Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $2,740 in Townsville, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Townsville
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Townsville Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Townsville

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,740

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,740 per month in Townsville vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Townsville $2,740
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $4,002 per month in Townsville vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Townsville $4,002
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $5,265 per month in Townsville vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Townsville $5,265
Bansko $1,979

Townsville costs about 187% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Townsville sits 103% above the global median, while Bansko is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.94 A$30.13

$8.66 BGN 15.06

141.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 A$97.3

$44.94 BGN 78.2

50.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 A$16.82

$8.78 BGN 15.28

33.14%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.18

$2.33 BGN 4.05

54.51%

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

$2.49 A$3.59

$1.57 BGN 2.74

58.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 A$3.43

$0.82 BGN 1.43

190.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 A$11.66

$1.68 BGN 2.92

382.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.98

$1.98 BGN 3.45

250.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 A$2.66

$1.73 BGN 3.00

6.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 A$3.15

$0.80 BGN 1.40

173.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 A$2.06

$1.44 BGN 2.51

-0.69%

Eggs

$5.30 A$7.63

$2.36 BGN 4.10

124.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 A$11.29

$9.39 BGN 16.34

-16.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.93 A$14.29

$6.41 BGN 11.15

54.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 A$19.05

$8.48 BGN 14.76

56.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.69

$1.31 BGN 2.28

201.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.80

$1.62 BGN 2.82

62.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.13

$1.73 BGN 3.01

105.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 A$6.05

$1.94 BGN 3.38

116.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.70

$0.94 BGN 1.63

173.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.63

$0.76 BGN 1.32

231.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.30

$0.55 BGN 0.95

316.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.08

$0.59 BGN 1.02

262.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.34 A$43.66

$3.25 BGN 5.66

833.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 A$14.92

$5.20 BGN 9.05

99.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.70 A$9.65

$1.09 BGN 1.89

514.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.45 A$12.15

$1.68 BGN 2.92

402.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 A$3.02

$0.84 BGN 1.45

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.0 A$111

$27.06 BGN 47.09

184.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 A$5.63

$1.34 BGN 2.34

191.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 A$3.42

$0.65 BGN 1.14

264.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.6 A$75.6

$10.06 BGN 17.51

422.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-12.16%

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

$28.0K A$40.4K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

-3.75%

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

$34.0K A$48.9K

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

62.51%

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

$379 A$546

$92.4 BGN 161

310.16%

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

$35.76 A$51.5

$14.52 BGN 25.26

146.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 A$97.2

$12.32 BGN 21.43

448.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 A$79.6

$31.70 BGN 55.2

74.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 A$28.40

$8.53 BGN 14.84

131.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 A$21.96

$5.62 BGN 9.78

171.53%

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

$2,105 A$3,029

$230 BGN 401

813.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K A$30.4K

$2,268 BGN 3,947

832.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 A$132

$30.10 BGN 52.4

205.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 A$101

$19.62 BGN 34.13

256.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 A$234

$45.86 BGN 79.8

255.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$47.69 BGN 83.0

171.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 A$1,892

$518 BGN 902

153.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 A$1,694

$357 BGN 621

229.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 A$3,551

$614 BGN 1,069

301.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 A$2,995

$569 BGN 990

265.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,850 A$6,979

$1,191 BGN 2,073

307.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,960 A$5,699

$959 BGN 1,669

312.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,115 A$5,921

$1,704 BGN 2,965

141.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

2.99

85.28%

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

Last update for Townsville: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Townsville

$1.2K 43%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 69.7% $820

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Townsville

$482 17.6%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 75.3% $363

Groceries & Markets

Townsville

$370 13.5%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 48.1% $178

Eating Out

Townsville

$320 11.7%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 54.5% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Townsville

$204 7.5%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 68.4% $140

Getting Around

Townsville

$101 3.7%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 65.4% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Townsville

$86 3.1%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 49.9% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,315 in Townsville 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 142% higher in Townsville, 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 $68.0 in Townsville versus $45.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $192 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Townsville

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

23:47 11:47 PM

7 h behind Townsville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

173,724

8,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Townsville Bansko 14,160 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Townsville
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

Townsville vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,740 in Townsville, $956 in Bansko – roughly 187% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,110 per month in Townsville 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 $68.0 in Townsville 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 $2,740 in Townsville and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 187%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Townsville at $2,740. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Townsville 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 $2,740 in Townsville. 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, Townsville makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.