Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benghazi and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Benghazi: $412 a month against $970 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Benghazi
Learn more

Benghazi Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Benghazi

🇱🇾 Libya

$412

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benghazi 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 Benghazi and in Bansko actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $412 per month in Benghazi vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Benghazi $412
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $695 per month in Benghazi vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Benghazi $695
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $978 per month in Benghazi vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Benghazi $978
Bansko $1,957

Benghazi is about 58% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Benghazi and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Benghazi 69% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.36 LYD 15.08

$8.66 BGN 15.15

-72.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.50 LYD 80.0

$46.63 BGN 81.6

-73.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.30 LYD 14.70

$9.01 BGN 15.77

-74.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 LYD 13.24

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 LYD 2.43

Cappuccino

$0.68 LYD 4.37

$2.24 BGN 3.92

-69.64%

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

$0.43 LYD 2.74

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-71.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 LYD 0.77

$0.86 BGN 1.51

-86.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.51

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 LYD 5.22

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-54.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.19 LYD 1.22

$0.81 BGN 1.42

-76.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 LYD 8.92

$1.52 BGN 2.66

-8.55%

Eggs

$1.65 LYD 10.58

$2.30 BGN 4.02

-28.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.56 LYD 41.97

$9.60 BGN 16.81

-31.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 LYD 17.92

$6.32 BGN 11.06

-55.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.17 LYD 71.5

$8.64 BGN 15.12

29.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 LYD 14.52

$1.28 BGN 2.24

77.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 LYD 11.66

$1.68 BGN 2.95

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 LYD 7.70

$1.70 BGN 2.98

-29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 LYD 4.40

$1.89 BGN 3.30

-63.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 LYD 5.45

$0.93 BGN 1.63

-8.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 LYD 4.06

$0.76 BGN 1.32

-17.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 LYD 2.23

$0.54 BGN 0.95

-35.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 LYD 1.47

$0.58 BGN 1.02

-60.34%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.35 LYD 15.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 LYD 3.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 LYD 4.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 LYD 11.77

$3.44 BGN 6.02

-46.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 BGN 9.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 LYD 9.73

$1.29 BGN 2.26

17.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 LYD 1.89

$0.65 BGN 1.14

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 BGN 17.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.14

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-98.67%

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

$12.4K LYD 79.4K

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

-56.92%

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

$14.9K LYD 95.1K

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

-30.72%

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

$91.4 BGN 160

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

$4.44 LYD 28.44

$14.68 BGN 25.68

-69.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.29 LYD 117

$12.07 BGN 21.12

51.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.54 LYD 112

$32.28 BGN 56.5

-45.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.84 LYD 24.56

$8.60 BGN 15.05

-55.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.06 LYD 38.75

$5.63 BGN 9.86

7.64%

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

$78.0 LYD 499

$228 BGN 400

-65.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$347 LYD 2,221

$2,311 BGN 4,045

-84.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.51 LYD 272

$30.48 BGN 53.3

39.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.84 LYD 223

$19.01 BGN 33.26

83.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.28 LYD 271

$45.53 BGN 79.7

-7.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.0 LYD 442

$48.67 BGN 85.2

41.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$186 LYD 1,191

$521 BGN 913

-64.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 LYD 737

$367 BGN 643

-68.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 LYD 2,776

$634 BGN 1,110

-31.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 LYD 1,655

$558 BGN 976

-53.64%

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)

$265 LYD 1,699

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-84.11%

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 Benghazi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Benghazi

$128 30.5%

Bansko

$193 20% 51% $65

Accommodation & Living

Benghazi

$115 27.5%

Bansko

$367 38% 219% $252

Clothing & Footwear

Benghazi

$85 20.2%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 23.8% $20

Eating Out

Benghazi

$36 8.6%

Bansko

$145 15% 303% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Benghazi

$30 7.1%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 46.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benghazi

$23 * 5.4%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 420% $95

Getting Around

Benghazi

$3 * 0.7%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 1062% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $186 in Benghazi 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 529% 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 $13.00 in Benghazi versus $47.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $128 vs $193 – making Benghazi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇾 Benghazi

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

08:23 8:23 AM

1 h ahead of Benghazi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,555

8,000

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.4 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.18 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 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 LYD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Benghazi Bansko 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Benghazi
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

Benghazi vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $412 in Benghazi, $970 in Bansko – roughly 135% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $618 per month in Benghazi 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 Benghazi, 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 $412 in Benghazi and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 135%.

Kindergarten costs $78.0 per month in Benghazi and $228 in Bansko. 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 Benghazi, where all-in costs run around $412, than in Bansko at $970. In Benghazi 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 $412 in Benghazi to $970 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 Benghazi. 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.