Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medicine Hat and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $1,806 in Medicine Hat, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
Learn more

Medicine Hat Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,806

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,806 per month in Medicine Hat vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Medicine Hat $1,806
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $2,707 per month in Medicine Hat vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Medicine Hat $2,707
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $3,608 per month in Medicine Hat vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Medicine Hat $3,608
Bansko $1,979

Medicine Hat costs about 89% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medicine Hat sits 34% above the global median, while Bansko is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 CA$20.39

$8.66 BGN 15.06

66.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 CA$100

$44.94 BGN 78.2

57.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 CA$13.91

$8.78 BGN 15.28

12.07%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.16

$2.33 BGN 4.05

56.65%

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

$1.91 CA$2.70

$1.57 BGN 2.74

21.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.46

$0.82 BGN 1.43

112.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 CA$6.88

$1.68 BGN 2.92

189.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 CA$5.39

$1.98 BGN 3.45

92.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.73 BGN 3.00

-12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 CA$2.45

$0.80 BGN 1.40

116.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.82

$1.44 BGN 2.51

136.81%

Eggs

$3.04 CA$4.30

$2.36 BGN 4.10

28.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 CA$13.23

$9.39 BGN 16.34

-0.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.75 CA$15.19

$6.41 BGN 11.15

67.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 CA$18.15

$8.48 BGN 14.76

51.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$1.31 BGN 2.28

141.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.62 BGN 2.82

-10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.06

$1.73 BGN 3.01

65.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 CA$5.05

$1.94 BGN 3.38

84.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.71

$0.94 BGN 1.63

179.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.07

$0.76 BGN 1.32

92.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$0.55 BGN 0.95

376.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.17

$0.59 BGN 1.02

161.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CA$15.96

$3.25 BGN 5.66

247.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.62 CA$17.84

$5.20 BGN 9.05

142.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$1.09 BGN 1.89

124.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.68 BGN 2.92

86.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$0.84 BGN 1.45

167.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.74 CA$70.3

$27.06 BGN 47.09

83.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.56

$1.34 BGN 2.34

140.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$0.65 BGN 1.14

104.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.09 CA$38.30

$10.06 BGN 17.51

169.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 CA$1.42

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-32.43%

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

$27.7K CA$39.2K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

-4.90%

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

$18.5K CA$26.2K

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

-11.37%

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

$163 CA$231

$92.4 BGN 161

76.46%

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

$38.36 CA$54.2

$14.52 BGN 25.26

164.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.9

$12.32 BGN 21.43

313.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 CA$75.1

$31.70 BGN 55.2

67.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.70 CA$50.5

$8.53 BGN 14.84

318.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 CA$19.72

$5.62 BGN 9.78

148.22%

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

$782 CA$1,105

$230 BGN 401

239.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K CA$22.0K

$2,268 BGN 3,947

585.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CA$72.0

$30.10 BGN 52.4

69.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.16 CA$36.98

$19.62 BGN 34.13

33.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 CA$94.6

$45.86 BGN 79.8

45.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 CA$93.2

$47.69 BGN 83.0

38.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 CA$1,131

$518 BGN 902

54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 CA$1,073

$357 BGN 621

112.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 CA$1,891

$614 BGN 1,069

117.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 CA$1,733

$569 BGN 990

115.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,314 CA$1,858

$1,191 BGN 2,073

10.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 CA$2,693

$959 BGN 1,669

98.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,951 CA$4,171

$1,704 BGN 2,965

73.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

2.99

50.84%

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

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medicine Hat

$759 42%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 53% $402

Groceries & Markets

Medicine Hat

$316 17.5%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 39.3% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medicine Hat

$252 14%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 52.7% $133

Eating Out

Medicine Hat

$235 13%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 38.2% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Medicine Hat

$94 5.2%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 31.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Medicine Hat

$81 4.5%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 47% $38

Getting Around

Medicine Hat

$69 3.8%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 49% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $800 in Medicine Hat 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.

Salaries run about 73% higher in Medicine Hat, 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 $71.0 in Medicine Hat versus $45.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $192 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

18:48 6:48 PM

9 h ahead of Medicine Hat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,997

8,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medicine Hat Bansko 8,870 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medicine Hat
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

Medicine Hat vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,806 in Medicine Hat, $956 in Bansko – roughly 89% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,710 per month in Medicine Hat 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 Bansko, 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 $71.0 in Medicine Hat 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 $1,806 in Medicine Hat and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 89%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Medicine Hat at $1,806. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medicine Hat 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 $956 in Bansko to $1,806 in Medicine Hat. 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 Bansko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medicine Hat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.