Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $2,237 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,237

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,237 per month in Hamilton vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Hamilton $2,237
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $3,267 per month in Hamilton vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Hamilton $3,267
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $4,297 per month in Hamilton vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Hamilton $4,297
Bansko $1,957

Hamilton costs about 131% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hamilton sits 67% above the global median, while Bansko is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$25.16

$8.66 BGN 15.15

103.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 CA$86.5

$46.63 BGN 81.6

30.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 CA$17.05

$9.01 BGN 15.77

32.74%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CA$4.96

$2.24 BGN 3.92

55.36%

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

$2.15 CA$3.06

$1.50 BGN 2.63

43.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.34

$0.86 BGN 1.51

90.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 CA$6.95

$1.76 BGN 3.07

176.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 CA$8.74

$2.00 BGN 3.51

206.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.09

$1.79 BGN 3.14

21.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 CA$3.17

$0.81 BGN 1.42

175.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.62

$1.52 BGN 2.66

67.11%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.55

$2.30 BGN 4.02

39.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 CA$11.27

$9.60 BGN 16.81

-17.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 CA$15.34

$6.32 BGN 11.06

70.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 CA$19.44

$8.64 BGN 15.12

57.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.45

$1.28 BGN 2.24

198.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.73

$1.68 BGN 2.95

-27.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.76

$1.70 BGN 2.98

137.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.42

$1.89 BGN 3.30

101.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 CA$3.32

$0.93 BGN 1.63

150.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.25

$0.76 BGN 1.32

107.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 CA$3.09

$0.54 BGN 0.95

301.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 CA$1.85

$0.58 BGN 1.02

124.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.33 CA$17.58

$3.44 BGN 6.02

258.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.90

$5.14 BGN 9.00

157.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.49

$1.11 BGN 1.94

120.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CA$4.81

$1.70 BGN 2.97

98.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 CA$3.55

$0.88 BGN 1.55

182.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.6 CA$122

$26.76 BGN 46.83

219.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$1.29 BGN 2.26

163.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 CA$1.75

$0.65 BGN 1.14

89.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.37 CA$33.32

$10.18 BGN 17.81

129.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.70

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-20.67%

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

$27.5K CA$39.2K

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

-4.45%

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

$19.9K CA$28.3K

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

-7.31%

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

$149 CA$212

$91.4 BGN 160

63.00%

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

$41.14 CA$58.7

$14.68 BGN 25.68

180.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 CA$70.3

$12.07 BGN 21.12

308.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.18 CA$53.0

$32.28 BGN 56.5

15.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.33 CA$24.71

$8.60 BGN 15.05

101.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 CA$14.52

$5.63 BGN 9.86

80.99%

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

$597 CA$852

$228 BGN 400

161.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.1K

$2,311 BGN 4,045

602.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.29 CA$68.8

$30.48 BGN 53.3

58.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.75 CA$43.83

$19.01 BGN 33.26

61.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 CA$123

$45.53 BGN 79.7

89.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$163

$48.67 BGN 85.2

135.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 CA$1,801

$521 BGN 913

142.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 CA$1,617

$367 BGN 643

208.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 CA$2,859

$634 BGN 1,110

216.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 CA$2,664

$558 BGN 976

235.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,659 CA$3,790

$1,204 BGN 2,106

120.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 CA$3,840

$971 BGN 1,699

177.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,896 CA$4,128

$1,670 BGN 2,923

73.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

2.99

53.85%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 6, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.1K 50.2%

Bansko

$367 38% 67.6% $767

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$327 14.5%

Bansko

$193 20% 40.9% $134

Eating Out

Hamilton

$271 12%

Bansko

$145 15% 46.3% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$240 10.6%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 50.7% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$126 5.6%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 48.6% $61

Getting Around

Hamilton

$105 4.7%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 66.8% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$58 2.6%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 24.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,263 in Hamilton 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 73% higher in Hamilton, 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 $61.0 in Hamilton versus $47.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $193 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

13:24 1:24 PM

7 h ahead of Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

8,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 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 = 0.51 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hamilton Bansko 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
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

Hamilton vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,237 in Hamilton, $970 in Bansko – roughly 131% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,356 per month in Hamilton 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 Bansko, 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 $61.0 in Hamilton 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 $2,237 in Hamilton and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 131%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Hamilton at $2,237. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamilton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hamilton has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $970 in Bansko to $2,237 in Hamilton. 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 Bansko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamilton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.