Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kardzhali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kardzhali: $653 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Kardzhali
Learn more

Kardzhali Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Kardzhali

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kardzhali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $653 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Kardzhali $653

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,071 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Kardzhali $1,071

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,489 in Kardzhali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Kardzhali $1,489

Chiang Mai costs about 44% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Kardzhali are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Kardzhali 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$11.22 BGN 19.52

-79.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$22.74 BGN 39.57

-15.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$9.05 BGN 15.75

-38.23%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.11 BGN 1.92

54.95%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.04 BGN 1.80

-38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.70 BGN 1.21

-52.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.62 BGN 2.82

45.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.33 BGN 2.31

193.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.64 BGN 2.85

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.74 BGN 1.29

89.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.43 BGN 2.49

-10.49%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.81 BGN 4.89

-19.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$10.16 BGN 17.68

66.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$5.60 BGN 9.75

-51.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$6.74 BGN 11.73

38.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$0.90 BGN 1.56

166.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.04 BGN 3.55

-50.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.93 BGN 3.35

-16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.13 BGN 3.71

-28.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.65 BGN 1.13

96.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.27 BGN 2.22

-12.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.72 BGN 1.26

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.80 BGN 1.39

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.59 BGN 6.25

20.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$4.56 BGN 7.94

288.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.05 BGN 1.83

55.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.42 BGN 2.46

100.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.54 BGN 0.95

57.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$11.13 BGN 19.36

384.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.69 BGN 2.94

-30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.70 BGN 1.23

-18.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$5.65 BGN 9.83

-58.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.70 BGN 2.97

-14.71%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$29.7K BGN 51.7K

-31.10%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$22.4K BGN 39.0K

18.35%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$60.9 BGN 106

2.28%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$5.73 BGN 9.97

114.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$7.65 BGN 13.30

161.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$23.14 BGN 40.26

63.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$8.43 BGN 14.67

-20.40%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$230 BGN 401

246.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$14.5K BGN 25.2K

2.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$22.87 BGN 39.79

132.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$12.49 BGN 21.73

100.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$45.07 BGN 78.4

103.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$75.0 BGN 130

-2.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$114 BGN 198

307.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$114 BGN 198

167.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$228 BGN 396

301.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$275 BGN 479

100.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,145 BGN 1,993

66.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$858 BGN 1,493

67.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$1,281 BGN 2,229

-53.53%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Kardzhali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Kardzhali

$114 17.5% 62.6% $191

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Kardzhali

$189 28.9% 20.7% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Kardzhali

$70 10.7% 36.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Kardzhali

$74 11.4% 21.4% $20

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Kardzhali

$148 22.6% 87.2% $69

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Kardzhali

$19 2.8% 69.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Kardzhali

$40 6.1% 22.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $114 in Kardzhali. 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 115% higher in Kardzhali, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $23.00 in Kardzhali. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $189 in Kardzhali – so Kardzhali wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇬 Kardzhali

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

14:07 2:07 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

49,421

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kardzhali 7,290 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kardzhali

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 Kardzhali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 44% more than Kardzhali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $980 in Kardzhali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kardzhali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $230 in Kardzhali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kardzhali, where all-in costs run around $653, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Kardzhali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kardzhali costs $653 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Kardzhali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.