Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulsan and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $1,339 in Ulsan, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. The total is higher in Ulsan despite lower rent and utilities.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ulsan
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Ulsan Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Ulsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,339

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,339 per month in Ulsan vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Ulsan $1,339
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $2,185 per month in Ulsan vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Ulsan $2,185
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $3,030 per month in Ulsan vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Ulsan $3,030
Bansko $1,979

Ulsan costs about 40% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ulsan and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Ulsan 1% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 ₩10.2K

$8.66 BGN 15.06

-12.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.63 ₩59.5K

$44.94 BGN 78.2

-0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 ₩7,909

$8.78 BGN 15.28

-32.46%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₩4,425

$2.33 BGN 4.05

42.49%

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

$0.88 ₩1,179

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-43.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩621

$0.82 BGN 1.43

-42.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₩4,020

$1.68 BGN 2.92

79.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 ₩5,846

$1.98 BGN 3.45

121.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,150

$1.73 BGN 3.00

36.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,330

$0.80 BGN 1.40

306.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,222

$1.44 BGN 2.51

119.44%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,646

$2.36 BGN 4.10

15.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₩14.5K

$9.39 BGN 16.34

15.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 ₩14.2K

$6.41 BGN 11.15

65.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.54 ₩32.7K

$8.48 BGN 14.76

189.39%

Apples (1kg)

$11.39 ₩15.2K

$1.31 BGN 2.28

769.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.74 ₩4,992

$1.62 BGN 2.82

130.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.09 ₩10.8K

$1.73 BGN 3.01

367.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.05 ₩8,076

$1.94 BGN 3.38

211.86%

Potato (1kg)

$6.01 ₩8,020

$0.94 BGN 1.63

539.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 ₩4,343

$0.76 BGN 1.32

328.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 ₩3,857

$0.55 BGN 0.95

425.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,713

$0.59 BGN 1.02

116.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₩4,168

$3.25 BGN 5.66

-4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.52 ₩24.7K

$5.20 BGN 9.05

256.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₩3,275

$1.09 BGN 1.89

124.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 ₩4,593

$1.68 BGN 2.92

104.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,517

$0.84 BGN 1.45

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.06 BGN 47.09

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 ₩3,862

$1.34 BGN 2.34

115.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,043

$0.65 BGN 1.14

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.96 ₩22.6K

$10.06 BGN 17.51

68.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₩1,906

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-3.38%

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

$30.0K ₩40.0M

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

3.00%

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

$34.1K ₩45.5M

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

63.16%

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

$197 ₩262.7K

$92.4 BGN 161

113.02%

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

$37.06 ₩49.4K

$14.52 BGN 25.26

155.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.21 ₩36.3K

$12.32 BGN 21.43

120.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ₩80.6K

$31.70 BGN 55.2

90.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.53 BGN 14.84

Cinema Ticket

$10.30 ₩13.7K

$5.62 BGN 9.78

83.27%

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

$263 ₩350.5K

$230 BGN 401

14.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.4M

$2,268 BGN 3,947

871.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₩68.7K

$30.10 BGN 52.4

71.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.56 ₩60.8K

$19.62 BGN 34.13

132.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 ₩81.4K

$45.86 BGN 79.8

33.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 ₩100.1K

$47.69 BGN 83.0

57.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 ₩497.0K

$518 BGN 902

-28.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 ₩325.8K

$357 BGN 621

-31.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 ₩1.0M

$614 BGN 1,069

23.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 ₩864.8K

$569 BGN 990

13.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,483 ₩6.0M

$1,191 BGN 2,073

276.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,479 ₩3.3M

$959 BGN 1,669

158.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,331 ₩3.1M

$1,704 BGN 2,965

36.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

2.99

41.14%

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

Last update for Ulsan: 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

Ulsan

$489 36.5%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 60.8% $297

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulsan

$261 19.5%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 54.3% $142

Accommodation & Living

Ulsan

$244 18.2%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 46.2% $113

Eating Out

Ulsan

$148 11%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 1.6% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ulsan

$105 7.8%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 38.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Ulsan

$81 6.1%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 47% $38

Getting Around

Ulsan

$11 * 0.9%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 209% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $373 in Ulsan 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 37% higher in Ulsan, 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 $45.00 in Ulsan versus $45.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $489 in Ulsan vs $192 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ulsan

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

22:29 10:29 PM

6 h behind Ulsan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,129,827

8,000

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ulsan Bansko 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ulsan
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

Ulsan vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,339 in Ulsan, $956 in Bansko – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,009 per month in Ulsan 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,339 in Ulsan and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 40%.

Kindergarten costs $263 per month in Ulsan and $230 in Bansko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Ulsan at $1,339. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulsan 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 $1,339 in Ulsan. 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, Ulsan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.