Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John's and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $1,816 in Saint John's, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Saint John's
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Saint John's Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Saint John's

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

$1,816

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,816 per month in Saint John's vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Saint John's $1,816
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $2,873 per month in Saint John's vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Saint John's $2,873
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in Saint John's vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Saint John's $3,929
Bansko $1,957

Saint John's costs about 87% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Saint John's sits 36% above the global median, while Bansko is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.50 EC$60.8

$8.66 BGN 15.15

159.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 EC$203

$46.63 BGN 81.6

60.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 EC$29.62

$9.01 BGN 15.77

21.75%

Cappuccino

$3.80 EC$10.27

$2.24 BGN 3.92

69.64%

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

$2.03 EC$5.47

$1.50 BGN 2.63

35.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 EC$2.34

$0.86 BGN 1.51

1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 EC$5.05

$1.76 BGN 3.07

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 EC$12.09

$2.00 BGN 3.51

124.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 EC$5.88

$1.79 BGN 3.14

21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 EC$7.59

$0.81 BGN 1.42

246.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 EC$5.14

$1.52 BGN 2.66

25.00%

Eggs

$6.63 EC$17.91

$2.30 BGN 4.02

188.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 EC$22.46

$9.60 BGN 16.81

-13.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.31 EC$22.44

$6.32 BGN 11.06

31.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 BGN 15.12

Apples (1kg)

$6.48 EC$17.49

$1.28 BGN 2.24

406.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 EC$6.54

$1.68 BGN 2.95

44.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.12 EC$21.93

$1.70 BGN 2.98

377.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.10 EC$21.87

$1.89 BGN 3.30

328.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 EC$7.88

$0.93 BGN 1.63

213.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 EC$7.84

$0.76 BGN 1.32

281.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 EC$7.12

$0.54 BGN 0.95

388.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 EC$4.34

$0.58 BGN 1.02

177.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 BGN 6.02

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 EC$14.93

$5.14 BGN 9.00

7.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 EC$7.36

$1.11 BGN 1.94

145.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 EC$12.29

$1.70 BGN 2.97

167.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.55

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 BGN 46.83

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 BGN 1.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 BGN 17.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 EC$4.40

$1.50 BGN 2.63

8.67%

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

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

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

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

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

$256 EC$692

$91.4 BGN 160

180.41%

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

$40.32 EC$109

$14.68 BGN 25.68

174.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.4 EC$220

$12.07 BGN 21.12

574.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 EC$176

$32.28 BGN 56.5

102.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 BGN 15.05

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 EC$17.36

$5.63 BGN 9.86

14.21%

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

$228 BGN 400

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,855 EC$5,009

$2,311 BGN 4,045

-19.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.21 EC$133

$30.48 BGN 53.3

61.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.01 BGN 33.26

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 EC$204

$45.53 BGN 79.7

65.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.67 BGN 85.2

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 EC$2,796

$521 BGN 913

98.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 EC$1,835

$367 BGN 643

85.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 EC$4,573

$634 BGN 1,110

167.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 EC$4,043

$558 BGN 976

168.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,204 BGN 2,106

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$971 BGN 1,699

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,344 EC$3,630

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-19.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

2.99

83.95%

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

Last update for Saint John's: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint John's

$680 37.2%

Bansko

$367 38% 46% $312

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John's

$378 20.7%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 68.7% $260

Groceries & Markets

Saint John's

$349 * 19.1%

Bansko

$193 20% 44.6% $156

Eating Out

Saint John's

$288 15.8%

Bansko

$145 15% 49.6% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John's

$78 4.3%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 44.3% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John's

$56 * 3.1%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 15.3% $8.6

Getting Around

Saint John's

- * 0%

Bansko

$35 3.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,036 in Saint John's 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 24% 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 $75.0 in Saint John's versus $47.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $193 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇬 Saint John's

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

7 h ahead of Saint John's

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,926 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.33 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 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 XCD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Saint John's Bansko 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint John's
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

Saint John's vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,816 in Saint John's, $970 in Bansko – roughly 87% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,724 per month in Saint John's 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 $75.0 in Saint John's 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 $1,816 in Saint John's and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 87%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Saint John's at $1,816. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John's it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Saint John's has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $970 in Bansko to $1,816 in Saint John's. 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, Saint John's makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.