How Much Does It Cost to Live in Bansko?
by Louise Cottrell
How affordable is Bansko as a nomad destination? In most other locations I spend about $2000 per month, so I wanted to see what a month in Bansko would cost me.
I’ve tracked all of my expenses from my first month living here so you can see how it all broke down. If you’re looking for low cost of living while still enjoying the lifestyle in a great European mountain town, Bansko cannot be beat!!
Some considerations to keep in mind:
As a volunteer at Coworking Bansko during my first month in March 2018, I didn’t have to pay the membership fee of €99 per month. When I came back, I decided to pay for membership to focus on my business. You can learn more about the volunteer program here.
I splurged on my rental so I could stay in one of the Coliving apartments in the same building upstairs. I paid slightly more than I would have had I shopped around for a cheaper studio apartment which would have been about €150 — €200 for an apartment plus utilities. That being said, I had a great room with a beautiful view, in an apartment with its own kitchen and laundry machine just upstairs.
I ate out A LOT. Cooking for one is not very much fun. Also, the best foodstuffs are found at LIDL in the neighboring town of Razlog which is a 5–10 minute drive away. I only went there once during my first stay in Bansko. Had I not been so lazy and a little more creative, I could have made it work by cooking my own food from the local Sunday market and smaller markets in town, but I didn’t. You could spend even less on food if you are into self-catering.
I had unforeseen medical expenses when I came down with a virus, but I would have gone skiing had I not gotten sick so I imagine it would have evened out.
I spent a weekend in Sofia to visit a friend; had I not gone on a city break, I would have saved on accommodation and transportation costs incurred there. But it was worth the fun side trip.
Had I not gone for the weekend, I would have saved quite a bit (but may have spent money on activities in Bansko that weekend — I’ll never know!)
I spent only about half of my normal monthly budget and had a great time here without missing anything. So yes, Bansko is really a budget friendly destinations for nomads and some of my friends spend even less here. And I did a lot of fun things while in Bansko. Check my article How we Mix Fun and Work to learn more.
About the author:
Louise is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, but has been living the expat-nomad lifestyle since 2008. To support her adventures, she works in Pinterest marketing and in the blockchain space. She travels the world, enjoying life and spreading cheer to all who cross her path.
