Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manakara and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $968 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $397 per month in Manakara vs $968 in Bansko, rent included.

Manakara $397
Bansko $968

A couple spends around $609 per month in Manakara vs $1,479 in Bansko, rent included.

Manakara $609
Bansko $1,479

A family of three spends $820 per month in Manakara vs $1,989 in Bansko, rent included.

Manakara $820
Bansko $1,989

Manakara is about 59% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manakara and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Manakara 71% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 MGA 9,872

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-75.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.51 MGA 66.3K

$45.43 BGN 79.1

-68.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.61 MGA 16.5K

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-59.53%

Cappuccino

$1.19 MGA 5,449

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-48.93%

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

$0.60 MGA 2,744

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-59.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MGA 2,414

$0.83 BGN 1.44

-36.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 MGA 5,453

$1.75 BGN 3.05

-32.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MGA 6,481

$2.01 BGN 3.49

-29.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MGA 7,872

$1.72 BGN 3.00

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MGA 4,625

$0.86 BGN 1.49

17.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 MGA 3,316

$1.46 BGN 2.55

-50.00%

Eggs

$2.25 MGA 10.3K

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.62 MGA 30.2K

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-30.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 MGA 15.9K

$6.30 BGN 10.96

-44.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.55 MGA 16.2K

$8.64 BGN 15.04

-58.91%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 MGA 4,371

$1.32 BGN 2.29

-27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,304

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-56.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.34 MGA 1,571

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-80.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,283

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-62.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 MGA 2,503

$0.95 BGN 1.66

-42.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 MGA 3,503

$0.72 BGN 1.26

6.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,460

$0.55 BGN 0.96

-41.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 MGA 2,909

$0.59 BGN 1.03

8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.42 MGA 6,489

$3.33 BGN 5.79

-57.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MGA 19.8K

$5.08 BGN 8.84

-14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MGA 4,706

$1.12 BGN 1.95

-8.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MGA 5,721

$1.73 BGN 3.01

-27.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 MGA 957

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-76.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.63 MGA 162.8K

$27.08 BGN 47.11

31.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MGA 4,952

$1.64 BGN 2.85

-34.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

$0.91 BGN 1.59

145.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 MGA 15.2K

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-66.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 MGA 5,366

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-22.00%

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

$15.2K MGA 69.7M

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

-46.64%

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

$20.2K MGA 92.5M

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

-4.72%

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

$41.78 MGA 190.9K

$92.5 BGN 161

-54.84%

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

$14.59 BGN 25.39

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 MGA 240.9K

$12.13 BGN 21.11

334.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.37 MGA 52.0K

$31.84 BGN 55.4

-64.29%

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)

$21.87 MGA 100.0K

$227 BGN 395

-90.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,021

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.27 MGA 74.4K

$30.56 BGN 53.2

-46.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.10 MGA 91.9K

$18.95 BGN 32.97

6.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.39 MGA 207.5K

$45.80 BGN 79.7

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.17 MGA 201.9K

$48.28 BGN 84.0

-8.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 BGN 887

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 BGN 634

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 BGN 1,085

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 BGN 985

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)

$114 MGA 519.1K

$1,680 BGN 2,923

-93.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

702.68%

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

Last update for Manakara: November 3, 2026

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manakara

$130 32.7%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 48.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manakara

$94 * 23.8%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 26.2% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Manakara

$57 14.3%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 14% $8

Eating Out

Manakara

$56 14.1%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 165% $92

Getting Around

Manakara

$49 12.3%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 24.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Manakara

$11 * 2.9%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 277% $32

Accommodation & Living

Manakara

- * 0%

Bansko

$364 37.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Bansko are about 15 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Manakara versus $45 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $130 vs $193 – making Manakara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Manakara

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

08:36 8:36 AM

1 h behind Manakara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,237

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 = 5,131 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

Manakara Bansko 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Manakara
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

Manakara vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $397 in Manakara, $968 in Bansko – Manakara comes out roughly 59% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $595 per month in Manakara and $1,452 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Manakara 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 $397 in Manakara and $968 in Bansko. That makes Manakara about 59% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $397 in Manakara to $968 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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