Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $1,565 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
Learn more

Muscat Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,565

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,565 per month in Muscat vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Muscat $1,565
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $2,341 per month in Muscat vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Muscat $2,341
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $3,116 per month in Muscat vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Muscat $3,116
Bansko $1,957

Muscat costs about 61% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Muscat sits 17% above the global median, while Bansko is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 OMR 2.01

$8.66 BGN 15.15

-39.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.68 OMR 15.27

$46.63 BGN 81.6

-14.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 OMR 2.94

$9.01 BGN 15.77

-15.21%

Cappuccino

$4.97 OMR 1.91

$2.24 BGN 3.92

121.87%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-43.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.86 BGN 1.51

-68.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 OMR 4.97

$1.76 BGN 3.07

634.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.23 OMR 5.09

$2.00 BGN 3.51

561.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 OMR 0.87

$1.79 BGN 3.14

26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 OMR 0.45

$0.81 BGN 1.42

45.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 OMR 0.73

$1.52 BGN 2.66

24.34%

Eggs

$2.91 OMR 1.12

$2.30 BGN 4.02

26.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 OMR 2.78

$9.60 BGN 16.81

-24.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 OMR 2.64

$6.32 BGN 11.06

8.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 OMR 4.09

$8.64 BGN 15.12

23.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 OMR 1.41

$1.28 BGN 2.24

185.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 OMR 0.75

$1.68 BGN 2.95

16.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 OMR 0.92

$1.70 BGN 2.98

41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 OMR 0.48

$1.89 BGN 3.30

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$0.93 BGN 1.63

31.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$0.76 BGN 1.32

67.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 OMR 0.72

$0.54 BGN 0.95

244.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 OMR 0.27

$0.58 BGN 1.02

20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 OMR 2.45

$3.44 BGN 6.02

84.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.54 OMR 5.98

$5.14 BGN 9.00

202.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.00 OMR 2.31

$1.11 BGN 1.94

440.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$1.70 BGN 2.97

508.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 OMR 0.50

$0.88 BGN 1.55

46.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 OMR 29.70

$26.76 BGN 46.83

188.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 OMR 1.27

$1.29 BGN 2.26

155.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 OMR 0.99

$0.65 BGN 1.14

293.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 OMR 3.01

$10.18 BGN 17.81

-23.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 OMR 0.24

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-58.00%

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

$25.7K OMR 9,904

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

-10.68%

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

$23.0K OMR 8,861

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

7.32%

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

$177 OMR 68.1

$91.4 BGN 160

93.60%

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

$30.49 OMR 11.74

$14.68 BGN 25.68

107.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 OMR 27.56

$12.07 BGN 21.12

493.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 OMR 23.53

$32.28 BGN 56.5

89.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.78 OMR 11.46

$8.60 BGN 15.05

246.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 OMR 4.02

$5.63 BGN 9.86

85.61%

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

$282 OMR 108

$228 BGN 400

23.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K OMR 4,003

$2,311 BGN 4,045

349.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 OMR 22.17

$30.48 BGN 53.3

88.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 OMR 16.71

$19.01 BGN 33.26

128.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 OMR 35.11

$45.53 BGN 79.7

100.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 OMR 33.05

$48.67 BGN 85.2

76.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 OMR 265

$521 BGN 913

32.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 OMR 174

$367 BGN 643

23.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 OMR 497

$634 BGN 1,110

103.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 OMR 315

$558 BGN 976

46.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,815 OMR 1,084

$1,204 BGN 2,106

133.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 OMR 619

$971 BGN 1,699

65.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 OMR 636

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-1.15%

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 Muscat: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$453 29.3%

Bansko

$367 38% 18.9% $86

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$291 18.8%

Bansko

$193 20% 33.7% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$279 18%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 57.7% $161

Eating Out

Muscat

$220 14.2%

Bansko

$145 15% 33.9% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8.1%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 48.3% $60

Getting Around

Muscat

$98 6.4%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 64.6% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$82 5.3%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 46.9% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Muscat versus $521 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 1% 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 $40.00 in Muscat versus $47.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $291 in Muscat vs $193 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

1 h behind Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 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 = 0.509 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Muscat Bansko 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Muscat
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

Muscat vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,565 in Muscat, $970 in Bansko – roughly 61% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,347 per month in Muscat and $1,455 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 $40.00 in Muscat and $47.00 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 $1,565 in Muscat and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 61%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Muscat at $1,565. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Muscat 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 $970 in Bansko to $1,565 in Muscat. 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, Muscat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.