Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Shahrekord

For one person, living is cheaper in Shahrekord: $529 a month against $964 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Shahrekord
Learn more

Shahrekord Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$964

/mo nomad

Shahrekord

🇮🇷 Iran

$529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Shahrekord

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

A single person spends $964 per month in Bansko vs $529 in Shahrekord, rent included.

Bansko $964
Shahrekord $529

A couple spends around $1,471 per month in Bansko vs $830 in Shahrekord, rent included.

Bansko $1,471
Shahrekord $830

A family of three spends $1,978 per month in Bansko vs $1,130 in Shahrekord, rent included.

Bansko $1,978
Shahrekord $1,130

Bansko costs about 82% more than Shahrekord, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and Shahrekord are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 29% lower, Shahrekord 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 BGN 14.60

$2.56 $2.56

225.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.11 BGN 78.9

$15.92 $15.92

183.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 BGN 15.99

$4.19 $4.19

118.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.66 $0.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 $1.15

Cappuccino

$2.31 BGN 4.04

$0.67 $0.67

244.78%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.75

$0.47 $0.47

234.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$1.00 $1.00

-13.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 BGN 3.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 BGN 3.04

$0.70 $0.70

148.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.39

$0.53 $0.53

50.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 BGN 2.57

$1.98 $1.98

-25.76%

Eggs

$2.24 BGN 3.93

$1.15 $1.15

94.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 BGN 16.63

$4.38 $4.38

116.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 BGN 11.16

$3.63 $3.63

75.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 BGN 14.85

$8.87 $8.87

-4.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 BGN 2.19

$0.97 $0.97

28.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 BGN 3.01

$1.62 $1.62

6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 BGN 3.06

$0.87 $0.87

101.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 BGN 3.44

$0.61 $0.61

222.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 BGN 1.74

$0.54 $0.54

83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$0.50 $0.50

44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$0.54 $0.54

9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 BGN 0.96

$0.29 $0.29

89.66%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.84 $0.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 BGN 5.87

$2.87 $2.87

16.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 BGN 8.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 BGN 1.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 BGN 2.95

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$0.15 $0.15

446.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.75 BGN 46.82

$10.12 $10.12

164.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 BGN 2.27

$0.38 $0.38

242.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BGN 1.07

$0.28 $0.28

117.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 BGN 17.45

$2.94 $2.94

239.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.62

$0.10 $0.10

1400.00%

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

$28.9K BGN 50.7K

$45.5K $45.5K

-36.34%

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

$21.2K BGN 37.1K

$45.2K $45.2K

-53.14%

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

$93.8 BGN 164

$11.69 $11.69

702.22%

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

$14.81 BGN 25.92

$1.58 $1.58

837.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.13 BGN 21.22

$4.13 $4.13

193.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.80 BGN 57.4

$18.28 $18.28

79.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.57 BGN 14.99

$13.10 $13.10

-34.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BGN 9.64

$1.92 $1.92

186.98%

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

$228 BGN 400

$92.9 $92.9

145.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,259 BGN 3,954

$2,147 $2,147

5.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.12 BGN 52.7

$23.07 $23.07

30.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.45 BGN 34.04

$28.39 $28.39

-31.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.08 BGN 80.6

$108 $108

-57.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.97 BGN 85.7

$73.8 $73.8

-33.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$522 BGN 913

$295 $295

76.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 BGN 638

$214 $214

70.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 BGN 1,100

$892 $892

-29.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 BGN 994

$349 $349

62.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,159 BGN 2,029

$903 $903

28.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 BGN 1,671

$495 $495

93.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,669 BGN 2,921

$200 $200

733.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

24.3

-87.70%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shahrekord: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$364 37.8%

Shahrekord

$214 40.4% 41.4% $151

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$192 19.9%

Shahrekord

$112 21.2% 41.6% $80

Eating Out

Bansko

$144 15%

Shahrekord

$47 8.9% 67.5% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$121 12.5%

Shahrekord

$17 3.3% 85.6% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.8%

Shahrekord

$105 19.8% 61.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.5%

Shahrekord

$22 4.2% 49.5% $22

Getting Around

Bansko

$34 3.6%

Shahrekord

$13 2.4% 63.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $522 in Bansko versus $295 in Shahrekord. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bansko are about 8.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko versus $16 in Shahrekord. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $112 – making Shahrekord the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇮🇷 Shahrekord

🕒 Local time

00:24 12:24 AM

01:54 1:54 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

129,153

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.513 EUR

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.513 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Shahrekord 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Shahrekord

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 Shahrekord: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $964 in Bansko, $529 in Shahrekord – Shahrekord comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,446 per month in Bansko and $794 in Shahrekord. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shahrekord, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $295 there versus $522 in Bansko.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko and $16 in Shahrekord. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $964 in Bansko and $529 in Shahrekord. That makes Shahrekord about 45% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Shahrekord – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Shahrekord. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.