Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Simpson Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $3,851 in Simpson Bay, rent and utilities included – about $34,600 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

Simpson Bay

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Simpson Bay

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

A single person spends $970 per month in Bansko vs $3,851 in Simpson Bay, rent included.

Bansko $970
Simpson Bay $3,851

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Bansko vs $6,504 in Simpson Bay, rent included.

Bansko $1,464
Simpson Bay $6,504

A family of three spends $1,957 per month in Bansko vs $9,157 in Simpson Bay, rent included.

Bansko $1,957
Simpson Bay $9,157

Bansko is about 75% cheaper than Simpson Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bansko sits 28% below the global median, while Simpson Bay is 187% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.15

$19.11 ANG 34.22

-54.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 BGN 81.6

$131 ANG 234

-64.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 BGN 15.77

$12.78 ANG 22.88

-29.50%

Cappuccino

$2.24 BGN 3.92

$4.44 ANG 7.96

-49.55%

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

$1.50 BGN 2.63

$2.91 ANG 5.22

-48.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

$3.04 ANG 5.44

-71.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$5.43 ANG 9.73

-67.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.51

$4.11 ANG 7.36

-51.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.14

$4.03 ANG 7.21

-55.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 BGN 1.42

$2.81 ANG 5.02

-71.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 BGN 2.66

$3.09 ANG 5.53

-50.81%

Eggs

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$4.49 ANG 8.04

-48.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 BGN 16.81

$24.93 ANG 44.63

-61.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 BGN 11.06

$13.40 ANG 23.98

-52.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.12

$16.98 ANG 30.39

-49.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.24

$4.26 ANG 7.63

-69.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

$3.55 ANG 6.35

-52.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$6.32 ANG 11.31

-73.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 BGN 3.30

$5.06 ANG 9.05

-62.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.63

$3.96 ANG 7.08

-76.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$3.44 ANG 6.16

-77.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

$3.06 ANG 5.47

-82.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.02

$1.47 ANG 2.64

-60.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 BGN 6.02

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 BGN 9.00

$15.22 ANG 27.24

-66.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

$1.79 ANG 3.20

-5.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

$3.08 ANG 5.51

-71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

$15.22 ANG 27.24

-91.52%

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

$1.27 ANG 2.27

18.11%

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

$502 ANG 899

-81.78%

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

$14.68 BGN 25.68

$35.56 ANG 63.7

-58.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.07 BGN 21.12

$87.6 ANG 157

-86.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 BGN 56.5

$74.8 ANG 134

-56.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 BGN 9.86

$8.18 ANG 14.65

-31.17%

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

$228 BGN 400

$761 ANG 1,362

-69.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,045

$12.0K ANG 21.6K

-80.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.48 BGN 53.3

$50.6 ANG 90.6

-39.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.01 BGN 33.26

$39.59 ANG 70.9

-51.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.53 BGN 79.7

$99.5 ANG 178

-54.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 BGN 85.2

$59.5 ANG 106

-18.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 BGN 913

$2,330 ANG 4,171

-77.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 BGN 643

$2,273 ANG 4,069

-83.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 BGN 1,110

$6,007 ANG 10.8K

-89.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 BGN 976

$5,604 ANG 10.0K

-90.05%

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 Simpson Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$367 38%

Simpson Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 20%

Simpson Bay

–

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15%

Simpson Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$118 12.2%

Simpson Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Simpson Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$44 4.5%

Simpson Bay

–

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.6%

Simpson Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Bansko versus $2,330 in Simpson Bay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Bansko versus $131 in Simpson Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $467 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇸🇽 Simpson Bay

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

01:45 1:45 AM

7 h behind Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

6,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.498 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ANG, 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).

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.498 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Simpson Bay 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Simpson Bay

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 Simpson Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $970 in Bansko, $3,851 in Simpson Bay – roughly 297% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,455 per month in Bansko and $5,776 in Simpson Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bansko, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $970 in Bansko and $3,851 in Simpson Bay. That's a gap of about 297%.

Kindergarten costs $228 per month in Bansko and $761 in Simpson Bay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Simpson Bay at $3,851. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Simpson Bay 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 $3,851 in Simpson Bay. 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, Simpson Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.