Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Bansko

For one person, living costs are similar in Erbil and in Bansko: $960 and $968 a month, rent and utilities included.

46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$960

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $960 per month in Erbil vs $968 in Bansko, rent included.

Erbil $960
Bansko $968

A couple spends around $1,439 per month in Erbil vs $1,479 in Bansko, rent included.

Erbil $1,439
Bansko $1,479

A family of three spends $1,918 per month in Erbil vs $1,989 in Bansko, rent included.

Erbil $1,918
Bansko $1,989

Erbil and Bansko have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Erbil and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Erbil 29% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 IQD 10.1K

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-24.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.28 IQD 56.3K

$45.43 BGN 79.1

-17.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 IQD 11.0K

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-18.50%

Cappuccino

$3.25 IQD 4,914

$2.33 BGN 4.06

39.48%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,350

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-40.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 IQD 545

$0.83 BGN 1.44

-56.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 IQD 8,706

$1.75 BGN 3.05

229.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 IQD 6,834

$2.01 BGN 3.49

124.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 IQD 1,587

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-38.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 IQD 970

$0.86 BGN 1.49

-25.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 IQD 2,180

$1.46 BGN 2.55

-1.37%

Eggs

$1.52 IQD 2,298

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-34.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-26.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 IQD 6,661

$6.30 BGN 10.96

-30.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 IQD 19.1K

$8.64 BGN 15.04

46.30%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,501

$1.32 BGN 2.29

-25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,493

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,612

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-38.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,050

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-64.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 972

$0.95 BGN 1.66

-32.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 865

$0.72 BGN 1.26

-20.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 IQD 998

$0.55 BGN 0.96

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 770

$0.59 BGN 1.03

-13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 IQD 3,209

$3.33 BGN 5.79

-36.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.56 IQD 16.0K

$5.08 BGN 8.84

107.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 IQD 2,209

$1.12 BGN 1.95

30.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 IQD 2,750

$1.73 BGN 3.01

5.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 IQD 759

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-43.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.67 IQD 59.9K

$27.08 BGN 47.11

46.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,520

$1.64 BGN 2.85

1.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 IQD 2,325

$0.91 BGN 1.59

69.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 IQD 8,286

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-45.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 884

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-61.33%

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

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

-41.40%

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

$17.0K IQD 25.7M

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

-19.82%

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

$116 IQD 174.8K

$92.5 BGN 161

25.02%

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

$11.96 IQD 18.1K

$14.59 BGN 25.39

-18.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.50 IQD 37.0K

$12.13 BGN 21.11

101.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$31.84 BGN 55.4

78.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.43 IQD 20.3K

$8.46 BGN 14.72

58.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 IQD 15.1K

$5.51 BGN 9.59

81.31%

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

$297 IQD 448.2K

$227 BGN 395

30.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,080 IQD 6.2M

$2,311 BGN 4,021

76.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.29 IQD 39.7K

$30.56 BGN 53.2

-13.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.72 IQD 58.5K

$18.95 BGN 32.97

104.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.8 IQD 91.8K

$45.80 BGN 79.7

32.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 IQD 88.9K

$48.28 BGN 84.0

21.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 IQD 666.1K

$510 BGN 887

-13.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 IQD 404.7K

$364 BGN 634

-26.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 IQD 1.1M

$624 BGN 1,085

11.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 IQD 626.0K

$566 BGN 985

-26.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,047 IQD 1.6M

$1,166 BGN 2,028

-10.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$600 IQD 906.7K

$969 BGN 1,686

-38.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 IQD 776.4K

$1,680 BGN 2,923

-69.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

2.99

-15.38%

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

Last update for Erbil: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$268 27.9%

Bansko

$364 37.6% 36% $96

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$172 18%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 12% $21

Eating Out

Erbil

$157 16.3%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 6.1% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$152 15.8%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 21.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$83 8.7%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 22.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$77 8%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 44.3% $34

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 27.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Erbil versus $510 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 in Bansko are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil versus $45 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $193 – making Erbil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

20:40 8:40 PM

1 h behind Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

8,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,698 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Erbil Bansko 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Erbil
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

Erbil vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,441 per month in Erbil and $1,452 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Erbil, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $441 there versus $510 in Bansko.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Bansko, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $297 per month in Erbil and $227 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $960 in Erbil to $968 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Erbil. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.