Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Chang and Bansko

For one person, living costs are similar in Koh Chang and in Bansko: $965 and $970 a month, rent and utilities included.

Koh Chang
🇹🇭 Thailand
$965
/mo nomad
Bansko
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$970
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $965 per month in Koh Chang vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Koh Chang $965
  • Bansko $970

A couple spends around $1,583 per month in Koh Chang vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Koh Chang $1,583
  • Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $2,200 per month in Koh Chang vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Koh Chang $2,200
  • Bansko $1,957

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Koh Chang
Bansko
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.63 ฿121
$8.66 BGN 15.15
-58.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.36 ฿883
$46.63 BGN 81.6
-43.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.99 ฿234
$9.01 BGN 15.77
-22.42%
Cappuccino
$2.26 ฿75.6
$2.24 BGN 3.92
0.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 ฿25.91
$1.50 BGN 2.63
-48.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 ฿13.29
$0.86 BGN 1.51
-53.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.04 ฿68.4
$1.76 BGN 3.07
15.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 ฿101
$2.00 BGN 3.51
51.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Koh Chang
Bansko
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.0
$1.79 BGN 3.14
-16.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.31 ฿44.00
$0.81 BGN 1.42
61.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.41 ฿47.17
$1.52 BGN 2.66
-7.24%
Eggs
$1.96 ฿65.8
$2.30 BGN 4.02
-14.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.61 ฿590
$9.60 BGN 16.81
83.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.00 ฿101
$6.32 BGN 11.06
-52.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.66 ฿323
$8.64 BGN 15.12
11.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.68 ฿89.8
$1.28 BGN 2.24
109.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.7
$1.68 BGN 2.95
-10.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.07 ฿69.2
$1.70 BGN 2.98
21.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.92 ฿64.4
$1.89 BGN 3.30
1.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.44
$0.93 BGN 1.63
46.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.19 ฿39.81
$0.76 BGN 1.32
56.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 ฿33.88
$0.54 BGN 0.95
87.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.64
$0.58 BGN 1.02
-13.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.97 ฿133
$3.44 BGN 6.02
15.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.61 ฿556
$5.14 BGN 9.00
223.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 ฿55.1
$1.11 BGN 1.94
47.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 ฿86.9
$1.70 BGN 2.97
52.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Koh Chang
Bansko
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.83 ฿61.2
$0.88 BGN 1.55
107.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.76 BGN 46.83
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.43 ฿81.4
$1.29 BGN 2.26
88.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.82 ฿27.40
$0.65 BGN 1.14
26.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.98 ฿99.7
$10.18 BGN 17.81
-70.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 ฿39.79
$1.50 BGN 2.63
-20.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿707.5K
$28.8K BGN 50.4K
-26.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.5K ฿720.9K
$21.5K BGN 37.5K
0.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Chang
Bansko
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.2 ฿3,152
$91.4 BGN 160
2.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.67 ฿357
$14.68 BGN 25.68
-27.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.43 ฿550
$12.07 BGN 21.12
36.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Koh Chang
Bansko
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.74 ฿1,498
$32.28 BGN 56.5
38.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.17 ฿307
$8.60 BGN 15.05
6.63%
Cinema Ticket
$6.47 ฿217
$5.63 BGN 9.86
14.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Koh Chang
Bansko
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.4K
$228 BGN 400
114.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K ฿351.2K
$2,311 BGN 4,045
353.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Koh Chang
Bansko
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.2 ฿2,016
$30.48 BGN 53.3
97.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.51 ฿921
$19.01 BGN 33.26
44.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,026
$45.53 BGN 79.7
98.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$82.4 ฿2,758
$48.67 BGN 85.2
69.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Koh Chang
Bansko
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$473 ฿15.8K
$521 BGN 913
-9.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$303 ฿10.1K
$367 BGN 643
-17.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,334 ฿44.7K
$634 BGN 1,110
110.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ฿26.6K
$558 BGN 976
42.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,276 ฿76.2K
$1,204 BGN 2,106
89.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,651 ฿55.3K
$971 BGN 1,699
70.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Koh Chang
Bansko
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,670 BGN 2,923
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
2.99
86.29%

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

Last update for Koh Chang: 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
Koh Chang
$303
Bansko
$367 21.2% $64
Groceries & Markets
Koh Chang
$242
Bansko
$193 20.2% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Chang
$121
Bansko
$118 2.5% $3.1
Clothing & Footwear
Koh Chang
$117
Bansko
$65 44.8% $53
Eating Out
Koh Chang
$98
Bansko
$145 48.3% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Koh Chang
$58
Bansko
$44 24.5% $14
Getting Around
Koh Chang
$14 *
Bansko
$35 152% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $473 in Koh Chang 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Koh Chang versus $47.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Koh Chang vs $193 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Koh Chang
🇧🇬 Bansko
🕒 Local time
10:29 10:29 AM
06:29 6:29 AM
4 h behind Koh Chang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,500
8,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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
  • Koh Chang Bansko 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Koh Chang
  • 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
Koh Chang vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What salary covers living expenses in Koh Chang compared to Bansko?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,448 per month in Koh Chang 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 Koh Chang and Bansko?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Koh Chang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Koh Chang and Bansko?
Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Koh Chang and $228 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Bansko – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Koh Chang, where all-in costs run around $965, than in Bansko at $970. In Koh Chang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Koh Chang and Bansko?
It depends on your priorities. Koh Chang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $965 in Koh Chang to $970 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Koh Chang 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 Koh Chang and Bansko?
If budget matters most, go with Koh Chang. 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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