Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szczecin and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $970 a month against $1,331 in Szczecin, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Szczecin
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Szczecin Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Szczecin

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,331

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,331 per month in Szczecin vs $970 in Bansko, rent included.

Szczecin $1,331
Bansko $970

A couple spends around $1,974 per month in Szczecin vs $1,464 in Bansko, rent included.

Szczecin $1,974
Bansko $1,464

A family of three spends $2,618 per month in Szczecin vs $1,957 in Bansko, rent included.

Szczecin $2,618
Bansko $1,957

Szczecin costs about 37% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Szczecin and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Szczecin 1% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 zł 34.04

$8.66 BGN 15.15

0.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.79 zł 179

$46.63 BGN 81.6

-1.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 zł 32.50

$9.01 BGN 15.77

-7.66%

Cappuccino

$2.93 zł 11.44

$2.24 BGN 3.92

30.80%

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

$1.80 zł 7.05

$1.50 BGN 2.63

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 zł 5.52

$0.86 BGN 1.51

63.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 zł 11.64

$1.76 BGN 3.07

69.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 zł 12.09

$2.00 BGN 3.51

54.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 zł 3.61

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-48.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 zł 4.90

$0.81 BGN 1.42

54.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 zł 4.16

$1.52 BGN 2.66

-30.26%

Eggs

$3.24 zł 12.68

$2.30 BGN 4.02

40.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 zł 36.70

$9.60 BGN 16.81

-2.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 zł 24.43

$6.32 BGN 11.06

-1.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.00 zł 50.8

$8.64 BGN 15.12

50.46%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 zł 3.77

$1.28 BGN 2.24

-25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 zł 6.39

$1.68 BGN 2.95

-2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 zł 6.19

$1.70 BGN 2.98

-7.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 zł 9.14

$1.89 BGN 3.30

23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 zł 3.32

$0.93 BGN 1.63

-8.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 zł 4.20

$0.76 BGN 1.32

40.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 zł 4.36

$0.54 BGN 0.95

107.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 zł 2.33

$0.58 BGN 1.02

1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.28 zł 20.64

$3.44 BGN 6.02

53.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 zł 25.38

$5.14 BGN 9.00

26.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 zł 4.17

$1.11 BGN 1.94

-3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 zł 5.70

$1.70 BGN 2.97

-14.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 zł 2.90

$0.88 BGN 1.55

-15.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.11 zł 98.2

$26.76 BGN 46.83

-6.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 zł 7.69

$1.29 BGN 2.26

52.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 zł 3.67

$0.65 BGN 1.14

44.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.96 zł 50.7

$10.18 BGN 17.81

27.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 zł 6.44

$1.50 BGN 2.63

10.00%

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

$30.2K zł 118.0K

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

4.83%

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

$28.4K zł 111.2K

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

32.61%

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

$243 zł 949

$91.4 BGN 160

165.41%

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

$12.39 zł 48.42

$14.68 BGN 25.68

-15.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.74 zł 73.3

$12.07 BGN 21.12

55.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.15 zł 118

$32.28 BGN 56.5

-6.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.87 zł 195

$8.60 BGN 15.05

479.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 zł 25.09

$5.63 BGN 9.86

14.03%

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

$329 zł 1,287

$228 BGN 400

44.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,675 zł 30.0K

$2,311 BGN 4,045

232.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 zł 273

$30.48 BGN 53.3

128.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.71 zł 140

$19.01 BGN 33.26

87.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 zł 314

$45.53 BGN 79.7

76.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 zł 350

$48.67 BGN 85.2

84.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 zł 2,407

$521 BGN 913

18.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 zł 1,894

$367 BGN 643

31.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 zł 4,506

$634 BGN 1,110

81.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 zł 3,184

$558 BGN 976

46.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 zł 13.1K

$1,204 BGN 2,106

178.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 zł 9,142

$971 BGN 1,699

140.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,622 zł 6,339

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-2.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

2.99

128.09%

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

Last update for Szczecin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szczecin

$485 36.4%

Bansko

$367 38% 24.2% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szczecin

$274 20.6%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 56.8% $156

Groceries & Markets

Szczecin

$208 15.6%

Bansko

$193 20% 7% $14

Eating Out

Szczecin

$164 12.3%

Bansko

$145 15% 11.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Szczecin

$124 9.3%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 47.8% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Szczecin

$43 3.2%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 1.3% $0.6

Getting Around

Szczecin

$35 2.6%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 0.3% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Szczecin versus $521 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 3% higher in Bansko, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Szczecin versus $47.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Szczecin vs $193 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Szczecin

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

13:13 1:13 PM

1 h ahead of Szczecin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

387,700

8,000

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Szczecin Bansko 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Szczecin
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

Szczecin vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,331 in Szczecin, $970 in Bansko – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,996 per month in Szczecin and $1,455 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 $46.00 in Szczecin and $47.00 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 $1,331 in Szczecin and $970 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 37%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Szczecin at $1,331. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Szczecin 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 $970 in Bansko to $1,331 in Szczecin. 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, Szczecin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.