Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samarkand and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Samarkand: $630 a month against $965 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Samarkand
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Samarkand Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Samarkand

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$630

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $630 per month in Samarkand vs $965 in Bansko, rent included.

Samarkand $630
Bansko $965

A couple spends around $1,000 per month in Samarkand vs $1,481 in Bansko, rent included.

Samarkand $1,000
Bansko $1,481

A family of three spends $1,371 per month in Samarkand vs $1,998 in Bansko, rent included.

Samarkand $1,371
Bansko $1,998

Samarkand is about 35% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Samarkand and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Samarkand 54% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.69 UZS 80.6K

$8.74 BGN 15.20

-23.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.23 UZS 231.7K

$46.37 BGN 80.7

-58.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 UZS 59.3K

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-44.84%

Cappuccino

$2.42 UZS 29.2K

$2.27 BGN 3.94

6.61%

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

$0.70 UZS 8,417

$1.57 BGN 2.73

-55.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 UZS 2,498

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-76.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 UZS 20.3K

$1.73 BGN 3.01

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 UZS 26.2K

$1.95 BGN 3.39

11.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 UZS 12.7K

$1.79 BGN 3.11

-40.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.32 UZS 3,807

$0.81 BGN 1.42

-60.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 UZS 19.3K

$1.51 BGN 2.62

5.96%

Eggs

$1.32 UZS 15.9K

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-43.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 UZS 97.7K

$9.55 BGN 16.61

-15.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 UZS 51.1K

$6.63 BGN 11.54

-36.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 UZS 127.9K

$8.37 BGN 14.57

26.76%

Apples (1kg)

$0.85 UZS 10.2K

$1.30 BGN 2.26

-34.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 UZS 21.1K

$1.68 BGN 2.93

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 UZS 20.5K

$1.68 BGN 2.92

1.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 UZS 20.3K

$1.92 BGN 3.34

-12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 UZS 5,872

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-47.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.18 UZS 2,171

$0.75 BGN 1.31

-76.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 UZS 2,875

$0.59 BGN 1.02

-59.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 UZS 4,828

$0.58 BGN 1.02

-31.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 UZS 20.3K

$3.26 BGN 5.67

-48.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.38 UZS 40.7K

$5.20 BGN 9.04

-35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 UZS 12.3K

$1.14 BGN 1.98

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 UZS 24.4K

$1.74 BGN 3.03

16.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 UZS 2,882

$0.90 BGN 1.57

-73.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.41 UZS 41.1K

$26.72 BGN 46.50

-87.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.33 UZS 3,945

$1.30 BGN 2.26

-74.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 UZS 3,857

$0.61 BGN 1.06

-47.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 UZS 39.3K

$10.29 BGN 17.91

-68.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 UZS 14.3K

$1.56 BGN 2.71

-23.72%

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

$17.6K UZS 212.0M

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

-39.64%

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

$20.6K UZS 248.8M

$21.3K BGN 37.1K

-3.23%

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

$41.34 UZS 498.2K

$92.8 BGN 161

-55.46%

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

$3.86 UZS 46.5K

$15.05 BGN 26.18

-74.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.49 UZS 162.5K

$12.19 BGN 21.21

10.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.33 UZS 461.9K

$32.83 BGN 57.1

16.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.54 UZS 78.8K

$8.40 BGN 14.61

-22.14%

Cinema Ticket

$3.09 UZS 37.2K

$5.56 BGN 9.67

-44.42%

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

$326 UZS 3.9M

$230 BGN 400

41.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,544 UZS 90.9M

$2,295 BGN 3,994

228.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.71 UZS 249.6K

$30.31 BGN 52.7

-31.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.13 UZS 507.7K

$19.41 BGN 33.78

117.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 UZS 916.3K

$45.34 BGN 78.9

67.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.1 UZS 700.6K

$48.47 BGN 84.3

19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 UZS 3.0M

$514 BGN 894

-52.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 UZS 1.9M

$361 BGN 627

-55.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 UZS 5.5M

$630 BGN 1,096

-27.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 UZS 3.7M

$571 BGN 993

-46.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,253 UZS 15.1M

$1,202 BGN 2,091

4.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$538 UZS 6.5M

$972 BGN 1,691

-44.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$295 UZS 3.6M

$1,665 BGN 2,898

-82.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.31

2.99

679.60%

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

Last update for Samarkand: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samarkand

$161 25.7%

Bansko

$361 37.4% 123% $199

Groceries & Markets

Samarkand

$156 24.8%

Bansko

$194 20.2% 24.4% $38

Eating Out

Samarkand

$114 18.1%

Bansko

$146 15.2% 28.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Samarkand

$89 14.1%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 27.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samarkand

$59 9.3%

Bansko

$120 12.5% 105% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Samarkand

$45 7.1%

Bansko

$44 4.6% 1.3% $0.6

Getting Around

Samarkand

$6.3 1%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 451% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $245 in Samarkand versus $514 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 464% 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 $19.00 in Samarkand versus $46.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $194 – making Samarkand the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇿 Samarkand

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

23:22 11:22 PM

2 h behind Samarkand

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

573,200

8,000

💱 Currency

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇿 Uzbekistani Som (soʻm)

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 12,051 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD). 1 EUR = 13,548 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.38 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 UZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Samarkand Bansko 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Samarkand
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

Samarkand vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $630 in Samarkand, $965 in Bansko – roughly 53% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $944 per month in Samarkand and $1,447 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samarkand, 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 $19.00 in Samarkand and $46.00 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 $630 in Samarkand and $965 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 53%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Samarkand, where all-in costs run around $630, than in Bansko at $965. In Samarkand it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko 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 $630 in Samarkand to $965 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 Samarkand. 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.