Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shumen and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Shumen: $912 a month against $965 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bansko outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Shumen
Learn more

Shumen Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Shumen

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$912

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $912 per month in Shumen vs $965 in Bansko, rent included.

Shumen $912
Bansko $965

A couple spends around $1,424 per month in Shumen vs $1,481 in Bansko, rent included.

Shumen $1,424
Bansko $1,481

A family of three spends $1,937 per month in Shumen vs $1,998 in Bansko, rent included.

Shumen $1,937
Bansko $1,998

Shumen is about 5% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Shumen and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Shumen 33% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.25 BGN 16.10

$8.74 BGN 15.20

5.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.99 BGN 60.9

$46.37 BGN 80.7

-24.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 BGN 16.06

$8.92 BGN 15.52

3.48%

Cappuccino

$1.76 BGN 3.06

$2.27 BGN 3.94

-22.47%

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

$1.50 BGN 2.60

$1.57 BGN 2.73

-4.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 BGN 1.76

$0.89 BGN 1.54

13.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 BGN 5.12

$1.73 BGN 3.01

69.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 BGN 4.87

$1.95 BGN 3.39

43.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 BGN 3.10

$1.79 BGN 3.11

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$0.81 BGN 1.42

27.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 BGN 4.49

$1.51 BGN 2.62

70.86%

Eggs

$2.88 BGN 5.01

$2.35 BGN 4.09

22.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 BGN 16.12

$9.55 BGN 16.61

-2.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 BGN 8.71

$6.63 BGN 11.54

-24.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 BGN 15.45

$8.37 BGN 14.57

6.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 BGN 2.79

$1.30 BGN 2.26

23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 BGN 3.48

$1.68 BGN 2.93

19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 BGN 3.64

$1.68 BGN 2.92

24.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.83

$1.92 BGN 3.34

14.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 BGN 3.58

$0.94 BGN 1.63

119.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 BGN 2.23

$0.75 BGN 1.31

70.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$0.59 BGN 1.02

38.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.34

$0.58 BGN 1.02

32.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 BGN 6.66

$3.26 BGN 5.67

17.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.05 BGN 12.26

$5.20 BGN 9.04

35.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.14 BGN 1.98

-18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 BGN 2.56

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-15.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 BGN 1.63

$0.90 BGN 1.57

4.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.88 BGN 45.04

$26.72 BGN 46.50

-3.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 BGN 2.96

$1.30 BGN 2.26

30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 BGN 0.93

$0.61 BGN 1.06

-13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 BGN 17.91

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 BGN 2.77

$1.56 BGN 2.71

1.92%

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

$30.2K BGN 52.6K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

3.71%

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

$21.9K BGN 38.1K

$21.3K BGN 37.1K

2.75%

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

$135 BGN 235

$92.8 BGN 161

45.28%

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

$17.95 BGN 31.24

$15.05 BGN 26.18

19.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.94 BGN 29.47

$12.19 BGN 21.21

38.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.57 BGN 67.1

$32.83 BGN 57.1

17.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.69 BGN 20.34

$8.40 BGN 14.61

39.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 BGN 12.31

$5.56 BGN 9.67

27.16%

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

$576 BGN 1,002

$230 BGN 400

150.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K BGN 18.2K

$2,295 BGN 3,994

356.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.28 BGN 85.8

$30.31 BGN 52.7

62.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 BGN 88.4

$19.41 BGN 33.78

161.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 BGN 160

$45.34 BGN 78.9

102.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.3 BGN 107

$48.47 BGN 84.3

26.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 BGN 459

$514 BGN 894

-48.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 BGN 307

$361 BGN 627

-51.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 BGN 738

$630 BGN 1,096

-32.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 BGN 583

$571 BGN 993

-41.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,235 BGN 2,150

$1,202 BGN 2,091

2.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,019 BGN 1,773

$972 BGN 1,691

4.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,018 BGN 1,771

$1,665 BGN 2,898

-38.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

2.99

8.70%

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

Last update for Shumen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shumen

$212 23.2%

Bansko

$194 20.2% 8.2% $17

Accommodation & Living

Shumen

$176 19.3%

Bansko

$361 37.4% 105% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shumen

$170 18.6%

Bansko

$120 12.5% 29.3% $50

Eating Out

Shumen

$153 16.8%

Bansko

$146 15.2% 4.5% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Shumen

$114 12.5%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 43.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Shumen

$53 5.8%

Bansko

$44 4.6% 16.7% $8.8

Getting Around

Shumen

$34 3.7%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 2% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Shumen 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 64% 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 $35.00 in Shumen versus $46.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $212 in Shumen vs $194 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Shumen

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

21:36 9:36 PM

Same time as Shumen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,504

8,000

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shumen Bansko 320 km

From you

Shumen
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

Shumen vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $912 in Shumen, $965 in Bansko – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,367 per month in Shumen 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 Shumen, 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 $35.00 in Shumen 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 $912 in Shumen and $965 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 6%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shumen, where all-in costs run around $912, than in Bansko at $965. In Shumen 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 $912 in Shumen 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 Shumen. 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.