Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phi Phi and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Koh Phi Phi
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,930
/mo nomad
Bansko
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$970
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,930 per month in Koh Phi Phi vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Koh Phi Phi $1,930
  • Bansko $970

A couple spends around $3,266 per month in Koh Phi Phi vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Koh Phi Phi $3,266
  • Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $4,603 per month in Koh Phi Phi vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Koh Phi Phi $4,603
  • Bansko $1,957

Koh Phi Phi costs about 99% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Koh Phi Phi sits 44% above the global median, while Bansko is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Koh Phi Phi
Bansko
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.82 ฿228
$8.66 BGN 15.15
-21.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.47 ฿1,623
$46.63 BGN 81.6
3.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.83 ฿430
$9.01 BGN 15.77
42.40%
Cappuccino
$4.10 ฿137
$2.24 BGN 3.92
83.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 ฿45.48
$1.50 BGN 2.63
-9.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 ฿24.55
$0.86 BGN 1.51
-15.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 ฿129
$1.76 BGN 3.07
118.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 ฿186
$2.00 BGN 3.51
177.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Koh Phi Phi
Bansko
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 ฿67.1
$1.79 BGN 3.14
11.73%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 ฿57.6
$0.81 BGN 1.42
112.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 ฿63.0
$1.52 BGN 2.66
23.68%
Eggs
$2.52 ฿84.5
$2.30 BGN 4.02
9.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.69 ฿793
$9.60 BGN 16.81
146.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.05 ฿136
$6.32 BGN 11.06
-35.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.17 ฿441
$8.64 BGN 15.12
52.43%
Apples (1kg)
$3.50 ฿117
$1.28 BGN 2.24
173.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 ฿65.3
$1.68 BGN 2.95
16.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.71 ฿90.7
$1.70 BGN 2.98
59.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.55 ฿85.5
$1.89 BGN 3.30
34.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 ฿61.0
$0.93 BGN 1.63
95.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 ฿55.3
$0.76 BGN 1.32
117.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 ฿43.10
$0.54 BGN 0.95
138.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 ฿20.78
$0.58 BGN 1.02
6.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.08 ฿170
$3.44 BGN 6.02
47.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.86 ฿732
$5.14 BGN 9.00
325.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$1.11 BGN 1.94
91.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 ฿114
$1.70 BGN 2.97
100.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Koh Phi Phi
Bansko
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.05 ฿102
$0.88 BGN 1.55
246.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.76 BGN 46.83
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.13 ฿138
$1.29 BGN 2.26
220.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 ฿49.50
$0.65 BGN 1.14
127.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.21 ฿174
$10.18 BGN 17.81
-48.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.01 ฿67.3
$1.50 BGN 2.63
34.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.6K ฿1.3M
$28.8K BGN 50.4K
30.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K ฿1.3M
$21.5K BGN 37.5K
76.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Phi Phi
Bansko
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 ฿3,556
$91.4 BGN 160
16.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.39 ฿415
$14.68 BGN 25.68
-15.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.02 ฿637
$12.07 BGN 21.12
57.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Koh Phi Phi
Bansko
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.1 ฿2,080
$32.28 BGN 56.5
92.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.26 ฿444
$8.60 BGN 15.05
54.19%
Cinema Ticket
$9.25 ฿310
$5.63 BGN 9.86
64.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Koh Phi Phi
Bansko
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$665 ฿22.3K
$228 BGN 400
191.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K ฿467.7K
$2,311 BGN 4,045
504.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Koh Phi Phi
Bansko
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.3 ฿2,252
$30.48 BGN 53.3
120.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.94 ฿1,002
$19.01 BGN 33.26
57.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 ฿3,358
$45.53 BGN 79.7
120.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.7 ฿3,037
$48.67 BGN 85.2
86.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Koh Phi Phi
Bansko
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,569 ฿52.5K
$521 BGN 913
200.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,007 ฿33.7K
$367 BGN 643
174.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,640 ฿155.3K
$634 BGN 1,110
631.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,698 ฿90.3K
$558 BGN 976
383.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,572 ฿253.5K
$1,204 BGN 2,106
529.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,505 ฿184.3K
$971 BGN 1,699
466.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Koh Phi Phi
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 Phi Phi: 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 Phi Phi
$1K
Bansko
$367 63.5% $640
Groceries & Markets
Koh Phi Phi
$321
Bansko
$193 39.8% $128
Eating Out
Koh Phi Phi
$181
Bansko
$145 19.6% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Phi Phi
$138
Bansko
$118 14.1% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Koh Phi Phi
$130
Bansko
$65 50.1% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Koh Phi Phi
$81
Bansko
$44 46% $37
Getting Around
Koh Phi Phi
$24 *
Bansko
$35 47% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,569 in Koh Phi Phi 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 $48.00 in Koh Phi Phi versus $47.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $193 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Koh Phi Phi
🇧🇬 Bansko
🕒 Local time
09:22 9:22 AM
05:22 5:22 AM
4 h behind Koh Phi Phi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,500
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 Phi Phi Bansko 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Koh Phi Phi
  • 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 Phi Phi vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Koh Phi Phi and in Bansko compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi, $970 in Bansko – roughly 99% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Koh Phi Phi compared to Bansko?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,894 per month in Koh Phi Phi 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 Phi Phi and Bansko?
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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Koh Phi Phi or Bansko?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 99%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Koh Phi Phi and Bansko?
Kindergarten costs $665 per month in Koh Phi Phi and $228 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 Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Koh Phi Phi at $1,930. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Koh Phi Phi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Koh Phi Phi and Bansko?
It depends on your priorities. Koh Phi Phi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $970 in Bansko to $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Koh Phi Phi 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 Phi Phi and Bansko?
If budget matters most, go with Bansko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Koh Phi Phi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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