Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qapshaghay and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $1,077 in Qapshaghay, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Qapshaghay despite lower rent and utilities.

53

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
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Qapshaghay Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,077

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,077 per month in Qapshaghay vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Qapshaghay $1,077
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $1,621 per month in Qapshaghay vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Qapshaghay $1,621
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $2,166 per month in Qapshaghay vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Qapshaghay $2,166
Bansko $1,979

Qapshaghay costs about 13% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Qapshaghay and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Qapshaghay 20% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.99 ₸4,967

$8.66 BGN 15.06

26.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.25 ₸10.1K

$44.94 BGN 78.2

-50.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 ₸3,002

$8.78 BGN 15.28

-24.37%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ₸827

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-21.46%

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

$1.03 ₸464

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-34.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₸292

$0.82 BGN 1.43

-20.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₸583

$1.68 BGN 2.92

-23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸594

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-33.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₸760

$1.73 BGN 3.00

-2.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 ₸203

$0.80 BGN 1.40

-43.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 ₸952

$1.44 BGN 2.51

46.53%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,118

$2.36 BGN 4.10

4.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 ₸5,546

$9.39 BGN 16.34

30.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 ₸2,955

$6.41 BGN 11.15

2.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,913

$8.48 BGN 14.76

28.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.31 BGN 2.28

36.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₸1,033

$1.62 BGN 2.82

41.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 ₸1,305

$1.73 BGN 3.01

67.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 ₸1,289

$1.94 BGN 3.38

46.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸339

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-20.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸263

$0.76 BGN 1.32

-23.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸731

$0.55 BGN 0.95

194.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸449

$0.59 BGN 1.02

67.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.59 ₸720

$3.25 BGN 5.66

-51.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 ₸5,070

$5.20 BGN 9.05

115.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸570

$1.09 BGN 1.89

15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,088

$1.68 BGN 2.92

43.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 ₸85.5

$0.84 BGN 1.45

-77.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.82 ₸7,606

$27.06 BGN 47.09

-37.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₸365

$1.34 BGN 2.34

-39.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸290

$0.65 BGN 1.14

-1.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ₸1,789

$10.06 BGN 17.51

-60.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 ₸260

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-61.49%

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

$21.9K ₸9.9M

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

-24.95%

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

$29.7K ₸13.4M

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

41.75%

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

$90.4 ₸40.9K

$92.4 BGN 161

-2.20%

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

$10.66 ₸4,820

$14.52 BGN 25.26

-26.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.21 ₸8,233

$12.32 BGN 21.43

47.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 ₸18.9K

$31.70 BGN 55.2

31.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ₸2,935

$5.62 BGN 9.78

15.48%

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

$145 ₸65.7K

$230 BGN 401

-36.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,498 ₸2.0M

$2,268 BGN 3,947

98.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 ₸41.0K

$30.10 BGN 52.4

201.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.03 ₸20.8K

$19.62 BGN 34.13

134.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 ₸63.8K

$45.86 BGN 79.8

207.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸60.5K

$47.69 BGN 83.0

180.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₸199.5K

$518 BGN 902

-14.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₸137.7K

$357 BGN 621

-14.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$718 ₸324.4K

$614 BGN 1,069

16.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₸223.8K

$569 BGN 990

-12.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 ₸538.3K

$1,191 BGN 2,073

-0.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 ₸347.4K

$959 BGN 1,669

-19.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 BGN 2,965

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

2.99

590.64%

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

Last update for Qapshaghay: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Qapshaghay

$305 28.3%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 17.1% $52

Groceries & Markets

Qapshaghay

$246 22.8%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 21.9% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Qapshaghay

$185 17.2%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 65.2% $121

Eating Out

Qapshaghay

$146 13.5%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 0.1% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qapshaghay

$119 11.1%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Qapshaghay

$55 5.1%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 21.6% $12

Getting Around

Qapshaghay

$22 2%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 62.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Qapshaghay 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Qapshaghay versus $45.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Qapshaghay vs $192 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

12:06 12:06 PM

3 h behind Qapshaghay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,167

8,000

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Qapshaghay Bansko 4,300 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Qapshaghay
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

Qapshaghay vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,077 in Qapshaghay, $956 in Bansko – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,615 per month in Qapshaghay 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 $22.00 in Qapshaghay 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 $1,077 in Qapshaghay and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 13%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Qapshaghay at $1,077. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Qapshaghay 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 $956 in Bansko to $1,077 in Qapshaghay. 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, Qapshaghay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.