Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahé and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $1,799 in Mahé, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Mahé
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Mahé Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Mahé

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$1,799

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,799 per month in Mahé vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Mahé $1,799
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $2,618 per month in Mahé vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Mahé $2,618
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $3,438 per month in Mahé vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Mahé $3,438
Bansko $1,957

Mahé costs about 85% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mahé sits 34% above the global median, while Bansko is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 SCR 254

$8.66 BGN 15.15

102.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 SCR 1,564

$46.63 BGN 81.6

131.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.66 SCR 82.0

$9.01 BGN 15.77

-37.18%

Cappuccino

$6.59 SCR 95.4

$2.24 BGN 3.92

194.20%

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

$1.62 SCR 23.47

$1.50 BGN 2.63

8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.68 SCR 184

$1.76 BGN 3.07

620.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.10 SCR 132

$2.00 BGN 3.51

355.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 SCR 22.84

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-11.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 SCR 15.83

$0.81 BGN 1.42

34.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 SCR 26.66

$1.52 BGN 2.66

21.05%

Eggs

$4.29 SCR 62.1

$2.30 BGN 4.02

86.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 SCR 230

$9.60 BGN 16.81

65.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.28 SCR 120

$6.32 BGN 11.06

31.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 SCR 188

$8.64 BGN 15.12

50.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 SCR 29.93

$1.28 BGN 2.24

61.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 BGN 2.95

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 SCR 35.04

$1.70 BGN 2.98

42.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.59 SCR 95.4

$1.89 BGN 3.30

248.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 SCR 15.33

$0.93 BGN 1.63

13.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 SCR 15.23

$0.76 BGN 1.32

38.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SCR 15.81

$0.54 BGN 0.95

101.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 BGN 1.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.50 SCR 210

$3.44 BGN 6.02

321.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 BGN 9.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SCR 31.75

$1.70 BGN 2.97

28.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 SCR 11.03

$0.88 BGN 1.55

-13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.50 SCR 514

$26.76 BGN 46.83

32.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.40 SCR 209

$10.18 BGN 17.81

41.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 SCR 21.40

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-1.33%

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

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

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

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

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

$49.22 SCR 713

$91.4 BGN 160

-46.17%

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

$21.81 SCR 316

$14.68 BGN 25.68

48.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$105 SCR 1,523

$12.07 BGN 21.12

771.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 SCR 766

$32.28 BGN 56.5

63.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 SCR 90.6

$5.63 BGN 9.86

11.19%

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

$228 BGN 400

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,045

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.88 SCR 433

$30.48 BGN 53.3

-1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.99 SCR 174

$19.01 BGN 33.26

-36.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.18 SCR 683

$45.53 BGN 79.7

3.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 SCR 851

$48.67 BGN 85.2

20.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$871 SCR 12.6K

$521 BGN 913

67.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 SCR 12.2K

$367 BGN 643

129.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,772 SCR 25.7K

$634 BGN 1,110

179.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 SCR 15.3K

$558 BGN 976

89.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,204 BGN 2,106

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$971 BGN 1,699

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$855 SCR 12.4K

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-48.80%

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 Mahé: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahé

$842 47.9%

Bansko

$367 38% 56.4% $475

Eating Out

Mahé

$324 * 18.5%

Bansko

$145 15% 55.2% $179

Groceries & Markets

Mahé

$246 * 14%

Bansko

$193 20% 21.5% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahé

$176 10%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 32.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Mahé

$67 3.8%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 2.8% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Mahé

$65 3.7%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 33.4% $22

Getting Around

Mahé

$39 * 2.2%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 9.6% $3.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $871 in Mahé 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.

Salaries run about 95% higher in Bansko, 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 $108 in Mahé versus $47.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $193 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇨 Mahé

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

08:25 8:25 AM

1 h behind Mahé

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,539

8,000

💱 Currency

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 SCR = 6.91 USD

100 SCR = 6.16 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to SCR – Seychellois Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇨 Seychellois Rupee (₨)

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 14.48 SCR (100 SCR = 6.91 USD). 1 EUR = 16.24 SCR (100 SCR = 6.16 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).

USD to SCR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mahé Bansko 6,100 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahé
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

Mahé vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,799 in Mahé, $970 in Bansko – roughly 85% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,698 per month in Mahé and $1,455 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,799 in Mahé and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 85%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Mahé and $47.00 in Bansko. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Mahé at $1,799. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mahé it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mahé has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $970 in Bansko to $1,799 in Mahé. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Bansko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mahé makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.