Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $2,466 in Scarborough, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,466

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,466 per month in Scarborough vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Scarborough $2,466
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $3,385 per month in Scarborough vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Scarborough $3,385
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $4,304 per month in Scarborough vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Scarborough $4,304
Bansko $1,979

Scarborough costs about 158% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Scarborough sits 83% above the global median, while Bansko is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 CA$23.31

$8.66 BGN 15.06

90.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 CA$97.2

$44.94 BGN 78.2

52.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$14.93

$8.78 BGN 15.28

20.27%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.47

$2.33 BGN 4.05

66.09%

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

$2.07 CA$2.92

$1.57 BGN 2.74

31.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$0.82 BGN 1.43

67.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.82

$1.68 BGN 2.92

271.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$1.98 BGN 3.45

257.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 CA$3.56

$1.73 BGN 3.00

45.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$0.80 BGN 1.40

235.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 CA$3.01

$1.44 BGN 2.51

47.92%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$2.36 BGN 4.10

46.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 CA$12.63

$9.39 BGN 16.34

-4.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 CA$15.56

$6.41 BGN 11.15

71.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 CA$17.77

$8.48 BGN 14.76

48.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 CA$4.56

$1.31 BGN 2.28

145.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.62 BGN 2.82

-25.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.79

$1.73 BGN 3.01

95.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$1.94 BGN 3.38

106.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$0.94 BGN 1.63

75.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$0.76 BGN 1.32

107.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.22

$0.55 BGN 0.95

314.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$0.59 BGN 1.02

101.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.74 CA$19.43

$3.25 BGN 5.66

322.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 CA$18.03

$5.20 BGN 9.05

145.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.99

$1.09 BGN 1.89

93.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.55

$1.68 BGN 2.92

49.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.32

$0.84 BGN 1.45

179.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CA$146

$27.06 BGN 47.09

282.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.17

$1.34 BGN 2.34

120.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$0.65 BGN 1.14

93.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.32 CA$30.14

$10.06 BGN 17.51

111.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-18.24%

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

$27.5K CA$38.8K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

-5.79%

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

$19.9K CA$28.1K

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

-5.03%

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

$141 CA$199

$92.4 BGN 161

52.07%

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

$34.98 CA$49.45

$14.52 BGN 25.26

140.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$67.7

$12.32 BGN 21.43

288.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.43 CA$50.1

$31.70 BGN 55.2

11.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 CA$50.0

$8.53 BGN 14.84

314.77%

Cinema Ticket

$12.45 CA$17.60

$5.62 BGN 9.78

121.53%

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

$808 CA$1,142

$230 BGN 401

250.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K CA$14.7K

$2,268 BGN 3,947

358.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 CA$72.9

$30.10 BGN 52.4

71.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.00 CA$55.1

$19.62 BGN 34.13

98.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 CA$119

$45.86 BGN 79.8

83.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$47.69 BGN 83.0

116.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 CA$2,396

$518 BGN 902

227.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CA$1,898

$357 BGN 621

276.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 CA$3,011

$614 BGN 1,069

246.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 CA$2,454

$569 BGN 990

205.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,564 CA$10.7K

$1,191 BGN 2,073

534.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,121 CA$8,653

$959 BGN 1,669

538.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,908 CA$4,111

$1,704 BGN 2,965

70.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

2.99

52.17%

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

Last update for Scarborough: 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

Scarborough

$1.3K 54.4%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 73.4% $985

Groceries & Markets

Scarborough

$323 13.1%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 40.7% $131

Eating Out

Scarborough

$269 10.9%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 46% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scarborough

$223 9.1%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 46.6% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Scarborough

$125 5.1%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 48.5% $61

Getting Around

Scarborough

$122 5%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 71.3% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Scarborough

$60 2.5%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 28.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,695 in Scarborough 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 71% higher in Scarborough, 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 $69.0 in Scarborough versus $45.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $192 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

23:21 11:21 PM

7 h ahead of Scarborough

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,960

8,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Scarborough Bansko 7,780 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Scarborough
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

Scarborough vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,466 in Scarborough, $956 in Bansko – roughly 158% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,699 per month in Scarborough 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 $69.0 in Scarborough 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 $2,466 in Scarborough and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 158%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Scarborough at $2,466. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Scarborough 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 $2,466 in Scarborough. 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, Scarborough makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.