Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreux and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $3,392 in Montreux, rent and utilities included – about $29,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Montreux
Learn more

Montreux Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreux

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,392

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,392 per month in Montreux vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Montreux $3,392
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $5,203 per month in Montreux vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Montreux $5,203
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $7,015 per month in Montreux vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Montreux $7,015
Bansko $1,979

Montreux costs about 255% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montreux sits 151% above the global median, while Bansko is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.50 CHF 25.12

$8.66 BGN 15.06

252.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$132 CHF 109

$44.94 BGN 78.2

193.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.41 CHF 15.16

$8.78 BGN 15.28

109.68%

Cappuccino

$5.93 CHF 4.89

$2.33 BGN 4.05

154.51%

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

$4.86 CHF 4.00

$1.57 BGN 2.74

209.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 CHF 3.38

$0.82 BGN 1.43

401.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.83 CHF 8.10

$1.68 BGN 2.92

485.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 CHF 8.11

$1.98 BGN 3.45

397.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CHF 1.75

$1.73 BGN 3.00

22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 CHF 2.76

$0.80 BGN 1.40

318.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.66

$1.44 BGN 2.51

124.31%

Eggs

$7.08 CHF 5.83

$2.36 BGN 4.10

200.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.74 CHF 20.37

$9.39 BGN 16.34

163.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.15 CHF 23.19

$6.41 BGN 11.15

339.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.23 CHF 32.31

$8.48 BGN 14.76

362.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.86

$1.31 BGN 2.28

164.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CHF 1.35

$1.62 BGN 2.82

0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 2.00

$1.73 BGN 3.01

40.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 CHF 3.81

$1.94 BGN 3.38

138.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.47

$0.94 BGN 1.63

90.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 CHF 1.58

$0.76 BGN 1.32

152.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$0.55 BGN 0.95

256.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CHF 1.42

$0.59 BGN 1.02

191.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.67 CHF 8.79

$3.25 BGN 5.66

228.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 CHF 9.87

$5.20 BGN 9.05

130.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 CHF 2.22

$1.09 BGN 1.89

147.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.60

$1.68 BGN 2.92

88.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.54 CHF 3.74

$0.84 BGN 1.45

440.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 82.8

$27.06 BGN 47.09

271.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 CHF 6.20

$1.34 BGN 2.34

461.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.95 CHF 3.25

$0.65 BGN 1.14

507.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.4 CHF 51.4

$10.06 BGN 17.51

520.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.89

$1.48 BGN 2.57

55.41%

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

$38.2K CHF 31.4K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

30.98%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

85.48%

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

$285 CHF 234

$92.4 BGN 161

207.98%

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

$36.64 CHF 30.18

$14.52 BGN 25.26

152.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CHF 41.94

$12.32 BGN 21.43

313.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.5 CHF 72.9

$31.70 BGN 55.2

179.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.52 CHF 37.49

$8.53 BGN 14.84

433.65%

Cinema Ticket

$23.83 CHF 19.63

$5.62 BGN 9.78

324.02%

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

$2,416 CHF 1,990

$230 BGN 401

948.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K CHF 29.5K

$2,268 BGN 3,947

1479.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 113

$30.10 BGN 52.4

355.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.0 CHF 62.6

$19.62 BGN 34.13

287.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 CHF 134

$45.86 BGN 79.8

254.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 152

$47.69 BGN 83.0

287.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 CHF 1,378

$518 BGN 902

222.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CHF 1,186

$357 BGN 621

303.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,879 CHF 2,371

$614 BGN 1,069

368.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,458 CHF 2,025

$569 BGN 990

332.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.6K CHF 12.9K

$1,191 BGN 2,073

1213.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,982

$959 BGN 1,669

1163.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,082 CHF 6,657

$1,704 BGN 2,965

374.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

2.99

-34.78%

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

Last update for Montreux: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreux

$1.4K 42.5%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 75.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Montreux

$570 16.8%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 66.3% $378

Eating Out

Montreux

$475 14%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 69.4% $330

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreux

$372 11%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 68% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Montreux

$252 7.4%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 74.4% $188

Getting Around

Montreux

$146 4.3%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 76% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Montreux

$136 4%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 68.4% $93

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Montreux 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 374% higher in Montreux, 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 $132 in Montreux versus $45.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $570 vs $192 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Montreux

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

1 h ahead of Montreux

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,208

8,000

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 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 CHF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreux Bansko 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreux
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

Montreux vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,392 in Montreux, $956 in Bansko – roughly 255% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,088 per month in Montreux 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 $132 in Montreux 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 $3,392 in Montreux and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 255%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Montreux at $3,392. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreux it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Montreux has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $956 in Bansko to $3,392 in Montreux. 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, Montreux makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.