Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat Hamad and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $968 a month against $1,192 in Madinat Hamad, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Madinat Hamad
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Madinat Hamad Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Madinat Hamad

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,192

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,192 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $968 in Bansko, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $1,192
Bansko $968

A couple spends around $1,909 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $1,479 in Bansko, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $1,909
Bansko $1,479

A family of three spends $2,627 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $1,989 in Bansko, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $2,627
Bansko $1,989

Madinat Hamad costs about 23% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Madinat Hamad and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Madinat Hamad 12% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-70.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 BHD 19.82

$45.43 BGN 79.1

15.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 BHD 2.87

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-14.57%

Cappuccino

$2.62 BHD 0.99

$2.33 BGN 4.06

12.45%

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

$0.89 BHD 0.33

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-40.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 BHD 0.12

$0.83 BGN 1.44

-61.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 BHD 2.43

$1.75 BGN 3.05

268.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.77 BHD 3.68

$2.01 BGN 3.49

386.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 BHD 0.54

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 BHD 0.39

$0.86 BGN 1.49

19.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 BHD 0.90

$1.46 BGN 2.55

63.70%

Eggs

$2.02 BHD 0.76

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-13.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 BHD 3.34

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-7.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 BHD 2.42

$6.30 BGN 10.96

1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 BHD 3.15

$8.64 BGN 15.04

-3.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 BHD 0.82

$1.32 BGN 2.29

65.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BHD 0.61

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 BHD 0.72

$1.74 BGN 3.02

9.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-30.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 BHD 0.38

$0.95 BGN 1.66

7.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 BHD 0.39

$0.72 BGN 1.26

43.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 BHD 0.56

$0.55 BGN 0.96

172.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 BHD 0.19

$0.59 BGN 1.03

-15.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 BHD 1.95

$3.33 BGN 5.79

55.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 BHD 7.03

$5.08 BGN 8.84

266.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 BHD 1.38

$1.12 BGN 1.95

226.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 BHD 1.02

$1.73 BGN 3.01

56.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 BHD 0.24

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-28.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.51 BHD 13.01

$27.08 BGN 47.11

27.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 BHD 1.94

$1.64 BGN 2.85

214.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 BHD 0.98

$0.91 BGN 1.59

184.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.06 BHD 6.06

$10.00 BGN 17.39

60.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.39 BHD 0.15

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-74.00%

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

$25.7K BHD 9,693

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

-10.00%

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

$19.9K BHD 7,510

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

-6.21%

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

$155 BHD 58.3

$92.5 BGN 161

67.25%

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

$23.42 BHD 8.83

$14.59 BGN 25.39

60.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.89 BHD 7.12

$12.13 BGN 21.11

55.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$118 BHD 44.36

$31.84 BGN 55.4

269.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.9 BHD 20.34

$8.46 BGN 14.72

537.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 BHD 1.96

$5.51 BGN 9.59

-5.44%

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

$619 BHD 233

$227 BGN 395

172.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K BHD 4,194

$2,311 BGN 4,021

381.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 BHD 19.41

$30.56 BGN 53.2

68.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 BHD 21.67

$18.95 BGN 32.97

203.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 BHD 32.80

$45.80 BGN 79.7

89.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 BHD 34.10

$48.28 BGN 84.0

87.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 BHD 150

$510 BGN 887

-22.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 BHD 118

$364 BGN 634

-14.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 BHD 300

$624 BGN 1,085

27.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 BHD 253

$566 BGN 985

18.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,166 BGN 2,028

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 BGN 1,686

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 BHD 252

$1,680 BGN 2,923

-60.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

2.99

107.69%

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

Last update for Madinat Hamad: October 31, 2026

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madinat Hamad

$312 26.2%

Bansko

$364 37.6% 16.7% $52

Groceries & Markets

Madinat Hamad

$239 20.1%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 19.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madinat Hamad

$197 16.5%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 39.5% $78

Eating Out

Madinat Hamad

$132 11.1%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 11.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Madinat Hamad

$129 10.8%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 49.8% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Madinat Hamad

$128 10.7%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 66.5% $85

Getting Around

Madinat Hamad

$55 4.6%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 33.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $397 in Madinat Hamad versus $510 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 in Bansko are about 2.5 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Madinat Hamad versus $45 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $193 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Madinat Hamad

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

1 h behind Madinat Hamad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,350

8,000

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.423 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Madinat Hamad Bansko 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Madinat Hamad
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

Madinat Hamad vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,192 in Madinat Hamad, $968 in Bansko – Bansko comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,788 per month in Madinat Hamad and $1,452 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madinat Hamad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $397 there versus $510 in Bansko.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Madinat Hamad and $45 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 $1,192 in Madinat Hamad and $968 in Bansko. That makes Bansko about 19% cheaper.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bansko costs $968 versus $1,192 in Madinat Hamad. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.