Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boroko and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Boroko: $883 a month against $970 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bansko outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Boroko
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Boroko Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Boroko

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$883

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $883 per month in Boroko vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Boroko $883
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $1,279 per month in Boroko vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Boroko $1,279
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $1,676 per month in Boroko vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Boroko $1,676
Bansko $1,957

Boroko is about 9% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Boroko and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Boroko 34% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 PGK 32.06

$8.66 BGN 15.15

-15.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.97 PGK 153

$46.63 BGN 81.6

-25.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 PGK 24.74

$9.01 BGN 15.77

-37.29%

Cappuccino

$2.49 PGK 10.91

$2.24 BGN 3.92

11.16%

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

$0.73 PGK 3.22

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-51.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 PGK 2.99

$0.86 BGN 1.51

-20.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 PGK 11.28

$1.76 BGN 3.07

46.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 PGK 15.78

$2.00 BGN 3.51

80.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 PGK 6.60

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-15.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 PGK 5.27

$0.81 BGN 1.42

48.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PGK 5.34

$1.52 BGN 2.66

-19.74%

Eggs

$3.69 PGK 16.19

$2.30 BGN 4.02

60.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.91 PGK 21.53

$9.60 BGN 16.81

-48.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.74 PGK 25.15

$6.32 BGN 11.06

-9.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.51 PGK 28.52

$8.64 BGN 15.12

-24.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 PGK 17.21

$1.28 BGN 2.24

207.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 PGK 13.74

$1.68 BGN 2.95

86.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 PGK 11.76

$1.70 BGN 2.98

57.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 PGK 11.69

$1.89 BGN 3.30

41.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 PGK 12.45

$0.93 BGN 1.63

205.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PGK 3.75

$0.76 BGN 1.32

11.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 PGK 4.94

$0.54 BGN 0.95

109.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PGK 1.87

$0.58 BGN 1.02

-25.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.51 PGK 24.16

$3.44 BGN 6.02

60.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 PGK 21.33

$5.14 BGN 9.00

-5.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 PGK 4.95

$1.11 BGN 1.94

1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PGK 6.93

$1.70 BGN 2.97

-7.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 PGK 1.88

$0.88 BGN 1.55

-51.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.80 PGK 131

$26.76 BGN 46.83

11.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 PGK 19.87

$1.29 BGN 2.26

251.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 PGK 5.96

$0.65 BGN 1.14

109.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.18 PGK 48.99

$10.18 BGN 17.81

9.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 PGK 3.47

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-47.33%

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

$20.6K PGK 90.3K

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

-28.51%

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

$17.4K PGK 76.3K

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

-18.86%

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

$62.5 PGK 274

$91.4 BGN 160

-31.66%

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

$22.96 PGK 101

$14.68 BGN 25.68

56.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.5 PGK 396

$12.07 BGN 21.12

649.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 PGK 185

$32.28 BGN 56.5

30.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.52 PGK 63.6

$8.60 BGN 15.05

68.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 PGK 28.73

$5.63 BGN 9.86

16.52%

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

$328 PGK 1,438

$228 BGN 400

43.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,247 PGK 9,848

$2,311 BGN 4,045

-2.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.17 PGK 141

$30.48 BGN 53.3

5.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.05 PGK 57.2

$19.01 BGN 33.26

-31.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.08 PGK 198

$45.53 BGN 79.7

-0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.83 PGK 118

$48.67 BGN 85.2

-44.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,311 PGK 14.5K

$521 BGN 913

534.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 PGK 984

$367 BGN 643

-38.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,352 PGK 14.7K

$634 BGN 1,110

428.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 PGK 982

$558 BGN 976

-59.81%

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)

$356 PGK 1,561

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-78.68%

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 Boroko: 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

Boroko

$225 25.2%

Bansko

$367 38% 63.6% $143

Groceries & Markets

Boroko

$211 23.6%

Bansko

$193 20% 8.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boroko

$176 19.7%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 32.8% $58

Eating Out

Boroko

$131 14.7%

Bansko

$145 15% 10.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Boroko

$55 6.2%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 21.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Boroko

$53 5.9%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 22.7% $12

Getting Around

Boroko

$43 4.8%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 18.7% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,311 in Boroko 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 369% 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 $35.00 in Boroko versus $47.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $211 in Boroko vs $193 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Boroko

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

08:03 8:03 AM

7 h behind Boroko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 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 PGK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boroko Bansko 13,470 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Boroko
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

Boroko vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $883 in Boroko, $970 in Bansko – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,324 per month in Boroko 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 Boroko, 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 $35.00 in Boroko 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 $883 in Boroko and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 10%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Boroko, where all-in costs run around $883, than in Bansko at $970. In Boroko 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 $883 in Boroko 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 Boroko. 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.