Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iloilo and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Iloilo: $693 a month against $970 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Iloilo
🇵🇭 Philippines
$693
/mo nomad
Bansko
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$970
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $693 per month in Iloilo vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Iloilo $693
  • Bansko $970

A couple spends around $1,054 per month in Iloilo vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Iloilo $1,054
  • Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $1,416 per month in Iloilo vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Iloilo $1,416
  • Bansko $1,957

Iloilo is about 29% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Iloilo and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Iloilo 48% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Iloilo
Bansko
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.83 ₱177
$8.66 BGN 15.15
-67.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.43 ₱1,219
$46.63 BGN 81.6
-58.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.15 ₱198
$9.01 BGN 15.77
-65.04%
Cappuccino
$2.09 ₱131
$2.24 BGN 3.92
-6.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ₱40.93
$1.50 BGN 2.63
-56.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₱21.39
$0.86 BGN 1.51
-60.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.06 ₱66.6
$1.76 BGN 3.07
-39.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 ₱113
$2.00 BGN 3.51
-9.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iloilo
Bansko
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 ₱106
$1.79 BGN 3.14
-5.59%
White Bread (500g)
$1.20 ₱75.1
$0.81 BGN 1.42
48.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.84 ₱52.9
$1.52 BGN 2.66
-44.74%
Eggs
$2.06 ₱129
$2.30 BGN 4.02
-10.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.05 ₱379
$9.60 BGN 16.81
-36.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.04 ₱254
$6.32 BGN 11.06
-36.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.18 ₱388
$8.64 BGN 15.12
-28.47%
Apples (1kg)
$3.32 ₱208
$1.28 BGN 2.24
159.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ₱65.3
$1.68 BGN 2.95
-38.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.06 ₱192
$1.70 BGN 2.98
80.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.38 ₱86.4
$1.89 BGN 3.30
-26.98%
Potato (1kg)
$2.39 ₱150
$0.93 BGN 1.63
156.99%
Onion (1kg)
$2.71 ₱170
$0.76 BGN 1.32
256.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 ₱92.4
$0.54 BGN 0.95
172.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 ₱50.8
$0.58 BGN 1.02
39.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99 ₱188
$3.44 BGN 6.02
-13.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.19 ₱388
$5.14 BGN 9.00
20.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 ₱68.8
$1.11 BGN 1.94
-0.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26 ₱78.8
$1.70 BGN 2.97
-25.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Iloilo
Bansko
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 ₱15.09
$0.88 BGN 1.55
-72.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$4.59 ₱288
$26.76 BGN 46.83
-82.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.82 ₱51.4
$1.29 BGN 2.26
-36.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 ₱21.10
$0.65 BGN 1.14
-47.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.36 ₱148
$10.18 BGN 17.81
-76.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 ₱72.9
$1.50 BGN 2.63
-22.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₱1.4M
$28.8K BGN 50.4K
-24.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.5K ₱1.2M
$21.5K BGN 37.5K
-8.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iloilo
Bansko
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$64.5 ₱4,044
$91.4 BGN 160
-29.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.82 ₱616
$14.68 BGN 25.68
-33.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.65 ₱1,734
$12.07 BGN 21.12
129.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iloilo
Bansko
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$9.76 ₱612
$32.28 BGN 56.5
-69.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$8.60 BGN 15.05
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.70 ₱295
$5.63 BGN 9.86
-16.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iloilo
Bansko
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$31.77 ₱1,993
$228 BGN 400
-86.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$2,311 BGN 4,045
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iloilo
Bansko
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.50 ₱1,474
$30.48 BGN 53.3
-22.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.74 ₱1,113
$19.01 BGN 33.26
-6.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$55.5 ₱3,480
$45.53 BGN 79.7
21.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$23.96 ₱1,503
$48.67 BGN 85.2
-50.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iloilo
Bansko
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$308 ₱19.3K
$521 BGN 913
-40.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$246 ₱15.4K
$367 BGN 643
-32.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,184 ₱74.3K
$634 BGN 1,110
86.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$436 ₱27.4K
$558 BGN 976
-21.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,633 ₱227.9K
$1,204 BGN 2,106
201.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,055 ₱66.2K
$971 BGN 1,699
8.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iloilo
Bansko
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$206 ₱12.9K
$1,670 BGN 2,923
-87.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.33
2.99
145.15%

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

Last update for Iloilo: 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
Iloilo
$246
Bansko
$367 49.2% $121
Groceries & Markets
Iloilo
$188
Bansko
$193 2.8% $5.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iloilo
$102
Bansko
$118 16% $16
Eating Out
Iloilo
$70
Bansko
$145 107% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Iloilo
$54
Bansko
$65 19.1% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Iloilo
$19
Bansko
$44 127% $24
Getting Around
Iloilo
$8.1
Bansko
$35 332% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $308 in Iloilo 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 711% 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 $19.00 in Iloilo versus $47.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $193 – making Iloilo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Iloilo
🇧🇬 Bansko
🕒 Local time
13:14 1:14 PM
08:14 8:14 AM
5 h behind Iloilo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
457,626
8,000
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Iloilo Bansko 9,960 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Iloilo
  • 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
Iloilo vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Iloilo and in Bansko compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $693 in Iloilo, $970 in Bansko – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Iloilo compared to Bansko?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,040 per month in Iloilo and $1,455 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Iloilo and Bansko?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Iloilo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Iloilo and $47.00 in Bansko. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Iloilo or Bansko?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $693 in Iloilo and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 40%.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iloilo, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Bansko at $970. In Iloilo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Iloilo and Bansko?
It depends on your priorities. Iloilo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $693 in Iloilo to $970 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Iloilo 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 Iloilo and Bansko?
If budget matters most, go with Iloilo. 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.

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