Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negombo and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $402 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Negombo
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Negombo Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Negombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$402

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $402 per month in Negombo vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Negombo $402
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $649 per month in Negombo vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Negombo $649
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $897 per month in Negombo vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Negombo $897
Bansko $1,979

Negombo is about 58% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Negombo and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Negombo 70% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 LKR 1,483

$8.66 BGN 15.06

-48.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.63 LKR 5,508

$44.94 BGN 78.2

-63.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 LKR 2,516

$8.78 BGN 15.28

-13.55%

Cappuccino

$1.23 LKR 406

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-47.21%

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

$0.69 LKR 228

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-56.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.5

$0.82 BGN 1.43

-69.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 LKR 712

$1.68 BGN 2.92

27.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 LKR 978

$1.98 BGN 3.45

48.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 521

$1.73 BGN 3.00

-9.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 174

$0.80 BGN 1.40

-33.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 245

$1.44 BGN 2.51

-48.61%

Eggs

$1.64 LKR 543

$2.36 BGN 4.10

-30.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.01 LKR 4,642

$9.39 BGN 16.34

49.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 LKR 1,366

$6.41 BGN 11.15

-35.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.00 LKR 1,986

$8.48 BGN 14.76

-29.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 LKR 585

$1.31 BGN 2.28

35.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 LKR 229

$1.62 BGN 2.82

-57.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 LKR 738

$1.73 BGN 3.01

28.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 LKR 395

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-38.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 242

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-22.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 267

$0.76 BGN 1.32

6.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$0.55 BGN 0.95

69.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

$0.59 BGN 1.02

-27.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.14 LKR 3,359

$3.25 BGN 5.66

212.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 LKR 4,480

$5.20 BGN 9.05

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 646

$1.09 BGN 1.89

78.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 997

$1.68 BGN 2.92

79.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 94.9

$0.84 BGN 1.45

-65.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$1.34 BGN 2.34

-71.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.65 BGN 1.14

-43.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LKR 297

$10.06 BGN 17.51

-91.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 332

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-32.43%

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

$37.3K LKR 12.3M

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

27.85%

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

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

95.26%

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

$25.65 LKR 8,497

$92.4 BGN 161

-72.25%

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

$4.21 LKR 1,395

$14.52 BGN 25.26

-71.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.85 LKR 6,908

$12.32 BGN 21.43

69.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.27 LKR 5,059

$31.70 BGN 55.2

-51.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.07 LKR 3,004

$8.53 BGN 14.84

6.33%

Cinema Ticket

$2.45 LKR 813

$5.62 BGN 9.78

-56.41%

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

$37.97 LKR 12.6K

$230 BGN 401

-83.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$446 LKR 147.9K

$2,268 BGN 3,947

-80.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$8.82 LKR 2,920

$30.10 BGN 52.4

-70.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.87 LKR 5,586

$19.62 BGN 34.13

-14.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.78 LKR 12.2K

$45.86 BGN 79.8

-19.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.22 LKR 8,023

$47.69 BGN 83.0

-49.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 BGN 902

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 BGN 621

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 BGN 1,069

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 BGN 990

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 BGN 2,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 BGN 1,669

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 LKR 59.7K

$1,704 BGN 2,965

-89.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

2.99

324.41%

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

Last update for Negombo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Negombo

$194 48.4%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 1.4% $2.6

Eating Out

Negombo

$94 23.4%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 55.2% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Negombo

$51 12.6%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 135% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Negombo

$39 9.7%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 65.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Negombo

$20 5%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 113% $23

Getting Around

Negombo

$3.4 * 0.8%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 933% $32

Accommodation & Living

Negombo

- * 0%

Bansko

$357 37.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 845% higher in Bansko, 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 $17.00 in Negombo versus $45.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Negombo vs $192 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Negombo

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

18:53 6:53 PM

2 h 30 min behind Negombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,449

8,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Negombo Bansko 6,720 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Negombo
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

Negombo vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $402 in Negombo, $956 in Bansko – roughly 138% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $602 per month in Negombo and $1,434 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $402 in Negombo and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 138%.

Kindergarten costs $37.97 per month in Negombo and $230 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Negombo, where all-in costs run around $402, than in Bansko at $956. In Negombo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Negombo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $402 in Negombo to $956 in Bansko. 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 Negombo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.