Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makarska and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $1,586 in Makarska, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Makarska
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Makarska Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Makarska

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,586

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Makarska vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Makarska $1,586
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $2,463 per month in Makarska vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Makarska $2,463
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $3,339 per month in Makarska vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Makarska $3,339
Bansko $1,979

Makarska costs about 66% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Makarska sits 17% above the global median, while Bansko is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €15.52

$8.66 BGN 15.06

101.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 €70.3

$44.94 BGN 78.2

75.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 €7.02

$8.78 BGN 15.28

-10.14%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.97

$2.33 BGN 4.05

43.35%

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

$4.00 €3.56

$1.57 BGN 2.74

154.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.73

$0.82 BGN 1.43

273.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.02

$1.68 BGN 2.92

235.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €4.04

$1.98 BGN 3.45

129.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.73 BGN 3.00

-34.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.51

$0.80 BGN 1.40

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$1.44 BGN 2.51

113.19%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.35

$2.36 BGN 4.10

107.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.33 €13.63

$9.39 BGN 16.34

63.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.45

$6.41 BGN 11.15

48.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 €10.43

$8.48 BGN 14.76

38.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.31 BGN 2.28

49.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.62 BGN 2.82

-6.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.73 BGN 3.01

21.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.94 BGN 3.38

37.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.97

$0.94 BGN 1.63

136.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$0.76 BGN 1.32

164.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$0.55 BGN 0.95

178.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.59 BGN 1.02

176.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 €4.94

$3.25 BGN 5.66

70.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 €6.80

$5.20 BGN 9.05

47.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.09 BGN 1.89

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.68 BGN 2.92

-11.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 €1.36

$0.84 BGN 1.45

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.51 €35.14

$27.06 BGN 47.09

46.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.34 BGN 2.34

130.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.65 BGN 1.14

120.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.02 €10.69

$10.06 BGN 17.51

19.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.48 BGN 2.57

12.84%

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

$25.9K €23.1K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

-11.06%

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

$24.9K €22.2K

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

19.17%

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

$177 €158

$92.4 BGN 161

91.94%

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

$27.30 €24.28

$14.52 BGN 25.26

88.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.91 €38.17

$12.32 BGN 21.43

248.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.14 €41.04

$31.70 BGN 55.2

45.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.43 €14.61

$8.53 BGN 14.84

92.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 €7.99

$5.62 BGN 9.78

59.79%

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

$413 €368

$230 BGN 401

79.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,923 €6,158

$2,268 BGN 3,947

205.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.0

$30.10 BGN 52.4

191.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.07 €40.09

$19.62 BGN 34.13

129.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.5

$45.86 BGN 79.8

129.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 €70.4

$47.69 BGN 83.0

66.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 €616

$518 BGN 902

33.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 €459

$357 BGN 621

44.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$614 BGN 1,069

94.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$877 €780

$569 BGN 990

54.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,594 €3,197

$1,191 BGN 2,073

201.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,232 €2,875

$959 BGN 1,669

236.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 BGN 2,965

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

2.99

24.41%

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

Last update for Makarska: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makarska

$516 32.5%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 30.8% $159

Groceries & Markets

Makarska

$291 18.3%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 34% $99

Eating Out

Makarska

$269 17%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 45.9% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makarska

$248 15.6%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 51.8% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Makarska

$143 9%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 54.8% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Makarska

$64 4%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 33% $21

Getting Around

Makarska

$56 3.5%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 37.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $692 in Makarska 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Makarska versus $45.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $192 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Makarska

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

18:55 6:55 PM

1 h ahead of Makarska

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,809

8,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makarska Bansko 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Makarska
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

Makarska vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,586 in Makarska, $956 in Bansko – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Makarska and $1,434 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Makarska and $45.00 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 $1,586 in Makarska and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 66%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Makarska at $1,586. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makarska it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Makarska has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $956 in Bansko to $1,586 in Makarska. 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, Makarska makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.