Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mazar-i-Sharif and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $297 a month against $970 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Mazar-i-Sharif
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Mazar-i-Sharif Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$297

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $297 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Mazar-i-Sharif $297
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $470 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Mazar-i-Sharif $470
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $643 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Mazar-i-Sharif $643
Bansko $1,957

Mazar-i-Sharif is about 69% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mazar-i-Sharif and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Mazar-i-Sharif 78% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.31 ؋149

$8.66 BGN 15.15

-73.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.68 ؋1,015

$46.63 BGN 81.6

-66.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ؋252

$9.01 BGN 15.77

-56.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 ؋487

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 ؋503

Cappuccino

$1.19 ؋77.3

$2.24 BGN 3.92

-46.88%

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

$0.56 ؋36.07

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-62.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ؋20.97

$0.86 BGN 1.51

-62.79%

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)

$0.60 ؋38.87

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-66.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.15 ؋9.41

$0.81 BGN 1.42

-81.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ؋139

$1.52 BGN 2.66

41.45%

Eggs

$1.59 ؋103

$2.30 BGN 4.02

-30.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 ؋513

$9.60 BGN 16.81

-17.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ؋218

$6.32 BGN 11.06

-46.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.23 ؋404

$8.64 BGN 15.12

-27.89%

Apples (1kg)

$0.59 ؋38.23

$1.28 BGN 2.24

-53.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ؋76.0

$1.68 BGN 2.95

-30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 ؋52.6

$1.70 BGN 2.98

-52.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ؋39.57

$1.89 BGN 3.30

-67.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 ؋33.06

$0.93 BGN 1.63

-45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ؋25.83

$0.76 BGN 1.32

-47.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ؋33.75

$0.54 BGN 0.95

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ؋20.76

$0.58 BGN 1.02

-44.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 ؋118

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.56 ؋101

$3.44 BGN 6.02

-54.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 BGN 9.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BGN 2.97

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 ؋52.0

$0.88 BGN 1.55

-9.09%

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)

$1.52 ؋98.7

$10.18 BGN 17.81

-85.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ؋96.3

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-0.67%

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

$9,933 ؋643.3K

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

-65.52%

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

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

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

$83.8 ؋5,425

$91.4 BGN 160

-8.40%

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

$16.94 ؋1,097

$14.68 BGN 25.68

15.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.07 BGN 21.12

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.69 ؋757

$32.28 BGN 56.5

-63.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.91 ؋253

$8.60 BGN 15.05

-54.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ؋306

$5.63 BGN 9.86

-16.16%

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

$78.1 ؋5,058

$228 BGN 400

-65.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,311 BGN 4,045

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.14 ؋851

$30.48 BGN 53.3

-56.89%

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

$18.75 ؋1,214

$48.67 BGN 85.2

-61.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 BGN 913

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 BGN 643

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 BGN 1,110

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 BGN 976

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)

$231 ؋15.0K

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-86.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

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

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mazar-i-Sharif

$106 36.2%

Bansko

$193 20% 81.7% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mazar-i-Sharif

$101 * 34.3%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 17.4% $17

Eating Out

Mazar-i-Sharif

$48 16.3%

Bansko

$145 15% 203% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Mazar-i-Sharif

$21 7.2%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 106% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Mazar-i-Sharif

$14 * 4.9%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 351% $50

Getting Around

Mazar-i-Sharif

$3.2 * 1.1%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 986% $32

Accommodation & Living

Mazar-i-Sharif

- * 0%

Bansko

$367 38%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 623% 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 $16.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $47.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $106 vs $193 – making Mazar-i-Sharif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

15:08 3:08 PM

13:38 1:38 PM

1 h 30 min behind Mazar-i-Sharif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300,600

8,000

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.57 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 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 AFN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mazar-i-Sharif Bansko 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mazar-i-Sharif
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

Mazar-i-Sharif vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $297 in Mazar-i-Sharif, $970 in Bansko – roughly 227% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $445 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif and $1,455 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $297 in Mazar-i-Sharif and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 227%.

Kindergarten costs $78.1 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif and $228 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mazar-i-Sharif, where all-in costs run around $297, than in Bansko at $970. In Mazar-i-Sharif 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 $297 in Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif. 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.