Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serra and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Serra: $889 a month against $956 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bansko outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Serra
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Serra Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Serra

🇧🇷 Brazil

$889

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $889 per month in Serra vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Serra $889
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $1,317 per month in Serra vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Serra $1,317
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $1,744 per month in Serra vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Serra $1,744
Bansko $1,979

Serra is about 7% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.77 R$24.16

$8.66 BGN 15.06

-44.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.99 R$117

$44.94 BGN 78.2

-48.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 R$41.58

$8.78 BGN 15.28

-6.61%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.57

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-10.30%

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

$1.34 R$6.77

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-14.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.15

$0.82 BGN 1.43

-24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 R$9.88

$1.68 BGN 2.92

16.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R$15.53

$1.98 BGN 3.45

54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.70

$1.73 BGN 3.00

-34.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.13

$0.80 BGN 1.40

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.95

$1.44 BGN 2.51

-18.75%

Eggs

$2.14 R$10.87

$2.36 BGN 4.10

-9.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 R$53.2

$9.39 BGN 16.34

11.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R$23.22

$6.41 BGN 11.15

-28.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 R$43.27

$8.48 BGN 14.76

0.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 R$14.53

$1.31 BGN 2.28

119.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.74

$1.62 BGN 2.82

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$1.73 BGN 3.01

5.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.20

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-16.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.96

$0.94 BGN 1.63

25.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.65

$0.76 BGN 1.32

46.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.55 BGN 0.95

143.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R$7.03

$0.59 BGN 1.02

135.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 R$12.62

$3.25 BGN 5.66

-23.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 R$28.59

$5.20 BGN 9.05

8.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$1.09 BGN 1.89

-10.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 R$16.59

$1.68 BGN 2.92

94.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.93

$0.84 BGN 1.45

15.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 R$239

$27.06 BGN 47.09

74.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 R$6.66

$1.34 BGN 2.34

-2.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 R$5.72

$0.65 BGN 1.14

73.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 R$34.95

$10.06 BGN 17.51

-31.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-27.03%

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

$23.5K R$119.2K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

-19.31%

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

$33.8K R$171.1K

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

61.36%

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

$158 R$803

$92.4 BGN 161

71.38%

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

$12.30 R$62.4

$14.52 BGN 25.26

-15.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.05 R$107

$12.32 BGN 21.43

70.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.83 R$131

$31.70 BGN 55.2

-18.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.87 R$141

$8.53 BGN 14.84

226.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 R$37.95

$5.62 BGN 9.78

33.27%

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

$188 R$955

$230 BGN 401

-18.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,726 R$34.1K

$2,268 BGN 3,947

196.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 R$279

$30.10 BGN 52.4

82.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 R$259

$19.62 BGN 34.13

160.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 R$462

$45.86 BGN 79.8

98.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 R$377

$47.69 BGN 83.0

55.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 R$1,271

$518 BGN 902

-51.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 R$774

$357 BGN 621

-57.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 R$2,261

$614 BGN 1,069

-27.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 R$1,117

$569 BGN 990

-61.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$970 R$4,917

$1,191 BGN 2,073

-18.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$563 R$2,852

$959 BGN 1,669

-41.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$559 R$2,833

$1,704 BGN 2,965

-67.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

267.89%

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

Last update for Serra: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Serra

$212 23.8%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 9.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Serra

$192 21.6%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 37.8% $72

Accommodation & Living

Serra

$153 17.2%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 134% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Serra

$122 13.8%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 47.2% $58

Eating Out

Serra

$111 12.5%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 30.5% $34

Getting Around

Serra

$58 6.5%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 39.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Serra

$41 4.6%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 5.3% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Serra 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 205% 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 $23.00 in Serra versus $45.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $212 in Serra vs $192 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Serra

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

09:23 9:23 AM

6 h ahead of Serra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,653

8,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Serra Bansko 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Serra
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

Serra vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $889 in Serra, $956 in Bansko – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,333 per month in Serra 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 Serra, 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 $23.00 in Serra 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 $889 in Serra and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 8%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Serra, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Bansko at $956. In Serra 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 $889 in Serra to $956 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 Serra. 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.