Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Karlovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlovo: $786 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Karlovo
Learn more

Karlovo Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Karlovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$786

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $786 in Karlovo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Karlovo $786

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,272 in Karlovo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Karlovo $1,272

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,758 in Karlovo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Karlovo $1,758

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Karlovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Karlovo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Karlovo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$7.21 BGN 12.55

-70.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$34.76 BGN 60.5

-46.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$8.49 BGN 14.76

-34.04%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.42 BGN 2.47

16.90%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$1.10 BGN 1.92

-40.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$0.74 BGN 1.30

-59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$1.95 BGN 3.38

18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$1.70 BGN 2.96

115.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.15 BGN 2.01

75.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$0.82 BGN 1.43

71.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$1.86 BGN 3.23

-25.27%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$3.28 BGN 5.71

-27.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$10.26 BGN 17.85

61.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$8.70 BGN 15.13

-69.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$5.62 BGN 9.79

60.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$1.23 BGN 2.14

95.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.96 BGN 3.41

-46.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.04 BGN 3.55

-18.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.13 BGN 3.71

-26.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$0.48 BGN 0.84

158.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$0.87 BGN 1.52

25.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$1.01 BGN 1.75

-24.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.78 BGN 1.35

-34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$3.27 BGN 5.68

25.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$7.00 BGN 12.18

156.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.04 BGN 1.81

55.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$1.81 BGN 3.15

55.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$1.12 BGN 1.95

-16.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$25.72 BGN 44.75

105.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$1.16 BGN 2.01

1.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.72 BGN 1.25

-76.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$11.85 BGN 20.62

-84.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.42 BGN 2.47

3.52%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

-29.77%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$23.8K BGN 41.4K

11.48%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$101 BGN 176

-38.25%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$14.18 BGN 24.67

-18.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$11.97 BGN 20.83

69.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$31.34 BGN 54.5

20.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$16.96 BGN 29.51

-78.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$5.83 BGN 10.15

11.66%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$228 BGN 396

219.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$5,924 BGN 10.3K

179.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$29.09 BGN 50.6

84.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$11.58 BGN 20.14

114.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$56.3 BGN 97.9

60.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$45.12 BGN 78.5

59.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$330 BGN 574

45.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$188 BGN 327

64.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$540 BGN 940

95.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$404 BGN 703

63.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$1,314 BGN 2,286

84.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$1,083 BGN 1,884

48.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$465 BGN 809

27.94%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Karlovo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Karlovo

$188 23.9% 39.3% $122

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Karlovo

$208 26.4% 12.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Karlovo

$64 8.1% 41% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Karlovo

$127 16.2% 34.9% $33

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Karlovo

$121 15.4% 57.6% $44

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Karlovo

$35 4.5% 40.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Karlovo

$43 5.5% 15.5% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $330 in Karlovo. 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 28% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $35 in Karlovo. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $208 in Karlovo – so Karlovo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇬 Karlovo

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

01:47 1:47 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

23,919

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.514 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.94 BGN (1 BGN = 0.514 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Karlovo 7,330 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Karlovo

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 Karlovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Karlovo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,179 in Karlovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karlovo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $330 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $228 in Karlovo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Karlovo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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