Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $667 a month against $968 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Sulaymaniyah

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

A single person spends $968 per month in Bansko vs $667 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Bansko $968
Sulaymaniyah $667

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Bansko vs $1,035 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Bansko $1,479
Sulaymaniyah $1,035

A family of three spends $1,989 per month in Bansko vs $1,403 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Bansko $1,989
Sulaymaniyah $1,403

Bansko costs about 45% more than Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and Sulaymaniyah are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 28% lower, Sulaymaniyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 BGN 15.37

$4.35 IQD 6,570

102.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.43 BGN 79.1

$20.15 IQD 30.5K

125.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 BGN 15.52

$5.91 IQD 8,935

50.93%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$2.37 IQD 3,580

-1.69%

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

$1.49 BGN 2.60

$0.43 IQD 644

246.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$0.20 IQD 302

315.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 BGN 3.05

$3.24 IQD 4,890

-45.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 BGN 3.49

$2.03 IQD 3,071

-0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 BGN 3.00

$1.15 IQD 1,732

49.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 BGN 1.49

$0.86 IQD 1,306

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 BGN 2.55

$1.68 IQD 2,534

-13.10%

Eggs

$2.33 BGN 4.06

$1.53 IQD 2,306

52.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 BGN 16.60

$4.31 IQD 6,514

121.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 BGN 10.96

$3.72 IQD 5,627

69.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.04

$12.96 IQD 19.6K

-33.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 BGN 2.29

$1.11 IQD 1,684

18.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.86

$1.08 IQD 1,631

52.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 BGN 3.02

$0.99 IQD 1,496

75.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$0.55 IQD 833

252.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 BGN 1.66

$0.45 IQD 683

111.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$0.62 IQD 940

16.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.96

$0.58 IQD 881

-5.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$0.42 IQD 634

40.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 BGN 5.79

$1.96 IQD 2,956

69.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 BGN 8.84

$10.04 IQD 15.2K

-49.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 BGN 1.95

$1.68 IQD 2,532

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$1.23 IQD 1,855

40.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.47 IQD 705

89.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.08 BGN 47.11

$19.85 IQD 30.0K

36.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

$2.00 IQD 3,017

-18.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

$1.95 IQD 2,951

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.00 BGN 17.39

$4.74 IQD 7,164

110.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.61

$0.57 IQD 864

163.16%

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

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

$17.6K IQD 26.7M

61.88%

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

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

27.38%

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

$92.5 BGN 161

$86.4 IQD 130.6K

7.03%

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

$14.59 BGN 25.39

$9.75 IQD 14.7K

49.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.13 BGN 21.11

$23.74 IQD 35.9K

-48.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 BGN 55.4

$34.60 IQD 52.3K

-7.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 BGN 14.72

$17.82 IQD 26.9K

-52.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BGN 9.59

$6.43 IQD 9,711

-14.31%

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

$227 BGN 395

$150 IQD 226.9K

51.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,021

$2,562 IQD 3.9M

-9.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.56 BGN 53.2

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

85.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.95 BGN 32.97

$22.41 IQD 33.9K

-15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.80 BGN 79.7

$36.43 IQD 55.0K

25.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.28 BGN 84.0

$36.62 IQD 55.3K

31.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 BGN 887

$187 IQD 282.3K

172.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 BGN 634

$150 IQD 225.9K

143.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 BGN 1,085

$412 IQD 621.8K

51.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 BGN 985

$308 IQD 464.7K

84.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,166 BGN 2,028

$703 IQD 1.1M

65.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 BGN 1,686

$541 IQD 817.5K

79.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,680 BGN 2,923

$502 IQD 758.7K

234.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

5.77

-48.18%

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

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$364 37.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$150 22.4% 59% $215

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$193 19.9%

Sulaymaniyah

$163 24.4% 15.6% $30

Eating Out

Bansko

$147 15.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.5% 29.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$120 18% 0.6% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Sulaymaniyah

$50 7.6% 22% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.4%

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7.1% 10.7% $4.6

Getting Around

Bansko

$37 3.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$33 5% 9.1% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $510 in Bansko versus $187 in Sulaymaniyah. 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 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko versus $20 in Sulaymaniyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $163 – making Sulaymaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

18:51 6:51 PM

1 h ahead of Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

823,199

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,697 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bansko Sulaymaniyah 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bansko
Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $968 in Bansko, $667 in Sulaymaniyah – Sulaymaniyah comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,452 per month in Bansko and $1,001 in Sulaymaniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sulaymaniyah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $187 there versus $510 in Bansko.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko and $20 in Sulaymaniyah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $968 in Bansko and $667 in Sulaymaniyah. That makes Sulaymaniyah about 31% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Sulaymaniyah – 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 Sulaymaniyah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.