Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $968 a month against $1,094 in Mecca, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
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Mecca Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,094

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,094 per month in Mecca vs $968 in Bansko, rent included.

Mecca $1,094
Bansko $968

A couple spends around $1,615 per month in Mecca vs $1,479 in Bansko, rent included.

Mecca $1,615
Bansko $1,479

A family of three spends $2,136 per month in Mecca vs $1,989 in Bansko, rent included.

Mecca $2,136
Bansko $1,989

Mecca costs about 13% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Mecca and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Mecca 19% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 SAR 16.84

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-49.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.81 SAR 101

$45.43 BGN 79.1

-40.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 SAR 25.55

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-23.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 SAR 5.70

Cappuccino

$2.60 SAR 9.74

$2.33 BGN 4.06

11.59%

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

$0.67 SAR 2.52

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-55.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.95

$0.83 BGN 1.44

-69.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 BGN 3.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 BGN 3.49

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-2.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 SAR 3.48

$0.86 BGN 1.49

8.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.20

$1.46 BGN 2.55

49.32%

Eggs

$2.48 SAR 9.29

$2.33 BGN 4.06

6.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.83 SAR 21.86

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-38.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.11 SAR 30.43

$6.30 BGN 10.96

28.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.91 SAR 48.47

$8.64 BGN 15.04

49.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 SAR 7.78

$1.32 BGN 2.29

56.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.06

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-10.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 SAR 5.79

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-20.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 SAR 4.40

$0.95 BGN 1.66

23.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.91

$0.72 BGN 1.26

81.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 SAR 3.88

$0.55 BGN 0.96

87.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.00

$0.59 BGN 1.03

-10.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.15 SAR 15.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.72 SAR 25.23

$3.33 BGN 5.79

101.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 BGN 8.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 BGN 1.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 3.01

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.05

$0.89 BGN 1.55

21.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.50 SAR 171

$27.08 BGN 47.11

68.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.64 BGN 2.85

6.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

$0.91 BGN 1.59

87.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.44 SAR 54.2

$10.00 BGN 17.39

44.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-60.67%

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

$26.5K SAR 99.4K

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

-7.29%

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

$21.2K SAR 79.7K

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

-0.06%

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

$65.3 SAR 245

$92.5 BGN 161

-29.41%

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

$34.55 SAR 130

$14.59 BGN 25.39

136.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 SAR 236

$12.13 BGN 21.11

418.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 SAR 304

$31.84 BGN 55.4

154.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.24 SAR 159

$8.46 BGN 14.72

399.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 SAR 44.05

$5.51 BGN 9.59

113.07%

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

$760 SAR 2,854

$227 BGN 395

234.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,355 SAR 20.1K

$2,311 BGN 4,021

131.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.12 SAR 49.23

$30.56 BGN 53.2

-57.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 SAR 218

$18.95 BGN 32.97

205.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.45 SAR 148

$45.80 BGN 79.7

-13.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.3 SAR 196

$48.28 BGN 84.0

8.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 SAR 2,275

$510 BGN 887

18.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 SAR 1,539

$364 BGN 634

12.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$897 SAR 3,365

$624 BGN 1,085

43.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 SAR 2,304

$566 BGN 985

8.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,211 SAR 19.6K

$1,166 BGN 2,028

346.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,210 SAR 4,540

$969 BGN 1,686

24.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,094 SAR 4,108

$1,680 BGN 2,923

-34.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

2.99

75.59%

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

Last update for Mecca: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mecca

$410 37.5%

Bansko

$364 37.6% 11.1% $46

Groceries & Markets

Mecca

$192 17.6%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 0.5% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mecca

$163 14.9%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 26.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Mecca

$104 9.5%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 58.9% $62

Eating Out

Mecca

$91 8.3%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 61.8% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Mecca

$73 6.7%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 11.8% $8.7

Getting Around

Mecca

$60 5.5%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 38.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $606 in Mecca versus $510 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 54% higher in Bansko, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Mecca versus $45 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $193 – making Mecca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Mecca

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

03:08 3:08 AM

1 h behind Mecca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,675,368

8,000

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 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 SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mecca Bansko 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Mecca
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

Mecca vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,094 in Mecca, $968 in Bansko – Bansko comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,641 per month in Mecca and $1,452 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bansko, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $510 there versus $606 in Mecca.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,094 in Mecca and $968 in Bansko. That makes Bansko about 11% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $760 per month in Mecca and $227 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Bansko – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.