Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $537 a month against $968 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$537

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $537 per month in Mahajanga vs $968 in Bansko, rent included.

Mahajanga $537
Bansko $968

A couple spends around $788 per month in Mahajanga vs $1,479 in Bansko, rent included.

Mahajanga $788
Bansko $1,479

A family of three spends $1,040 per month in Mahajanga vs $1,989 in Bansko, rent included.

Mahajanga $1,040
Bansko $1,989

Mahajanga is about 45% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mahajanga and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Mahajanga 60% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.93 MGA 8,838

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-78.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.36 MGA 79.3K

$45.43 BGN 79.1

-61.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 BGN 15.52

Cappuccino

$0.63 MGA 2,876

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-72.96%

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

$0.84 MGA 3,839

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-43.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MGA 4,194

$0.83 BGN 1.44

10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 MGA 4,672

$1.75 BGN 3.05

-41.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MGA 7,198

$2.01 BGN 3.49

-21.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 MGA 5,963

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-24.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 MGA 3,938

$0.86 BGN 1.49

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,908

$1.46 BGN 2.55

-56.16%

Eggs

$2.15 MGA 9,814

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 MGA 29.4K

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-32.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 MGA 29.3K

$6.30 BGN 10.96

1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.49 MGA 15.9K

$8.64 BGN 15.04

-59.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 MGA 5,149

$1.32 BGN 2.29

-14.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,735

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,938

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-63.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,912

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-67.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 MGA 2,172

$0.95 BGN 1.66

-49.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 MGA 2,264

$0.72 BGN 1.26

-30.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,567

$0.55 BGN 0.96

-38.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MGA 2,456

$0.59 BGN 1.03

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 BGN 5.79

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 MGA 41.3K

$5.08 BGN 8.84

77.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 MGA 3,379

$1.12 BGN 1.95

-33.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 MGA 4,078

$1.73 BGN 3.01

-48.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 MGA 1,005

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-75.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.08 BGN 47.11

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 BGN 2.85

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.00 BGN 17.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MGA 5,927

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-13.33%

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

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

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

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

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

$43.20 MGA 197.4K

$92.5 BGN 161

-53.30%

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

$6.50 MGA 29.7K

$14.59 BGN 25.39

-55.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.96 MGA 100.4K

$12.13 BGN 21.11

81.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.86 MGA 81.6K

$31.84 BGN 55.4

-43.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 BGN 14.72

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BGN 9.59

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

$227 BGN 395

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,021

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.56 BGN 53.2

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.95 BGN 32.97

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.80 BGN 79.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.28 BGN 84.0

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 MGA 1.5M

$510 BGN 887

-35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MGA 1.2M

$364 BGN 634

-27.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 MGA 3.0M

$624 BGN 1,085

4.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MGA 2.0M

$566 BGN 985

-22.93%

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)

$1,680 BGN 2,923

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

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

Last update for Mahajanga: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Bansko

$364 37.6%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Bansko

$193 19.9%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Bansko

$147 15.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Bansko

$119 12.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Bansko

$43 4.4%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Bansko

$37 3.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $329 in Mahajanga 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Mahajanga versus $45 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $143 vs $193 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

12:40 12:40 PM

11:40 11:40 AM

1 h behind Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

8,000

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4,571 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,133 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 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 MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mahajanga Bansko 6,820 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
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

Mahajanga vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $537 in Mahajanga, $968 in Bansko – Mahajanga comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $805 per month in Mahajanga 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 Mahajanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $329 there versus $510 in Bansko.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Mahajanga 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 $537 in Mahajanga and $968 in Bansko. That makes Mahajanga about 45% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $537, than in Bansko at $968. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $537 in Mahajanga to $968 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.