Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $492 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$492

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $492 per month in Mardan vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Mardan $492
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $768 per month in Mardan vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Mardan $768
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $1,045 per month in Mardan vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Mardan $1,045
Bansko $1,979

Mardan is about 49% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mardan and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Mardan 64% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.54 PKR 980

$8.66 BGN 15.06

-59.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.75 PKR 6,572

$44.94 BGN 78.2

-47.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 PKR 1,506

$8.78 BGN 15.28

-38.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 PKR 1,023

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 PKR 1,885

Cappuccino

$2.72 PKR 753

$2.33 BGN 4.05

16.74%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-79.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.8

$0.82 BGN 1.43

-71.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BGN 3.45

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 PKR 252

$1.73 BGN 3.00

-47.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 199

$0.80 BGN 1.40

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 354

$1.44 BGN 2.51

-11.11%

Eggs

$1.16 PKR 320

$2.36 BGN 4.10

-50.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.82 PKR 781

$9.39 BGN 16.34

-69.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 870

$6.41 BGN 11.15

-51.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.89 PKR 1,076

$8.48 BGN 14.76

-54.13%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 PKR 258

$1.31 BGN 2.28

-29.01%

Banana (1kg)

$0.71 PKR 196

$1.62 BGN 2.82

-56.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 296

$1.73 BGN 3.01

-38.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 104

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-80.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 73.8

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-71.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.1

$0.76 BGN 1.32

-52.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$0.55 BGN 0.95

-49.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.59 BGN 1.02

-37.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 495

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 PKR 651

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 PKR 507

$3.25 BGN 5.66

-43.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 BGN 9.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 BGN 2.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.24

$0.84 BGN 1.45

-80.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.19 PKR 2,821

$27.06 BGN 47.09

-62.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.34 BGN 2.34

-6.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 PKR 192

$0.65 BGN 1.14

6.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 PKR 436

$10.06 BGN 17.51

-84.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 PKR 292

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-28.38%

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

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

-25.32%

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

$24.6K PKR 6.8M

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

17.64%

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

$101 PKR 27.9K

$92.4 BGN 161

8.89%

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

$5.88 PKR 1,628

$14.52 BGN 25.26

-59.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.89 PKR 4,674

$12.32 BGN 21.43

37.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.54 PKR 4,578

$31.70 BGN 55.2

-47.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 PKR 1,978

$8.53 BGN 14.84

-16.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,224

$5.62 BGN 9.78

-21.35%

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

$75.8 PKR 21.0K

$230 BGN 401

-67.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,028 PKR 284.5K

$2,268 BGN 3,947

-54.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.76 PKR 7,131

$30.10 BGN 52.4

-14.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 PKR 9,537

$19.62 BGN 34.13

75.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 PKR 26.2K

$45.86 BGN 79.8

106.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.80 PKR 11.3K

$47.69 BGN 83.0

-14.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$127 PKR 35.0K

$518 BGN 902

-75.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.6 PKR 20.9K

$357 BGN 621

-78.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 PKR 69.9K

$614 BGN 1,069

-58.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 PKR 41.3K

$569 BGN 990

-73.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$830 PKR 229.7K

$1,191 BGN 2,073

-30.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$443 PKR 122.7K

$959 BGN 1,669

-53.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 BGN 2,965

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

2.99

337.46%

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

Last update for Mardan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mardan

$123 25.1%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 3.4% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Mardan

$88 17.9%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 26.8% $24

Groceries & Markets

Mardan

$84 17.1%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 128% $108

Eating Out

Mardan

$80 16.2%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 83% $66

Accommodation & Living

Mardan

$76 15.4%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 372% $281

Sport & Entertainment

Mardan

$25 5.2%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 69.2% $18

Getting Around

Mardan

$16 3.2%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 126% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $127 in Mardan 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 $24.00 in Mardan versus $45.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $84.0 vs $192 – making Mardan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Mardan

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

2 h behind Mardan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

358,604

8,000

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mardan Bansko 4,280 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mardan
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

Mardan vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $492 in Mardan, $956 in Bansko – roughly 94% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $737 per month in Mardan 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 Mardan, 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 $24.00 in Mardan 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 $492 in Mardan and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 94%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mardan, where all-in costs run around $492, than in Bansko at $956. In Mardan 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 $492 in Mardan to $956 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 Mardan. 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.