Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbados and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $1,862 in Barbados, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
Learn more

Barbados Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Barbados

🇧🇧 Barbados

$1,862

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barbados and in Bansko

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barbados and in Bansko actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,862 per month in Barbados vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Barbados $1,862
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $4,060 per month in Barbados vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Barbados $4,060
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $6,257 per month in Barbados vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Barbados $6,257
Bansko $1,957

Barbados costs about 92% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Barbados sits 39% above the global median, while Bansko is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.31 BBD 50.6

$8.66 BGN 15.15

192.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 BBD 227

$46.63 BGN 81.6

142.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 BBD 25.26

$9.01 BGN 15.77

40.18%

Cappuccino

$4.53 BBD 9.07

$2.24 BGN 3.92

102.23%

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

$2.13 BBD 4.26

$1.50 BGN 2.63

42.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BBD 3.40

$0.86 BGN 1.51

97.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 BBD 6.07

$1.76 BGN 3.07

72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 BBD 7.77

$2.00 BGN 3.51

94.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.65 BBD 7.29

$1.79 BGN 3.14

103.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 BBD 5.39

$0.81 BGN 1.42

233.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 BBD 8.16

$1.52 BGN 2.66

168.42%

Eggs

$6.07 BBD 12.14

$2.30 BGN 4.02

163.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 BBD 13.29

$9.60 BGN 16.81

-30.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.15 BBD 20.30

$6.32 BGN 11.06

60.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 BBD 22.32

$8.64 BGN 15.12

29.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 BBD 9.97

$1.28 BGN 2.24

289.06%

Banana (1kg)

$4.34 BBD 8.68

$1.68 BGN 2.95

158.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 BBD 11.05

$1.70 BGN 2.98

224.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 BBD 11.51

$1.89 BGN 3.30

204.23%

Potato (1kg)

$6.70 BBD 13.40

$0.93 BGN 1.63

620.43%

Onion (1kg)

$4.93 BBD 9.86

$0.76 BGN 1.32

548.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 BBD 5.55

$0.54 BGN 0.95

414.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 BBD 5.24

$0.58 BGN 1.02

351.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 BBD 13.61

$3.44 BGN 6.02

97.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 BBD 32.37

$5.14 BGN 9.00

214.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 BBD 3.54

$1.11 BGN 1.94

59.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 BBD 6.02

$1.70 BGN 2.97

77.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 BBD 3.43

$0.88 BGN 1.55

95.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 BBD 10.20

$1.29 BGN 2.26

295.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.46 BBD 6.92

$0.65 BGN 1.14

432.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 BGN 17.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 BBD 4.18

$1.50 BGN 2.63

39.33%

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

$50.8K BBD 101.6K

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

76.27%

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

$40.2K BBD 80.3K

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

87.25%

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

$99.5 BBD 199

$91.4 BGN 160

8.79%

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

$48.94 BBD 97.9

$14.68 BGN 25.68

233.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.3 BBD 175

$12.07 BGN 21.12

623.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.1 BBD 152

$32.28 BGN 56.5

135.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

Cinema Ticket

$8.64 BBD 17.28

$5.63 BGN 9.86

53.46%

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

$228 BGN 400

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,045

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.50 BBD 93.0

$30.48 BGN 53.3

52.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.34 BBD 40.67

$19.01 BGN 33.26

7.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 BBD 120

$45.53 BGN 79.7

32.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 BGN 85.2

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 BBD 1,327

$521 BGN 913

27.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 BBD 1,359

$367 BGN 643

84.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 BBD 3,644

$634 BGN 1,110

187.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,402 BBD 6,804

$558 BGN 976

509.89%

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)

$1,308 BBD 2,616

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-21.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

267.89%

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

Last update for Barbados: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barbados

$680 36.6%

Bansko

$367 38% 45.9% $312

Groceries & Markets

Barbados

$430 23.1%

Bansko

$193 20% 55.1% $237

Eating Out

Barbados

$333 17.9%

Bansko

$145 15% 56.3% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barbados

$236 12.7%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 49.9% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Barbados

$93 5%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 53.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Barbados

$57 * 3.1%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 13.1% $7.5

Getting Around

Barbados

$29 * 1.6%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 19% $5.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $664 in Barbados versus $521 in Bansko. 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 28% higher in Bansko, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $113 in Barbados versus $47.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $430 vs $193 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇧 Barbados

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

10:32 10:32 AM

7 h ahead of Barbados

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

623

8,000

💱 Currency

Barbados Dollar BBD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.446 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to BBD – Barbados Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇧 Barbados Dollar ($)

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BBD (1 BBD = 0.446 EUR).

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).

USD to BBD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barbados Bansko 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Barbados
Bansko

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

Barbados vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,862 in Barbados, $970 in Bansko – roughly 92% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,794 per month in Barbados and $1,455 in Bansko. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $113 in Barbados and $47.00 in Bansko. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,862 in Barbados and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 92%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Barbados at $1,862. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barbados it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Barbados has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $970 in Bansko to $1,862 in Barbados. 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, Barbados makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.