Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samut Prakan and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Samut Prakan: $886 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Samut Prakan
🇹🇭 Thailand
$886
/mo nomad
Bansko
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$956
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $886 per month in Samut Prakan vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Samut Prakan $886
  • Bansko $956

A couple spends around $1,389 per month in Samut Prakan vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Samut Prakan $1,389
  • Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $1,893 per month in Samut Prakan vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

  • Samut Prakan $1,893
  • Bansko $1,979

Samut Prakan is about 7% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Samut Prakan and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Samut Prakan 34% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Samut Prakan
Bansko
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.25 ฿109
$8.66 BGN 15.06
-62.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.10 ฿505
$44.94 BGN 78.2
-66.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.61 ฿254
$8.78 BGN 15.28
-13.33%
Cappuccino
$1.43 ฿47.70
$2.33 BGN 4.05
-38.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.05
$1.57 BGN 2.74
-67.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 ฿8.75
$0.82 BGN 1.43
-68.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.03 ฿67.8
$1.68 BGN 2.92
20.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 ฿101
$1.98 BGN 3.45
52.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Samut Prakan
Bansko
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 ฿49.36
$1.73 BGN 3.00
-14.45%
White Bread (500g)
$0.96 ฿32.07
$0.80 BGN 1.40
20.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.87 ฿29.12
$1.44 BGN 2.51
-39.58%
Eggs
$1.74 ฿58.2
$2.36 BGN 4.10
-26.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.31 ฿412
$9.39 BGN 16.34
31.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.47 ฿82.4
$6.41 BGN 11.15
-61.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.24 ฿342
$8.48 BGN 14.76
20.75%
Apples (1kg)
$1.79 ฿59.9
$1.31 BGN 2.28
36.64%
Banana (1kg)
$0.71 ฿23.72
$1.62 BGN 2.82
-56.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.31 ฿43.92
$1.73 BGN 3.01
-24.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.17 ฿39.20
$1.94 BGN 3.38
-39.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.70
$0.94 BGN 1.63
55.32%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 ฿25.72
$0.76 BGN 1.32
1.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.82 ฿27.36
$0.55 BGN 0.95
49.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 ฿14.90
$0.59 BGN 1.02
-23.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.56 ฿152
$3.25 BGN 5.66
40.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.98 ฿300
$5.20 BGN 9.05
72.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 ฿34.32
$1.09 BGN 1.89
-5.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 ฿62.6
$1.68 BGN 2.92
11.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Samut Prakan
Bansko
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 ฿17.76
$0.84 BGN 1.45
-36.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.06 BGN 47.09
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.69 ฿56.4
$1.34 BGN 2.34
26.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 ฿51.5
$0.65 BGN 1.14
136.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 ฿159
$10.06 BGN 17.51
-52.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ฿37.00
$1.48 BGN 2.57
-25.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.9K ฿396.7K
$29.1K BGN 50.7K
-59.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K ฿785.8K
$20.9K BGN 36.4K
12.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samut Prakan
Bansko
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.1 ฿2,778
$92.4 BGN 161
-10.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.05 ฿302
$14.52 BGN 25.26
-37.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.08 ฿537
$12.32 BGN 21.43
30.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Samut Prakan
Bansko
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.11 ฿1,574
$31.70 BGN 55.2
48.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.07 ฿470
$8.53 BGN 14.84
64.95%
Cinema Ticket
$6.55 ฿219
$5.62 BGN 9.78
16.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Samut Prakan
Bansko
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$146 ฿4,876
$230 BGN 401
-36.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,031 ฿201.6K
$2,268 BGN 3,947
165.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Samut Prakan
Bansko
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$14.97 ฿500
$30.10 BGN 52.4
-50.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.13 ฿1,208
$19.62 BGN 34.13
84.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.1 ฿2,411
$45.86 BGN 79.8
57.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 ฿3,927
$47.69 BGN 83.0
146.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Samut Prakan
Bansko
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$469 ฿15.7K
$518 BGN 902
-9.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$331 ฿11.1K
$357 BGN 621
-7.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,375 ฿46.0K
$614 BGN 1,069
123.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$720 ฿24.1K
$569 BGN 990
26.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,909 ฿63.8K
$1,191 BGN 2,073
60.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,597 ฿53.4K
$959 BGN 1,669
66.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Samut Prakan
Bansko
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$674 ฿22.5K
$1,704 BGN 2,965
-60.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3
2.99
0.33%

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

Last update for Samut Prakan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Samut Prakan
$331
Bansko
$357 7.7% $25
Groceries & Markets
Samut Prakan
$181
Bansko
$192 6.3% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Samut Prakan
$108
Bansko
$64 40.5% $44
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samut Prakan
$108
Bansko
$119 10.2% $11
Eating Out
Samut Prakan
$85
Bansko
$145 70.6% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Samut Prakan
$60
Bansko
$43 28.7% $17
Getting Around
Samut Prakan
$12 *
Bansko
$35 204% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $469 in Samut Prakan 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.

Salaries run about 153% 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 $15.00 in Samut Prakan versus $45.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $192 – making Samut Prakan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Samut Prakan
🇧🇬 Bansko
🕒 Local time
01:06 1:06 AM
21:06 9:06 PM
4 h behind Samut Prakan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
50,843
8,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Samut Prakan Bansko 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Samut Prakan
  • 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
Samut Prakan vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Samut Prakan and in Bansko compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $886 in Samut Prakan, $956 in Bansko – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Samut Prakan compared to Bansko?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,328 per month in Samut Prakan and $1,434 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Samut Prakan and Bansko?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Samut Prakan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Samut Prakan or Bansko?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $886 in Samut Prakan and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 8%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Samut Prakan and Bansko?
Kindergarten costs $146 per month in Samut Prakan and $230 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Samut Prakan, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Bansko at $956. In Samut Prakan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Samut Prakan and Bansko?
It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $886 in Samut Prakan to $956 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Samut Prakan or Bansko safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Samut Prakan and Bansko?
If budget matters most, go with Samut Prakan. 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.

Samut Prakan vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?