Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kazanlak

For one person, living is cheaper in Kazanlak: $876 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $720 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Kazanlak
Learn more

Kazanlak Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kazanlak

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $876 in Kazanlak, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kazanlak $876

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,398 in Kazanlak, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kazanlak $1,398

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,919 in Kazanlak, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kazanlak $1,919

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Kazanlak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Kazanlak are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kazanlak 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$14.08 BGN 24.64

-84.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$57.3 BGN 100

-66.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.92 BGN 15.62

-37.78%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.23 BGN 3.90

-25.11%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-57.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.17 BGN 2.05

-73.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.19 BGN 3.83

7.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.54 BGN 4.44

44.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.71 BGN 3.00

14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.06 BGN 1.85

35.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$2.28 BGN 3.99

-41.67%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.47 BGN 6.07

-34.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$9.98 BGN 17.47

64.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.40 BGN 11.20

-56.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.57 BGN 14.99

8.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.26 BGN 2.20

86.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.71 BGN 3.00

-43.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.73 BGN 3.02

-7.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.95 BGN 3.42

-23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.95 BGN 1.67

34.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.71 BGN 1.24

54.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.56 BGN 0.98

26.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.64 BGN 1.11

-23.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.79 BGN 6.63

9.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$5.20 BGN 9.10

236.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.14 BGN 2.00

41.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.68 BGN 2.95

65.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.65 BGN 1.14

33.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$12.68 BGN 22.19

326.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.28 BGN 2.25

-9.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.65 BGN 1.15

-18.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$11.37 BGN 19.89

-78.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.61 BGN 2.82

-9.94%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$30.3K BGN 53.0K

-30.49%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$24.1K BGN 42.2K

11.83%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$91.9 BGN 161

-32.37%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$14.50 BGN 25.38

-16.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$12.13 BGN 21.23

65.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$22.48 BGN 39.34

65.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.71 BGN 15.24

-25.49%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$223 BGN 389

230.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$2,300 BGN 4,024

542.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$30.09 BGN 52.7

77.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$19.42 BGN 33.98

26.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$63.3 BGN 111

44.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$50.4 BGN 88.2

42.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$347 BGN 607

39.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$226 BGN 396

36.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$680 BGN 1,190

47.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$339 BGN 593

87.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,181 BGN 2,067

100.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$977 BGN 1,709

62.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,514 BGN 2,649

-61.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.89

92.73%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kazanlak: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kazanlak

$226 25.8% 26.8% $83

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kazanlak

$205 23.4% 12.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kazanlak

$73 8.4% 32.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kazanlak

$119 13.5% 25.5% $24

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kazanlak

$193 22% 149% $115

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kazanlak

$20 2.3% 67.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kazanlak

$40 4.6% 20.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $347 in Kazanlak. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kazanlak are about 2.6 times higher, 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 in Chiang Mai versus $57 in Kazanlak. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $205 in Kazanlak – so Kazanlak wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇬 Kazanlak

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

05:06 5:06 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

49,032

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kazanlak 7,280 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kazanlak

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 Kazanlak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Kazanlak, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,314 in Kazanlak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kazanlak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $347 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $223 in Kazanlak. 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 Kazanlak – 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.