Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tawau and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Tawau: $888 a month against $965 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bansko outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Tawau
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Tawau Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Tawau

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$888

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $888 per month in Tawau vs $965 in Bansko, rent included.

Tawau $888
Bansko $965

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Tawau vs $1,481 in Bansko, rent included.

Tawau $1,354
Bansko $1,481

A family of three spends $1,820 per month in Tawau vs $1,998 in Bansko, rent included.

Tawau $1,820
Bansko $1,998

Tawau is about 8% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.14 MYR 12.80

$8.74 BGN 15.20

-64.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.22 MYR 78.4

$46.37 BGN 80.7

-58.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.21 MYR 17.19

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-52.80%

Cappuccino

$3.15 MYR 12.86

$2.27 BGN 3.94

38.77%

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

$0.95 MYR 3.86

$1.57 BGN 2.73

-39.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-59.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MYR 10.83

$1.73 BGN 3.01

53.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.45

$1.95 BGN 3.39

131.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.10

$1.79 BGN 3.11

-2.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$0.81 BGN 1.42

23.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.06

$1.51 BGN 2.62

-1.32%

Eggs

$2.16 MYR 8.80

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-8.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.36 MYR 58.6

$9.55 BGN 16.61

50.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.75

$6.63 BGN 11.54

-34.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 MYR 40.10

$8.37 BGN 14.57

17.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MYR 12.41

$1.30 BGN 2.26

133.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.83

$1.68 BGN 2.93

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 MYR 10.13

$1.68 BGN 2.92

47.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.10

$1.92 BGN 3.34

-22.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.32

$0.94 BGN 1.63

39.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.94

$0.75 BGN 1.31

61.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MYR 4.37

$0.59 BGN 1.02

81.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$0.58 BGN 1.02

-1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MYR 18.30

$3.26 BGN 5.67

37.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.05 MYR 77.7

$5.20 BGN 9.04

266.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.32

$1.14 BGN 1.98

164.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 MYR 20.32

$1.74 BGN 3.03

186.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.84

$0.90 BGN 1.57

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.41 MYR 50.6

$26.72 BGN 46.50

-53.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.11

$1.30 BGN 2.26

-3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$0.61 BGN 1.06

-21.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 MYR 28.49

$10.29 BGN 17.91

-32.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.57

$1.56 BGN 2.71

-44.23%

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

$50.2K MYR 204.8K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

72.25%

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

$36.0K MYR 146.9K

$21.3K BGN 37.1K

68.82%

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

$49.37 MYR 201

$92.8 BGN 161

-46.81%

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

$10.55 MYR 43.02

$15.05 BGN 26.18

-29.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.74 MYR 117

$12.19 BGN 21.21

135.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.34 MYR 177

$32.83 BGN 57.1

32.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.82 MYR 27.83

$8.40 BGN 14.61

-18.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.77 MYR 15.39

$5.56 BGN 9.67

-32.19%

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

$183 MYR 746

$230 BGN 400

-20.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,623 MYR 31.1K

$2,295 BGN 3,994

232.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 MYR 240

$30.31 BGN 52.7

94.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.06 MYR 135

$19.41 BGN 33.78

70.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 MYR 303

$45.34 BGN 78.9

63.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 MYR 360

$48.47 BGN 84.3

81.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 MYR 1,578

$514 BGN 894

-24.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 MYR 1,030

$361 BGN 627

-29.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 MYR 2,433

$630 BGN 1,096

-5.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 MYR 1,823

$571 BGN 993

-21.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,936 MYR 7,900

$1,202 BGN 2,091

61.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,216 MYR 4,962

$972 BGN 1,691

25.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$418 MYR 1,707

$1,665 BGN 2,898

-74.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

2.99

35.79%

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

Last update for Tawau: 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

Tawau

$260 29.2%

Bansko

$194 20.2% 25.1% $65

Accommodation & Living

Tawau

$253 28.4%

Bansko

$361 37.4% 42.8% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Tawau

$114 12.9%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 43.6% $50

Eating Out

Tawau

$103 11.6%

Bansko

$146 15.2% 41.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tawau

$89 10%

Bansko

$120 12.5% 35.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Tawau

$51 5.7%

Bansko

$44 4.6% 13.6% $6.9

Getting Around

Tawau

$19 2.1%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 83.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $387 in Tawau 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 298% 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 $19.00 in Tawau versus $46.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Tawau vs $194 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Tawau

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

03:55 3:55 AM

22:55 10:55 PM

5 h behind Tawau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

420,806

8,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tawau Bansko 10,060 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Tawau
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

Tawau vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $888 in Tawau, $965 in Bansko – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,332 per month in Tawau 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 Tawau, 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 $19.00 in Tawau 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 $888 in Tawau and $965 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 9%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tawau, where all-in costs run around $888, than in Bansko at $965. In Tawau 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 $888 in Tawau 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 Tawau. 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.