Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Shimla

For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $306 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
15

Cost of Living Index in Shimla
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Shimla Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Shimla

🇮🇳 India

$306

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Shimla

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

A single person spends $956 per month in Bansko vs $306 in Shimla, rent included.

Bansko $956
Shimla $306

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Bansko vs $500 in Shimla, rent included.

Bansko $1,467
Shimla $500

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Bansko vs $694 in Shimla, rent included.

Bansko $1,979
Shimla $694

Bansko costs about 212% more than Shimla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and Shimla are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 29% lower, Shimla 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.06

$1.53 ₹145

466.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.94 BGN 78.2

$10.60 ₹1,006

323.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 BGN 15.28

$3.11 ₹295

182.32%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$0.90 ₹85.3

158.89%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$0.35 ₹33.46

348.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$0.11 ₹10.75

645.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$1.60 ₹152

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$2.08 ₹197

-4.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.00

$0.64 ₹60.5

170.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.40

$0.42 ₹40.15

90.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.51

$0.62 ₹59.2

132.26%

Eggs

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$0.85 ₹80.3

177.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 BGN 16.34

$4.28 ₹406

119.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BGN 11.15

$3.28 ₹311

95.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 BGN 14.76

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 BGN 2.28

$1.80 ₹171

-27.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.82

$0.70 ₹66.8

131.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$0.67 ₹64.0

158.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$0.48 ₹45.27

304.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.28 ₹26.57

235.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$0.36 ₹34.28

111.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.95

$0.22 ₹20.91

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.02

$0.27 ₹25.62

118.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 BGN 5.66

$3.49 ₹331

-6.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 BGN 9.05

$8.35 ₹793

-37.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.89

$1.48 ₹140

-26.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$2.02 ₹192

-16.83%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.77 ₹358

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BGN 1.45

$0.22 ₹20.92

281.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

$7.72 ₹733

250.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 BGN 2.34

$1.08 ₹102

24.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$0.30 ₹28.25

116.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 BGN 17.51

$1.08 ₹102

831.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 BGN 2.57

$1.07 ₹102

38.32%

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

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

$8,473 ₹804.6K

243.96%

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

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

$17.4K ₹1.7M

19.89%

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

$92.4 BGN 161

$18.12 ₹1,721

410.10%

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

$14.52 BGN 25.26

$3.04 ₹289

377.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 BGN 21.43

$6.76 ₹642

82.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.70 BGN 55.2

$13.89 ₹1,319

128.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

$10.41 ₹988

-18.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 BGN 9.78

$3.07 ₹291

83.06%

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

$230 BGN 401

$40.81 ₹3,875

464.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 BGN 3,947

$2,117 ₹201.1K

7.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.10 BGN 52.4

$25.09 ₹2,383

19.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 BGN 34.13

$21.45 ₹2,037

-8.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.86 BGN 79.8

$38.68 ₹3,674

18.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.69 BGN 83.0

$25.67 ₹2,438

85.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 BGN 902

$84.2 ₹7,992

515.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 BGN 621

$53.0 ₹5,037

572.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 BGN 1,069

$199 ₹18.9K

207.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 BGN 990

$127 ₹12.1K

348.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 BGN 2,073

$552 ₹52.4K

115.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 BGN 1,669

$553 ₹52.5K

73.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 BGN 2,965

$607 ₹57.7K

180.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

8.25

-63.76%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shimla: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$357 37.3%

Shimla

$53 17.3% 85.1% $304

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$192 20.1%

Shimla

$98 31.9% 49% $94

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15.2%

Shimla

$46 15.1% 68.1% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.5%

Shimla

$28 9.1% 76.6% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$64 6.7%

Shimla

$50 16.3% 22.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.5%

Shimla

$20 6.5% 53.4% $23

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.7%

Shimla

$11 3.7% 68.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Bansko versus $84.2 in Shimla. 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 181% 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 $11.00 in Shimla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $98.0 – making Shimla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇮🇳 Shimla

🕒 Local time

19:41 7:41 PM

22:11 10:11 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

170,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bansko Shimla 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Shimla

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 Shimla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $956 in Bansko, $306 in Shimla – roughly 212% 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 $459 in Shimla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shimla, 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 $11.00 in Shimla. 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 $306 in Shimla. That's a gap of about 212%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shimla, where all-in costs run around $306, than in Bansko at $956. In Shimla 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 $306 in Shimla 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 Shimla. 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.