Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $739 a month against $965 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $739 per month in El Nido vs $965 in Bansko, rent included.

El Nido $739
Bansko $965

A couple spends around $1,148 per month in El Nido vs $1,481 in Bansko, rent included.

El Nido $1,148
Bansko $1,481

A family of three spends $1,557 per month in El Nido vs $1,998 in Bansko, rent included.

El Nido $1,557
Bansko $1,998

El Nido is about 23% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both El Nido and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – El Nido 45% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.84 ₱305

$8.74 BGN 15.20

-44.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.13 ₱1,771

$46.37 BGN 80.7

-39.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.70 ₱233

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-58.52%

Cappuccino

$2.25 ₱142

$2.27 BGN 3.94

-0.88%

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

$1.17 ₱73.8

$1.57 BGN 2.73

-25.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱20.45

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-64.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₱81.8

$1.73 BGN 3.01

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.95 BGN 3.39

2.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱100

$1.79 BGN 3.11

-11.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₱63.1

$0.81 BGN 1.42

23.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.4

$1.51 BGN 2.62

-14.57%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱123

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-17.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.33 ₱336

$9.55 BGN 16.61

-44.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 ₱250

$6.63 BGN 11.54

-39.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱439

$8.37 BGN 14.57

-16.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ₱142

$1.30 BGN 2.26

73.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.1

$1.68 BGN 2.93

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱142

$1.68 BGN 2.92

34.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₱72.8

$1.92 BGN 3.34

-39.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$0.94 BGN 1.63

107.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 ₱127

$0.75 BGN 1.31

168.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱58.0

$0.59 BGN 1.02

55.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.65

$0.58 BGN 1.02

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₱211

$3.26 BGN 5.67

2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 ₱456

$5.20 BGN 9.04

39.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₱62.9

$1.14 BGN 1.98

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.74 BGN 3.03

7.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.07

$0.90 BGN 1.57

-73.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.28 ₱648

$26.72 BGN 46.50

-61.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₱53.8

$1.30 BGN 2.26

-34.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.47

$0.61 BGN 1.06

-67.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 ₱108

$10.29 BGN 17.91

-83.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.3

$1.56 BGN 2.71

-16.03%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

-34.18%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$21.3K BGN 37.1K

1.23%

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

$121 ₱7,638

$92.8 BGN 161

30.71%

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

$14.38 ₱906

$15.05 BGN 26.18

-4.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.44 ₱1,539

$12.19 BGN 21.21

100.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.90 ₱2,197

$32.83 BGN 57.1

6.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.99 ₱251

$8.40 BGN 14.61

-52.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 ₱329

$5.56 BGN 9.67

-5.94%

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

$124 ₱7,818

$230 BGN 400

-45.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,869 ₱432.4K

$2,295 BGN 3,994

199.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.86 ₱2,132

$30.31 BGN 52.7

11.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.81 ₱1,185

$19.41 BGN 33.78

-3.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 ₱4,211

$45.34 BGN 78.9

47.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.95 ₱3,145

$48.47 BGN 84.3

3.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.0K

$514 BGN 894

-47.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₱11.2K

$361 BGN 627

-50.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₱33.7K

$630 BGN 1,096

-14.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.5K

$571 BGN 993

-37.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,607 ₱164.1K

$1,202 BGN 2,091

116.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$900 ₱56.7K

$972 BGN 1,691

-7.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 ₱16.2K

$1,665 BGN 2,898

-84.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.99

127.09%

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

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Nido

$177 24%

Bansko

$361 37.4% 104% $183

Groceries & Markets

El Nido

$174 23.6%

Bansko

$194 20.2% 11.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Nido

$160 21.7%

Bansko

$120 12.5% 25% $40

Eating Out

El Nido

$93 12.6%

Bansko

$146 15.2% 56.8% $53

Clothing & Footwear

El Nido

$76 10.3%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 15.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

El Nido

$45 6.1%

Bansko

$44 4.6% 3.1% $1.4

Getting Around

El Nido

$13 1.8%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 165% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in El Nido versus $514 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 549% 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 $28.00 in El Nido versus $46.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $194 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 El Nido

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

19:54 7:54 PM

5 h behind El Nido

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,494

8,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

El Nido Bansko 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

El Nido
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

El Nido vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $739 in El Nido, $965 in Bansko – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,109 per month in El Nido and $1,447 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Nido, 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 $28.00 in El Nido and $46.00 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 $739 in El Nido and $965 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 30%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Bansko at $965. In El Nido 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 $739 in El Nido to $965 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 El Nido. 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.