Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzini and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $354 a month against $970 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$354

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $354 per month in Manzini vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Manzini $354
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $515 per month in Manzini vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Manzini $515
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $677 per month in Manzini vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Manzini $677
Bansko $1,957

Manzini is about 64% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manzini and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Manzini 74% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 BGN 15.15

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 BGN 81.6

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 BGN 15.77

Cappuccino

$2.24 BGN 3.92

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

$1.50 BGN 2.63

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.51

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 SZL 21.19

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SZL 15.84

$0.81 BGN 1.42

18.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 SZL 29.52

$1.52 BGN 2.66

17.76%

Eggs

$1.18 SZL 19.51

$2.30 BGN 4.02

-48.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 SZL 124

$9.60 BGN 16.81

-21.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 SZL 48.83

$6.32 BGN 11.06

-53.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.85 SZL 30.51

$8.64 BGN 15.12

-78.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 SZL 21.91

$1.28 BGN 2.24

3.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 SZL 9.73

$1.68 BGN 2.95

-64.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 SZL 13.65

$1.70 BGN 2.98

-51.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 SZL 8.48

$1.89 BGN 3.30

-73.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 SZL 9.60

$0.93 BGN 1.63

-37.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 SZL 7.73

$0.76 BGN 1.32

-38.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 SZL 7.36

$0.54 BGN 0.95

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 SZL 11.47

$0.58 BGN 1.02

20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 SZL 51.7

$3.44 BGN 6.02

-9.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.20 SZL 52.8

$5.14 BGN 9.00

-37.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SZL 10.39

$1.11 BGN 1.94

-43.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 SZL 12.80

$1.70 BGN 2.97

-54.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 SZL 9.89

$0.88 BGN 1.55

-31.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 BGN 17.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 SZL 21.79

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-12.00%

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

$17.1K SZL 282.0K

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

-40.61%

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

$15.7K SZL 259.3K

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

-26.67%

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

$72.4 SZL 1,193

$91.4 BGN 160

-20.83%

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

$12.23 SZL 202

$14.68 BGN 25.68

-16.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 SZL 494

$12.07 BGN 21.12

148.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 BGN 56.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

Cinema Ticket

$3.68 SZL 60.6

$5.63 BGN 9.86

-34.64%

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)

$30.48 BGN 53.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.01 BGN 33.26

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.53 BGN 79.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 BGN 85.2

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$170 SZL 2,801

$521 BGN 913

-67.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$105 SZL 1,734

$367 BGN 643

-71.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$367 SZL 6,054

$634 BGN 1,110

-42.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 SZL 4,517

$558 BGN 976

-50.87%

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)

$404 SZL 6,657

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-75.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

234.45%

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

Last update for Manzini: October 6, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manzini

–

Bansko

$367 38%

Groceries & Markets

Manzini

–

Bansko

$193 20%

Eating Out

Manzini

–

Bansko

$145 15%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manzini

–

Bansko

$118 12.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Manzini

–

Bansko

$65 6.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Manzini

–

Bansko

$44 4.5%

Getting Around

Manzini

–

Bansko

$35 3.6%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $170 in Manzini 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 314% higher in Bansko, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Manzini

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

08:25 8:25 AM

1 h ahead of Manzini

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,508

8,000

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 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 SZL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manzini Bansko 7,640 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Manzini
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

Manzini vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $354 in Manzini, $970 in Bansko – roughly 174% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $530 per month in Manzini 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 Manzini, 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 $354 in Manzini and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 174%.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Bansko, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manzini, where all-in costs run around $354, than in Bansko at $970. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $354 in Manzini 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 Manzini. 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.