Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Selfoss

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $3,460 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $29,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,460

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Selfoss

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

A single person spends $970 per month in Bansko vs $3,460 in Selfoss, rent included.

Bansko $970
Selfoss $3,460

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Bansko vs $2,461 in Selfoss, rent included.

Bansko $1,464
Selfoss $2,461

A family of three spends $1,957 per month in Bansko vs $1,462 in Selfoss, rent included.

Bansko $1,957
Selfoss $1,462

Bansko is about 72% cheaper than Selfoss, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bansko sits 28% below the global median, while Selfoss is 158% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.15

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 BGN 81.6

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 BGN 15.77

$20.81 ISK 2,536

-56.70%

Cappuccino

$2.24 BGN 3.92

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

$1.50 BGN 2.63

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$12.20 ISK 1,487

-85.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.51

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$1.79 ISK 219

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$7.61 ISK 927

-89.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 BGN 2.66

$4.46 ISK 544

-65.92%

Eggs

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$6.56 ISK 800

-64.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 BGN 16.81

$17.24 ISK 2,101

-44.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 BGN 11.06

$21.77 ISK 2,653

-70.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.12

$33.50 ISK 4,082

-74.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.24

$2.72 ISK 332

-52.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

$2.75 ISK 335

-38.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$2.65 ISK 323

-35.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 BGN 3.30

$7.51 ISK 915

-74.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

$3.21 ISK 391

-71.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$2.18 ISK 266

-65.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

$3.60 ISK 438

-85.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.02

$1.44 ISK 175

-59.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 BGN 6.02

$15.97 ISK 1,946

-78.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 BGN 9.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

$1.17 ISK 143

45.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 BGN 17.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.63

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

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

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

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

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

$91.4 BGN 160

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

$14.68 BGN 25.68

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.07 BGN 21.12

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 BGN 56.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 BGN 9.86

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

$228 BGN 400

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,045

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.48 BGN 53.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.01 BGN 33.26

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.53 BGN 79.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 BGN 85.2

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 BGN 913

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 BGN 643

$2,820 ISK 343.6K

-86.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 BGN 1,110

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 BGN 976

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,204 BGN 2,106

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$971 BGN 1,699

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,670 BGN 2,923

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

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

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Last update for Selfoss: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$367 38%

Selfoss

–

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 20%

Selfoss

–

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15%

Selfoss

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$118 12.2%

Selfoss

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Selfoss

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.5%

Selfoss

–

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.6%

Selfoss

–

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

3 h behind Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

9,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, 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).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Selfoss 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Selfoss

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 Selfoss: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $970 in Bansko, $3,460 in Selfoss – roughly 257% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,455 per month in Bansko and $5,190 in Selfoss. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $970 in Bansko and $3,460 in Selfoss. That's a gap of about 257%.

Groceries cost about 172% more in Selfoss, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Selfoss at $3,460. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Selfoss 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 $3,460 in Selfoss. 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, Selfoss makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.