Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Bansko

For one person, living costs are similar in Manila and in Bansko: $931 and $970 a month, rent and utilities included.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $931 per month in Manila vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Manila $931
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $1,519 per month in Manila vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Manila $1,519
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $2,106 per month in Manila vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Manila $2,106
Bansko $1,957

Manila is about 4% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manila and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.61 ₱353

$8.66 BGN 15.15

-35.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.39 ₱1,722

$46.63 BGN 81.6

-41.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ₱248

$9.01 BGN 15.77

-56.16%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$2.24 BGN 3.92

14.29%

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

$1.42 ₱89.3

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-5.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₱51.1

$0.86 BGN 1.51

-5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.4

$1.76 BGN 3.07

-33.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.00 BGN 3.51

18.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.79 BGN 3.14

8.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ₱88.2

$0.81 BGN 1.42

72.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.3

$1.52 BGN 2.66

-32.89%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱144

$2.30 BGN 4.02

-0.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 ₱494

$9.60 BGN 16.81

-18.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 ₱307

$6.32 BGN 11.06

-22.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱426

$8.64 BGN 15.12

-21.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ₱213

$1.28 BGN 2.24

164.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.68 BGN 2.95

10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₱186

$1.70 BGN 2.98

74.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.89 BGN 3.30

-5.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₱141

$0.93 BGN 1.63

140.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱169

$0.76 BGN 1.32

253.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 ₱138

$0.54 BGN 0.95

307.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.35

$0.58 BGN 1.02

1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ₱197

$3.44 BGN 6.02

-9.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.42 ₱593

$5.14 BGN 9.00

83.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.11 BGN 1.94

19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.70 BGN 2.97

17.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.54

$0.88 BGN 1.55

-46.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.58 ₱791

$26.76 BGN 46.83

-52.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.91

$1.29 BGN 2.26

-39.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.47

$0.65 BGN 1.14

-64.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$10.18 BGN 17.81

-80.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-11.33%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

-25.93%

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

$19.7K ₱1.2M

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

-8.23%

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

$121 ₱7,635

$91.4 BGN 160

32.76%

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

$16.04 ₱1,009

$14.68 BGN 25.68

9.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.25 ₱1,525

$12.07 BGN 21.12

100.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.44 ₱2,732

$32.28 BGN 56.5

34.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 ₱371

$8.60 BGN 15.05

-31.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ₱417

$5.63 BGN 9.86

17.76%

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

$613 ₱38.5K

$228 BGN 400

168.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,953 ₱563.1K

$2,311 BGN 4,045

287.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 ₱3,657

$30.48 BGN 53.3

90.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.18 ₱1,709

$19.01 BGN 33.26

42.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 ₱4,875

$45.53 BGN 79.7

70.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 ₱3,583

$48.67 BGN 85.2

17.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 ₱33.6K

$521 BGN 913

2.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₱18.0K

$367 BGN 643

-21.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱120.5K

$634 BGN 1,110

202.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₱42.6K

$558 BGN 976

21.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,439 ₱279.1K

$1,204 BGN 2,106

268.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,556 ₱160.8K

$971 BGN 1,699

163.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$485 ₱30.5K

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-70.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

2.99

148.49%

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

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$287 30.2%

Bansko

$367 38% 28% $80

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$221 23.3%

Bansko

$193 20% 12.8% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$162 17%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 26.9% $44

Eating Out

Manila

$107 11.3%

Bansko

$145 15% 36% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$99 10.4%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 34.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 23.2% $13

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 113% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $534 in Manila 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 244% 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 $27.00 in Manila versus $47.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $221 in Manila vs $193 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

14:13 2:13 PM

5 h behind Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.47 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 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 = 0.51 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Manila Bansko 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Manila
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

Manila vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $931 in Manila, $970 in Bansko – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,396 per month in Manila 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 Manila, 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 $27.00 in Manila and $47.00 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 $931 in Manila and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 4%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manila, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Bansko at $970. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $931 in Manila to $970 in Bansko. 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 Manila. 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.