Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gampaha and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $450 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Gampaha
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$450
/mo nomad
Bansko
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$956
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $450 per month in Gampaha vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Gampaha $450
  • Bansko $956

A couple spends around $765 per month in Gampaha vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Gampaha $765
  • Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $1,079 per month in Gampaha vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Gampaha $1,079
  • Bansko $1,979

Gampaha is about 53% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Gampaha and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Gampaha 67% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gampaha
Bansko
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.81 LKR 600
$8.66 BGN 15.06
-79.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.00 LKR 5,961
$44.94 BGN 78.2
-59.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.20 LKR 1,723
$8.78 BGN 15.28
-40.77%
Cappuccino
$1.25 LKR 414
$2.33 BGN 4.05
-46.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 LKR 178
$1.57 BGN 2.74
-65.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 LKR 89.7
$0.82 BGN 1.43
-67.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.13 LKR 705
$1.68 BGN 2.92
26.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 LKR 1,007
$1.98 BGN 3.45
53.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gampaha
Bansko
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.62 LKR 538
$1.73 BGN 3.00
-6.36%
White Bread (500g)
$0.43 LKR 144
$0.80 BGN 1.40
-46.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.73 LKR 241
$1.44 BGN 2.51
-49.31%
Eggs
$1.72 LKR 569
$2.36 BGN 4.10
-27.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.52 LKR 4,480
$9.39 BGN 16.34
43.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 LKR 1,312
$6.41 BGN 11.15
-38.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.23 LKR 2,394
$8.48 BGN 14.76
-14.74%
Apples (1kg)
$5.92 LKR 1,961
$1.31 BGN 2.28
351.91%
Banana (1kg)
$0.81 LKR 269
$1.62 BGN 2.82
-50.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.41 LKR 1,461
$1.73 BGN 3.01
154.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.27 LKR 420
$1.94 BGN 3.38
-34.54%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 LKR 318
$0.94 BGN 1.63
2.13%
Onion (1kg)
$0.78 LKR 257
$0.76 BGN 1.32
2.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.29 LKR 95.7
$0.55 BGN 0.95
-47.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.32 LKR 104
$0.59 BGN 1.02
-45.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.94 LKR 3,294
$3.25 BGN 5.66
205.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.77 LKR 4,231
$5.20 BGN 9.05
145.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 LKR 457
$1.09 BGN 1.89
26.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 LKR 784
$1.68 BGN 2.92
41.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Gampaha
Bansko
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 LKR 103
$0.84 BGN 1.45
-63.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.06 BGN 47.09
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.29 LKR 95.8
$1.34 BGN 2.34
-78.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 LKR 120
$0.65 BGN 1.14
-44.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.90 LKR 297
$10.06 BGN 17.51
-91.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 LKR 390
$1.48 BGN 2.57
-20.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K LKR 9.9M
$29.1K BGN 50.7K
2.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.2K LKR 13.3M
$20.9K BGN 36.4K
92.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gampaha
Bansko
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$27.63 LKR 9,153
$92.4 BGN 161
-70.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.98 LKR 985
$14.52 BGN 25.26
-79.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.84 LKR 3,591
$12.32 BGN 21.43
-12.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gampaha
Bansko
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$7.56 LKR 2,504
$31.70 BGN 55.2
-76.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$8.53 BGN 14.84
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.44 LKR 1,472
$5.62 BGN 9.78
-21.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gampaha
Bansko
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$15.07 LKR 4,991
$230 BGN 401
-93.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$122 LKR 40.4K
$2,268 BGN 3,947
-94.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gampaha
Bansko
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.88 LKR 5,924
$30.10 BGN 52.4
-40.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$8.90 LKR 2,948
$19.62 BGN 34.13
-54.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.4 LKR 20.3K
$45.86 BGN 79.8
33.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$24.29 LKR 8,044
$47.69 BGN 83.0
-49.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gampaha
Bansko
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$89.4 LKR 29.6K
$518 BGN 902
-82.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$55.5 LKR 18.4K
$357 BGN 621
-84.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$301 LKR 99.8K
$614 BGN 1,069
-50.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$167 LKR 55.4K
$569 BGN 990
-70.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,191 BGN 2,073
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$959 BGN 1,669
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gampaha
Bansko
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$225 LKR 74.4K
$1,704 BGN 2,965
-86.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10
2.99
234.45%

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

Last update for Gampaha: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Gampaha
$217
Bansko
$192 11.8% $26
Eating Out
Gampaha
$65
Bansko
$145 124% $80
Accommodation & Living
Gampaha
$55
Bansko
$357 543% $301
Clothing & Footwear
Gampaha
$51
Bansko
$64 27.4% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gampaha
$41
Bansko
$119 188% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Gampaha
$16
Bansko
$43 161% $27
Getting Around
Gampaha
$3.3 *
Bansko
$35 949% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $89.4 in Gampaha versus $518 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 658% 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 $18.00 in Gampaha versus $45.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $217 in Gampaha vs $192 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇱🇰 Gampaha
🇧🇬 Bansko
🕒 Local time
18:35 6:35 PM
16:05 4:05 PM
2 h 30 min behind Gampaha
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
20,000
8,000
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Gampaha Bansko 6,740 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Gampaha
  • 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
Gampaha vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Gampaha and in Bansko compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $450 in Gampaha, $956 in Bansko – roughly 113% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Gampaha compared to Bansko?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $675 per month in Gampaha and $1,434 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Gampaha and Bansko?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Gampaha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Gampaha or Bansko?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $450 in Gampaha and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 113%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Gampaha and Bansko?
Kindergarten costs $15.07 per month in Gampaha and $230 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gampaha, where all-in costs run around $450, than in Bansko at $956. In Gampaha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Gampaha and Bansko?
It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $450 in Gampaha to $956 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Gampaha or Bansko safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Gampaha and Bansko?
If budget matters most, go with Gampaha. 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.

Gampaha vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?