Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Dobrich Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Dobrich

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $863 in Dobrich, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,325 in Dobrich, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,787 in Dobrich, rent included.

Chiang Mai and Dobrich have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Dobrich are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Dobrich 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$7.22 BGN 12.01

-72.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$29.57 BGN 49.20

-37.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$10.01 BGN 16.66

-25.27%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.73 BGN 2.87

16.76%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$0.86 BGN 1.44

-1.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.47 BGN 0.79

-23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$1.95 BGN 3.25

9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.98 BGN 4.95

20.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.90 BGN 3.16

-13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.92 BGN 1.53

70.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$2.73 BGN 4.54

-56.41%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$3.35 BGN 5.57

-42.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$6.62 BGN 11.02

144.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$8.39 BGN 13.96

-64.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$13.08 BGN 21.76

-16.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.57 BGN 2.62

72.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$2.25 BGN 3.75

-48.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$2.10 BGN 3.49

-19.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$2.73 BGN 4.54

-41.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.14 BGN 1.90

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$1.42 BGN 2.36

-15.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$1.28 BGN 2.12

-47.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$0.56 BGN 0.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$3.40 BGN 5.66

36.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$6.79 BGN 11.30

159.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.01 BGN 1.68

84.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.69 BGN 2.81

95.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.72 BGN 1.20

22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

$26.25 BGN 43.67

-26.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$1.21 BGN 2.02

12.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.63 BGN 1.05

112.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$11.74 BGN 19.53

-30.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.43 BGN 2.37

-14.69%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$32.9K BGN 54.7K

-35.05%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$34.3K BGN 57.1K

-34.36%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$53.8 BGN 89.4

31.48%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$17.45 BGN 29.03

-19.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$13.35 BGN 22.21

31.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$25.94 BGN 43.16

62.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$14.86 BGN 24.72

-53.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$4.66 BGN 7.76

27.04%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$327 BGN 544

-5.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$5,385 BGN 8,959

176.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$44.69 BGN 74.4

24.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$28.93 BGN 48.12

-9.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$118 BGN 196

-29.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$54.1 BGN 90.0

30.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$291 BGN 483

48.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$232 BGN 386

3.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$464 BGN 771

77.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$361 BGN 600

41.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$1,025 BGN 1,706

-43.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

3.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Dobrich: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $291 in Dobrich. 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 77% higher in Dobrich. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $30.00 in Dobrich. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $237 in Dobrich – so Dobrich wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Dobrich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,294 in Dobrich. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $30.00 in Dobrich. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $863 in Dobrich, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $863 in Dobrich. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dobrich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.