Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahdia and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahdia: $557 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mahdia
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$557
/mo nomad
Bansko
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$956
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $557 per month in Mahdia vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Mahdia $557
  • Bansko $956

A couple spends around $881 per month in Mahdia vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Mahdia $881
  • Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $1,206 per month in Mahdia vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Mahdia $1,206
  • Bansko $1,979

Mahdia is about 42% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mahdia and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Mahdia 59% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mahdia
Bansko
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.48 TND 7.44
$8.66 BGN 15.06
-71.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.01 TND 59.9
$44.94 BGN 78.2
-55.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.84 TND 14.49
$8.78 BGN 15.28
-44.87%
Cappuccino
$0.96 TND 2.89
$2.33 BGN 4.05
-58.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 TND 1.72
$1.57 BGN 2.74
-63.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.19 TND 0.56
$0.82 BGN 1.43
-76.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.03 TND 3.07
$1.68 BGN 2.92
-38.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 TND 4.52
$1.98 BGN 3.45
-23.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mahdia
Bansko
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.43 TND 1.30
$1.73 BGN 3.00
-75.14%
White Bread (500g)
$0.26 TND 0.78
$0.80 BGN 1.40
-67.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.38 TND 4.13
$1.44 BGN 2.51
-4.17%
Eggs
$1.53 TND 4.58
$2.36 BGN 4.10
-35.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.75 TND 35.19
$9.39 BGN 16.34
25.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.96 TND 14.87
$6.41 BGN 11.15
-22.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.46 TND 43.29
$8.48 BGN 14.76
70.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.86 TND 8.56
$1.31 BGN 2.28
118.32%
Banana (1kg)
$2.86 TND 8.55
$1.62 BGN 2.82
76.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.44 TND 4.32
$1.73 BGN 3.01
-16.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.72 TND 2.15
$1.94 BGN 3.38
-62.89%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 TND 1.94
$0.94 BGN 1.63
-30.85%
Onion (1kg)
$0.34 TND 1.03
$0.76 BGN 1.32
-55.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.43 TND 1.29
$0.55 BGN 0.95
-21.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.31 TND 0.94
$0.59 BGN 1.02
-47.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.53 TND 10.56
$3.25 BGN 5.66
8.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.35 TND 10.04
$5.20 BGN 9.05
-35.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 TND 4.88
$1.09 BGN 1.89
49.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 TND 3.75
$1.68 BGN 2.92
-25.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Mahdia
Bansko
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.32 TND 0.95
$0.84 BGN 1.45
-61.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$13.33 TND 39.92
$27.06 BGN 47.09
-50.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.31 TND 0.93
$1.34 BGN 2.34
-76.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.26 TND 0.77
$0.65 BGN 1.14
-60.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$10.06 BGN 17.51
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 TND 2.64
$1.48 BGN 2.57
-40.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.9K TND 122.5K
$29.1K BGN 50.7K
40.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K TND 120.0K
$20.9K BGN 36.4K
91.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mahdia
Bansko
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.3 TND 169
$92.4 BGN 161
-39.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.15 TND 21.41
$14.52 BGN 25.26
-50.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.10 TND 60.2
$12.32 BGN 21.43
63.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mahdia
Bansko
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.52 TND 61.5
$31.70 BGN 55.2
-35.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.69 TND 23.03
$8.53 BGN 14.84
-9.85%
Cinema Ticket
$6.80 TND 20.36
$5.62 BGN 9.78
21.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mahdia
Bansko
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$109 TND 326
$230 BGN 401
-52.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$985 TND 2,951
$2,268 BGN 3,947
-56.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mahdia
Bansko
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.98 TND 114
$30.10 BGN 52.4
26.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.80 TND 98.2
$19.62 BGN 34.13
67.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.9 TND 230
$45.86 BGN 79.8
67.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$23.51 TND 70.4
$47.69 BGN 83.0
-50.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mahdia
Bansko
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$130 TND 390
$518 BGN 902
-74.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$100 TND 301
$357 BGN 621
-71.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$292 TND 875
$614 BGN 1,069
-52.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$175 TND 523
$569 BGN 990
-69.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$675 TND 2,022
$1,191 BGN 2,073
-43.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$201 TND 602
$959 BGN 1,669
-79.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mahdia
Bansko
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$232 TND 695
$1,704 BGN 2,965
-86.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.33
2.99
245.48%

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

Last update for Mahdia: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Mahdia
$188
Bansko
$192 1.9% $3.5
Accommodation & Living
Mahdia
$100
Bansko
$357 256% $257
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mahdia
$84
Bansko
$119 42.7% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Mahdia
$77
Bansko
$64 16.3% $13
Eating Out
Mahdia
$57
Bansko
$145 155% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Mahdia
$34
Bansko
$43 25.9% $8.8
Getting Around
Mahdia
$16
Bansko
$35 116% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $130 in Mahdia versus $518 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 635% 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 $20.00 in Mahdia versus $45.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $192 – making Mahdia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇳 Mahdia
🇧🇬 Bansko
🕒 Local time
19:32 7:32 PM
21:32 9:32 PM
2 h ahead of Mahdia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,545
8,000
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mahdia Bansko 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mahdia
  • 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
Mahdia vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mahdia and in Bansko compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $557 in Mahdia, $956 in Bansko – roughly 72% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Mahdia compared to Bansko?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $835 per month in Mahdia and $1,434 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mahdia and Bansko?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahdia, 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 $20.00 in Mahdia and $45.00 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: Mahdia or Bansko?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $557 in Mahdia and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 72%.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mahdia, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Bansko at $956. In Mahdia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Mahdia and Bansko?
It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $557 in Mahdia to $956 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Mahdia 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 Mahdia and Bansko?
If budget matters most, go with Mahdia. 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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