Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $1,982 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,982

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,982 per month in Rome vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Rome $1,982
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $3,148 per month in Rome vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Rome $3,148
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $4,314 per month in Rome vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Rome $4,314
Bansko $1,957

Rome costs about 104% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rome sits 48% above the global median, while Bansko is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 €15.05

$8.66 BGN 15.15

94.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.2

$46.63 BGN 81.6

44.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.84

$9.01 BGN 15.77

22.53%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.83

$2.24 BGN 3.92

-8.48%

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

$3.05 €2.72

$1.50 BGN 2.63

103.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.36

$0.86 BGN 1.51

76.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €5.11

$1.76 BGN 3.07

225.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 €6.12

$2.00 BGN 3.51

243.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-4.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €2.00

$0.81 BGN 1.42

177.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 €2.77

$1.52 BGN 2.66

103.95%

Eggs

$4.81 €4.29

$2.30 BGN 4.02

109.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.45

$9.60 BGN 16.81

57.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.53 €11.18

$6.32 BGN 11.06

98.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.82 €17.67

$8.64 BGN 15.12

129.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.37

$1.28 BGN 2.24

107.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.68 BGN 2.95

38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.70 BGN 2.98

44.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.89 BGN 3.30

22.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.28

$0.93 BGN 1.63

53.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 €1.37

$0.76 BGN 1.32

101.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.54 BGN 0.95

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 €0.47

$0.58 BGN 1.02

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.40 €6.60

$3.44 BGN 6.02

115.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 €4.86

$5.14 BGN 9.00

6.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.11 BGN 1.94

47.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$1.70 BGN 2.97

54.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.88 BGN 1.55

96.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.99 €35.66

$26.76 BGN 46.83

49.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.91 €6.16

$1.29 BGN 2.26

435.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.65 BGN 1.14

150.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.18 €30.48

$10.18 BGN 17.81

235.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.50 BGN 2.63

42.67%

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

$35.1K €31.3K

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

21.95%

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

$34.4K €30.7K

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

60.40%

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

$209 €186

$91.4 BGN 160

128.08%

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

$11.57 €10.31

$14.68 BGN 25.68

-21.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.88 €28.42

$12.07 BGN 21.12

164.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 €58.6

$32.28 BGN 56.5

103.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.73 €21.15

$8.60 BGN 15.05

175.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 €9.98

$5.63 BGN 9.86

98.93%

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

$483 €431

$228 BGN 400

111.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.1K

$2,311 BGN 4,045

633.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 €63.0

$30.48 BGN 53.3

131.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.68 €31.81

$19.01 BGN 33.26

87.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 €73.3

$45.53 BGN 79.7

80.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €110

$48.67 BGN 85.2

152.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,074

$521 BGN 913

131.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 €795

$367 BGN 643

142.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 €2,253

$634 BGN 1,110

298.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 €1,504

$558 BGN 976

202.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,407 €7,495

$1,204 BGN 2,106

598.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,096 €2,760

$971 BGN 1,699

218.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,980 €1,766

$1,670 BGN 2,923

18.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

2.99

17.73%

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

Last update for Rome: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$892 44.2%

Bansko

$367 38% 58.8% $525

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$331 16.4%

Bansko

$193 20% 41.6% $137

Eating Out

Rome

$253 12.6%

Bansko

$145 15% 42.6% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$252 12.5%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 53.1% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$140 7%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 53.9% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 50.6% $45

Getting Around

Rome

$62 3.1%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 43.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,205 in Rome 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 19% higher in Rome, 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 $68.0 in Rome versus $47.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $193 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

05:46 5:46 AM

1 h ahead of Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rome Bansko 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Rome
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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

Rome vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,982 in Rome, $970 in Bansko – roughly 104% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,974 per month in Rome 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 $68.0 in Rome 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 $1,982 in Rome and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 104%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Rome at $1,982. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rome has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $970 in Bansko to $1,982 in Rome. 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, Rome makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.