Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paramaribo and Bansko

For one person, living costs are similar in Paramaribo and in Bansko: $984 and $970 a month, rent and utilities included.

49

Cost of Living Index in Paramaribo
Learn more

Paramaribo Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Paramaribo

🇸🇷 Suriname

$984

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $984 per month in Paramaribo vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Paramaribo $984
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Paramaribo vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Paramaribo $1,657
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $2,331 per month in Paramaribo vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Paramaribo $2,331
Bansko $1,957

Paramaribo costs about 1% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Paramaribo and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Paramaribo 27% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.44 SRD 504

$8.66 BGN 15.15

55.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 SRD 1,964

$46.63 BGN 81.6

12.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 SRD 412

$9.01 BGN 15.77

21.98%

Cappuccino

$2.88 SRD 108

$2.24 BGN 3.92

28.57%

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

$1.41 SRD 52.9

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-6.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 SRD 32.91

$0.86 BGN 1.51

2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 SRD 99.7

$1.76 BGN 3.07

51.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 SRD 146

$2.00 BGN 3.51

94.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SRD 68.7

$1.79 BGN 3.14

2.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 SRD 52.2

$0.81 BGN 1.42

71.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 SRD 60.3

$1.52 BGN 2.66

5.92%

Eggs

$2.98 SRD 112

$2.30 BGN 4.02

29.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 SRD 444

$9.60 BGN 16.81

23.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 SRD 231

$6.32 BGN 11.06

-2.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 SRD 381

$8.64 BGN 15.12

17.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 SRD 179

$1.28 BGN 2.24

272.66%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SRD 116

$1.68 BGN 2.95

85.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 SRD 140

$1.70 BGN 2.98

119.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.89 SRD 221

$1.89 BGN 3.30

211.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 SRD 49.77

$0.93 BGN 1.63

43.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 SRD 75.6

$0.76 BGN 1.32

165.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 SRD 55.6

$0.54 BGN 0.95

174.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SRD 56.4

$0.58 BGN 1.02

160.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.58 SRD 209

$3.44 BGN 6.02

62.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 SRD 292

$5.14 BGN 9.00

51.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SRD 75.0

$1.11 BGN 1.94

80.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 SRD 142

$1.70 BGN 2.97

122.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 SRD 28.90

$0.88 BGN 1.55

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 SRD 79.8

$1.29 BGN 2.26

65.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SRD 57.8

$0.65 BGN 1.14

136.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.17 SRD 269

$10.18 BGN 17.81

-29.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 SRD 44.50

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-20.67%

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

$24.6K SRD 921.2K

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

-14.67%

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

$25.3K SRD 948.6K

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

18.01%

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

$37.31 SRD 1,398

$91.4 BGN 160

-59.20%

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

$25.70 SRD 963

$14.68 BGN 25.68

75.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 SRD 1,149

$12.07 BGN 21.12

154.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.84 SRD 518

$32.28 BGN 56.5

-57.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.32 SRD 761

$8.60 BGN 15.05

136.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 SRD 186

$5.63 BGN 9.86

-11.90%

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

$62.3 SRD 2,335

$228 BGN 400

-72.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,739 SRD 65.2K

$2,311 BGN 4,045

-24.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.84 SRD 1,268

$30.48 BGN 53.3

11.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.87 SRD 782

$19.01 BGN 33.26

9.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 SRD 2,525

$45.53 BGN 79.7

47.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SRD 3,903

$48.67 BGN 85.2

113.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 SRD 18.3K

$521 BGN 913

-6.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 SRD 9,855

$367 BGN 643

-28.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 SRD 35.6K

$634 BGN 1,110

49.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 SRD 19.0K

$558 BGN 976

-9.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$462 SRD 17.3K

$1,204 BGN 2,106

-61.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$400 SRD 15.0K

$971 BGN 1,699

-58.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 SRD 10.5K

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-83.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

435.12%

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

Last update for Paramaribo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Paramaribo

$300 30%

Bansko

$193 20% 35.5% $106

Accommodation & Living

Paramaribo

$263 26.3%

Bansko

$367 38% 39.7% $104

Eating Out

Paramaribo

$205 20.5%

Bansko

$145 15% 29.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Paramaribo

$102 10.2%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 36.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paramaribo

$94 9.4%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 26.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Paramaribo

$24 2.4%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 83.4% $20

Getting Around

Paramaribo

$13 * 1.3%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 170% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Paramaribo 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 498% 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 $52.0 in Paramaribo versus $47.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $193 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇷 Paramaribo

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

06:07 6:07 AM

6 h ahead of Paramaribo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,946 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 SRD = 2.67 USD

100 SRD = 2.38 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to SRD – Surinamese Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇷 Surinamese Dollar ($)

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 37.47 SRD (100 SRD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 42.03 SRD (100 SRD = 2.38 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 SRD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Paramaribo Bansko 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Paramaribo
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

Paramaribo vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $984 in Paramaribo, $970 in Bansko – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,476 per month in Paramaribo 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $984 in Paramaribo and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 1%.

Kindergarten costs $62.3 per month in Paramaribo and $228 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Paramaribo at $984. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paramaribo 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 $984 in Paramaribo. 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, Paramaribo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.