Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $968 a month against $1,327 in Medina, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Medina
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Medina Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Medina

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,327

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,327 per month in Medina vs $968 in Bansko, rent included.

Medina $1,327
Bansko $968

A couple spends around $1,779 per month in Medina vs $1,479 in Bansko, rent included.

Medina $1,779
Bansko $1,479

A family of three spends $2,231 per month in Medina vs $1,989 in Bansko, rent included.

Medina $2,231
Bansko $1,989

Medina costs about 37% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medina and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Medina 2% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.53 SAR 20.75

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-37.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 SAR 121

$45.43 BGN 79.1

-28.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 SAR 30.78

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-8.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

Cappuccino

$2.60 SAR 9.76

$2.33 BGN 4.06

11.59%

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

$0.73 SAR 2.72

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-51.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$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)

$1.48 SAR 5.57

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-13.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SAR 3.46

$0.86 BGN 1.49

6.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.89

$1.46 BGN 2.55

62.33%

Eggs

$2.00 SAR 7.51

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-14.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.35 SAR 20.08

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-43.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.09 SAR 26.61

$6.30 BGN 10.96

12.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.52 SAR 47.01

$8.64 BGN 15.04

44.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.82

$1.32 BGN 2.29

78.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 SAR 7.49

$1.65 BGN 2.86

21.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.43

$1.74 BGN 3.02

29.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.51

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-24.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 SAR 5.14

$0.95 BGN 1.66

44.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

$0.72 BGN 1.26

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 SAR 3.46

$0.55 BGN 0.96

67.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 SAR 2.63

$0.59 BGN 1.03

18.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SAR 5.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.41 SAR 27.82

$3.33 BGN 5.79

122.52%

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 4.06

$0.89 BGN 1.55

21.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.54 SAR 137

$27.08 BGN 47.11

34.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$1.64 BGN 2.85

-17.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$0.91 BGN 1.59

87.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 SAR 21.42

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-42.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-56.67%

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

$42.0K SAR 157.8K

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

47.22%

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

$20.5K SAR 76.9K

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

-3.58%

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

$147 SAR 552

$92.5 BGN 161

59.02%

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

$28.09 SAR 105

$14.59 BGN 25.39

92.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.7 SAR 329

$12.13 BGN 21.11

623.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.4 SAR 294

$31.84 BGN 55.4

146.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.93 SAR 33.52

$8.46 BGN 14.72

5.56%

Cinema Ticket

$13.10 SAR 49.16

$5.51 BGN 9.59

137.75%

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

$291 SAR 1,091

$227 BGN 395

27.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,499 SAR 20.6K

$2,311 BGN 4,021

138.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.75 SAR 142

$30.56 BGN 53.2

23.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 SAR 196

$18.95 BGN 32.97

176.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 SAR 247

$45.80 BGN 79.7

43.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 SAR 258

$48.28 BGN 84.0

42.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$562 SAR 2,109

$510 BGN 887

10.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 SAR 1,931

$364 BGN 634

41.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 SAR 2,825

$624 BGN 1,085

20.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 SAR 2,102

$566 BGN 985

-1.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,284 SAR 8,574

$1,166 BGN 2,028

95.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,323 SAR 4,966

$969 BGN 1,686

36.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,233 SAR 4,627

$1,680 BGN 2,923

-26.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

2.99

39.46%

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

Last update for Medina: 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

Medina

$515 38.8%

Bansko

$364 37.6% 29.2% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medina

$263 19.8%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 54.6% $144

Groceries & Markets

Medina

$190 14.3%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 1.9% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Medina

$105 7.9%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 59% $62

Eating Out

Medina

$104 7.8%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 41.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Medina

$101 7.6%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 36% $36

Getting Around

Medina

$51 3.8%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 27.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $562 in Medina 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 36% 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 $32 in Medina versus $45 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $193 – making Medina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Medina

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

03:29 3:29 AM

1 h behind Medina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,100,093

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

Medina Bansko 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medina
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

Medina vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,327 in Medina, $968 in Bansko – Bansko comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,991 per month in Medina and $1,452 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $562 in Medina and $510 in Bansko. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,327 in Medina and $968 in Bansko. That makes Bansko about 27% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $291 per month in Medina and $227 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $968, than in Medina at $1,327. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.