR 19.45

87.00%

Cappuccino

$2.27 BGN 3.94

$2.83 MYR 11.53

-19.79%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.73

$0.79 MYR 3.23

98.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.54

$0.40 MYR 1.63

122.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$3.77 MYR 15.39

-54.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 BGN 3.39

$4.48 MYR 18.27

-56.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.11

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-1.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$1.04 MYR 4.26

-22.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 BGN 2.62

$1.49 MYR 6.09

1.34%

Eggs

$2.35 BGN 4.09

$2.05 MYR 8.37

14.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 BGN 16.61

$13.38 MYR 54.6

-28.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 BGN 11.54

$4.36 MYR 17.77

52.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.37 BGN 14.57

$9.69 MYR 39.54

-13.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 BGN 2.26

$3.28 MYR 13.39

-60.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.67 MYR 6.83

0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$2.42 MYR 9.85

-30.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 BGN 3.34

$1.53 MYR 6.25

25.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.31 MYR 5.35

-28.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 BGN 1.31

$1.18 MYR 4.82

-36.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 BGN 1.02

$1.12 MYR 4.57

-47.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.02

$0.53 MYR 2.15

9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 BGN 5.67

$4.50 MYR 18.35

-27.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 BGN 9.04

$19.33 MYR 78.9

-73.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 BGN 1.98

$3.02 MYR 12.30

-62.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 BGN 3.03

$4.55 MYR 18.55

-61.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 BGN 1.57

$0.72 MYR 2.92

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.72 BGN 46.50

$12.43 MYR 50.7

114.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 BGN 2.26

$1.19 MYR 4.85

9.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BGN 1.06

$0.50 MYR 2.05

22.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 BGN 17.91

$7.51 MYR 30.63

37.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 BGN 2.71

$0.80 MYR 3.28

95.00%

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

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

-29.43%

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

$21.3K BGN 37.1K

$34.3K MYR 140.0K

-37.83%

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

$92.8 BGN 161

$48.48 MYR 198

91.44%

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

$15.05 BGN 26.18

$9.82 MYR 40.07

53.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.19 BGN 21.21

$27.45 MYR 112

-55.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.83 BGN 57.1

$39.94 MYR 163

-17.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.40 BGN 14.61

$7.11 MYR 29.01

18.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 BGN 9.67

$4.94 MYR 20.14

12.55%

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

$230 BGN 400

$190 MYR 776

20.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,295 BGN 3,994

$7,001 MYR 28.6K

-67.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.31 BGN 52.7

$56.6 MYR 231

-46.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.41 BGN 33.78

$34.71 MYR 142

-44.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.34 BGN 78.9

$81.6 MYR 333

-44.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.47 BGN 84.3

$75.7 MYR 309

-35.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 BGN 894

$403 MYR 1,644

27.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 BGN 627

$299 MYR 1,221

20.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 BGN 1,096

$681 MYR 2,779

-7.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 BGN 993

$489 MYR 1,994

16.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,202 BGN 2,091

$2,002 MYR 8,167

-39.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$972 BGN 1,691

$1,079 MYR 4,402

-9.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,665 BGN 2,898

$1,220 MYR 4,976

36.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

4.06

-26.35%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$361 37.4%

Sandakan, Sabah

$299 32.1% 17% $61

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$194 20.2%

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 27.6% 32.5% $63

Eating Out

Bansko

$146 15.2%

Sandakan, Sabah

$111 11.9% 24.3% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$120 12.5%

Sandakan, Sabah

$86 9.2% 28.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Sandakan, Sabah

$112 12% 73.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.6%

Sandakan, Sabah

$50 5.3% 13.4% $5.9

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.6%

Sandakan, Sabah

$19 2% 45.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $514 in Bansko versus $403 in Sandakan, Sabah. 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 37% 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 $46.00 in Bansko versus $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Bansko vs $258 in Sandakan, Sabah – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

05:55 5:55 AM

5 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

439,050

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Sandakan, Sabah 9,960 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Sandakan, Sabah

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 Sandakan, Sabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $965 in Bansko, $934 in Sandakan, Sabah – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,447 per month in Bansko and $1,401 in Sandakan, Sabah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sandakan, Sabah, 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 $46.00 in Bansko and $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $965 in Bansko and $934 in Sandakan, Sabah. That's a gap of about 3%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sandakan, Sabah, where all-in costs run around $934, than in Bansko at $965. In Sandakan, Sabah 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 $934 in Sandakan, Sabah to $965 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 Sandakan, Sabah. 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.