Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Veles

For one person, living is cheaper in Veles: $768 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Veles
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Veles Living Index

Jump to prices

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Veles

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko and in Veles

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

A single person spends $956 per month in Bansko vs $768 in Veles, rent included.

Bansko $956
Veles $768

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Bansko vs $1,139 in Veles, rent included.

Bansko $1,467
Veles $1,139

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Bansko vs $1,510 in Veles, rent included.

Bansko $1,979
Veles $1,510

Bansko costs about 25% more than Veles, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bansko and Veles are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 29% lower, Veles 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.06

$8.65 MKD 472

0.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.94 BGN 78.2

$18.00 MKD 982

149.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 BGN 15.28

$5.43 MKD 296

61.69%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.05

$1.50 MKD 82.0

55.33%

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

$1.57 BGN 2.74

$1.32 MKD 72.0

18.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$0.80 MKD 43.42

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$1.48 MKD 80.7

13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

$3.03 MKD 165

-34.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.00

$1.06 MKD 57.9

63.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 BGN 1.40

$0.51 MKD 27.74

56.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.51

$1.45 MKD 79.2

-0.69%

Eggs

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$2.48 MKD 135

-4.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 BGN 16.34

$2.96 MKD 162

217.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BGN 11.15

$4.07 MKD 222

57.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 BGN 14.76

$15.11 MKD 824

-43.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 BGN 2.28

$1.41 MKD 77.0

-7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.82

$1.43 MKD 77.9

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$1.38 MKD 75.2

25.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 BGN 3.38

$1.88 MKD 103

3.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.85 MKD 46.16

10.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.32

$0.83 MKD 45.33

-8.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.95

$0.59 MKD 31.96

-6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 BGN 1.02

$0.59 MKD 32.06

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 BGN 5.66

$3.33 MKD 182

-2.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 BGN 9.05

$6.44 MKD 351

-19.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.89

$1.06 MKD 57.8

2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

$1.49 MKD 81.0

12.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BGN 1.45

$0.79 MKD 43.05

6.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

$23.23 MKD 1,267

16.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 BGN 2.34

$1.11 MKD 60.3

20.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

$0.61 MKD 33.44

6.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 BGN 17.51

$7.43 MKD 405

35.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 BGN 2.57

$1.46 MKD 79.8

1.37%

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

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

$26.8K MKD 1.5M

8.75%

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

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

$24.9K MKD 1.4M

-15.86%

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

$92.4 BGN 161

$108 MKD 5,901

-14.56%

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

$14.52 BGN 25.26

$17.34 MKD 946

-16.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 BGN 21.43

$12.02 MKD 655

2.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.70 BGN 55.2

$25.47 MKD 1,389

24.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

$17.82 MKD 972

-52.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 BGN 9.78

$3.38 MKD 184

66.27%

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

$230 BGN 401

$221 MKD 12.1K

4.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 BGN 3,947

$5,716 MKD 311.8K

-60.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.10 BGN 52.4

$21.99 MKD 1,199

36.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 BGN 34.13

$18.42 MKD 1,005

6.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.86 BGN 79.8

$72.2 MKD 3,940

-36.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.69 BGN 83.0

$110 MKD 5,987

-56.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 BGN 902

$218 MKD 11.9K

138.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 BGN 621

$170 MKD 9,300

109.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 BGN 1,069

$290 MKD 15.8K

111.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 BGN 990

$236 MKD 12.9K

140.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 BGN 2,073

$1,174 MKD 64.0K

1.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 BGN 1,669

$933 MKD 50.9K

2.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 BGN 2,965

$594 MKD 32.4K

186.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

4.23

-29.31%

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

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Last update for Veles: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bansko

$357 37.3%

Veles

$170 22.2% 52.2% $186

Groceries & Markets

Bansko

$192 20.1%

Veles

$171 22.3% 10.7% $21

Eating Out

Bansko

$145 15.2%

Veles

$125 16.4% 13.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bansko

$119 12.5%

Veles

$138 17.9% 15.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Bansko

$64 6.7%

Veles

$100 13% 55.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Bansko

$43 4.5%

Veles

$32 4.2% 25% $11

Getting Around

Bansko

$35 3.7%

Veles

$31 4% 12.8% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Bansko versus $218 in Veles. 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 187% 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 $18.00 in Veles. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $171 – making Veles the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Bansko

🇲🇰 Veles

🕒 Local time

08:02 8:02 AM

07:02 7:02 AM

1 h behind Bansko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

43,716

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bansko Veles 140 km

From you

Bansko
Veles

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 Veles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $956 in Bansko, $768 in Veles – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,434 per month in Bansko and $1,151 in Veles. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Veles, 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 $18.00 in Veles. 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 $768 in Veles. That's a gap of about 25%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Veles, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Bansko at $956. In Veles 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 $768 in Veles 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 Veles. 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.