Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Siem Reap

For one person, living is cheaper in Siem Reap: $806 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Siem Reap
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Siem Reap Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Siem Reap

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Siem Reap

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

A single person spends $956 per month in Bansko vs $806 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Bansko $956
Siem Reap $806

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Bansko vs $1,247 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Bansko $1,467
Siem Reap $1,247

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Bansko vs $1,689 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Bansko $1,979
Siem Reap $1,689

Bansko costs about 19% more than Siem Reap, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and Siem Reap are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 29% lower, Siem Reap 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.06

$2.43 ៛9,884

256.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.94 BGN 78.2

$24.16 ៛98.1K

86.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 BGN 15.28

$7.81 ៛31.7K

12.42%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.69 ៛6,857

37.87%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$0.70 ៛2,854

124.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$0.43 ៛1,746

90.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$1.02 ៛4,148

64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$1.98 ៛8,045

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.00

$2.14 ៛8,687

-19.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.40

$1.76 ៛7,159

-54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.51

$0.87 ៛3,540

65.52%

Eggs

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$1.72 ៛6,979

37.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 BGN 16.34

$15.24 ៛61.9K

-38.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BGN 11.15

$2.84 ៛11.5K

125.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 BGN 14.76

$10.20 ៛41.5K

-16.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 BGN 2.28

$4.33 ៛17.6K

-69.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.82

$1.23 ៛5,008

31.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$3.68 ៛14.9K

-52.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.09 ៛4,431

77.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$1.33 ៛5,415

-29.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$1.12 ៛4,534

-32.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.95

$1.30 ៛5,262

-57.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.02

$0.79 ៛3,227

-25.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 BGN 5.66

$1.41 ៛5,709

130.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 BGN 9.05

$7.75 ៛31.5K

-32.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.89

$1.00 ៛4,051

9.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$2.26 ៛9,162

-25.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BGN 1.45

$0.97 ៛3,949

-13.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

$15.14 ៛61.5K

78.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 BGN 2.34

$2.01 ៛8,169

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$1.01 ៛4,103

-35.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 BGN 17.51

$4.99 ៛20.3K

101.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 BGN 2.57

$1.31 ៛5,310

12.98%

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

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

$24.8K ៛100.7M

17.56%

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

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

$22.7K ៛92.2M

-7.84%

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

$92.4 BGN 161

$103 ៛417.4K

-10.06%

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

$14.52 BGN 25.26

$5.82 ៛23.6K

149.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 BGN 21.43

$15.37 ៛62.4K

-19.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.70 BGN 55.2

$33.20 ៛134.8K

-4.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

$14.27 ៛57.9K

-40.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 BGN 9.78

$4.97 ៛20.2K

13.08%

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

$230 BGN 401

$283 ៛1.2M

-18.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 BGN 3,947

$4,488 ៛18.2M

-49.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.10 BGN 52.4

$26.69 ៛108.4K

12.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 BGN 34.13

$13.31 ៛54.0K

47.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.86 BGN 79.8

$68.5 ៛278.3K

-33.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.69 BGN 83.0

$45.31 ៛184.1K

5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 BGN 902

$329 ៛1.3M

57.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 BGN 621

$232 ៛940.8K

54.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 BGN 1,069

$669 ៛2.7M

-8.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 BGN 990

$434 ៛1.8M

31.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 BGN 2,073

$2,454 ៛10.0M

-51.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 BGN 1,669

$1,099 ៛4.5M

-12.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 BGN 2,965

$239 ៛969.1K

614.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

9.2

-67.50%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$357 37.3%

Siem Reap

$232 28.7% 35.1% $125

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$192 20.1%

Siem Reap

$235 29.2% 22.5% $43

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15.2%

Siem Reap

$77 9.5% 47.2% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.5%

Siem Reap

$124 15.4% 3.9% $4.7

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$64 6.7%

Siem Reap

$69 8.6% 7.4% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.5%

Siem Reap

$43 5.4% 0.4% $0.2

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.7%

Siem Reap

$26 3.2% 25.5% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Bansko versus $329 in Siem Reap. 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 614% 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 $24.00 in Siem Reap. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Bansko vs $235 in Siem Reap – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇰🇭 Siem Reap

🕒 Local time

10:53 10:53 AM

14:53 2:53 PM

4 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

171,800

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4,062 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bansko Siem Reap 8,230 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Siem Reap

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 Siem Reap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $956 in Bansko, $806 in Siem Reap – roughly 19% 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 $1,209 in Siem Reap. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Siem Reap, 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 $24.00 in Siem Reap. 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 $806 in Siem Reap. That's a gap of about 19%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Siem Reap, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Bansko at $956. In Siem Reap 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 $806 in Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap. 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.