Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Burgas

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,232 in Burgas, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Burgas
Learn more

Burgas Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Burgas

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Burgas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Burgas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,232 in Burgas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Burgas $1,232

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,825 in Burgas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Burgas $1,825

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,419 in Burgas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Burgas $2,419

Chiang Mai is about 24% cheaper than Burgas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Burgas are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Burgas 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$13.35 BGN 23.50

-83.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$43.72 BGN 77.0

-56.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$11.55 BGN 20.32

-51.95%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$3.37 BGN 5.94

-50.45%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.06 BGN 1.87

-39.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.79 BGN 1.39

-60.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.04 BGN 3.59

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$2.78 BGN 4.90

31.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.69 BGN 2.98

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.99 BGN 1.75

45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$2.01 BGN 3.53

-33.83%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$3.23 BGN 5.69

-29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$9.86 BGN 17.36

66.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$8.81 BGN 15.51

-68.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.58 BGN 20.38

-19.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.34 BGN 4.11

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$2.05 BGN 3.60

-52.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$2.05 BGN 3.60

-21.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.55 BGN 4.49

-41.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.67 BGN 2.93

-23.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.42 BGN 2.49

-22.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.93 BGN 1.64

-23.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.88 BGN 1.55

-44.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.56 BGN 6.27

16.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$6.81 BGN 11.99

157.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.03 BGN 1.82

56.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.91 BGN 3.36

45.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.87 BGN 1.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$33.96 BGN 59.8

59.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.75 BGN 3.08

-33.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.76 BGN 1.34

-30.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$12.09 BGN 21.28

-79.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.67 BGN 2.93

-13.17%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$30.3K BGN 53.4K

-30.53%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$23.5K BGN 41.4K

14.49%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$103 BGN 182

-39.71%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$14.39 BGN 25.32

-15.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$11.76 BGN 20.70

71.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$37.79 BGN 66.5

-1.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$14.31 BGN 25.18

-73.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.74 BGN 15.38

-25.74%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$230 BGN 404

220.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$14.7K BGN 25.8K

0.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$58.0 BGN 102

-8.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$29.82 BGN 52.5

-17.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$70.8 BGN 125

29.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$74.7 BGN 131

-3.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$569 BGN 1,001

-15.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$448 BGN 789

-31.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$803 BGN 1,412

25.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$612 BGN 1,078

3.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$2,581 BGN 4,542

-8.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,888 BGN 3,323

-15.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,002 BGN 1,764

-41.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.25

71.38%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Burgas: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Burgas

$448 36.4% 45.1% $139

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Burgas

$246 20% 4.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Burgas

$105 8.5% 3.3% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Burgas

$129 10.5% 36.9% $35

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Burgas

$205 16.7% 164% $128

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Burgas

$43 3.5% 29.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Burgas

$55 4.5% 9.9% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $569 in Burgas. 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 70% higher in Burgas. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $44 in Burgas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $246 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇬 Burgas

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

15:05 3:05 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

189,741

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BGN (1 BGN = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Burgas 7,110 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Burgas

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

Chiang Mai vs Burgas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai, $1,232 in Burgas – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,847 in Burgas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $569 in Burgas.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Burgas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $230 in Burgas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,232 in Burgas. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,232 in Burgas. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Burgas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.