Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Pazardzhik

For one person, living is cheaper in Pazardzhik: $808 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Pazardzhik

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $808 in Pazardzhik, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Pazardzhik $808

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,028 in Pazardzhik, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Pazardzhik $1,028

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,248 in Pazardzhik, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Pazardzhik $1,248

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Pazardzhik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Pazardzhik are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Pazardzhik 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$10.70 BGN 18.83

-79.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$28.16 BGN 49.56

-32.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$9.81 BGN 17.26

-43.43%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.35 BGN 4.14

-28.94%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.84 BGN 3.24

-65.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.38 BGN 2.42

-77.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.92 BGN 3.39

22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.25 BGN 3.96

62.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.73 BGN 3.04

12.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.04 BGN 1.82

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.76 BGN 3.11

-24.43%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.60 BGN 6.34

-36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.61 BGN 11.63

-57.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.41 BGN 2.48

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.06 BGN 3.63

-52.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.41 BGN 2.48

13.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.23 BGN 3.92

-32.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.88 BGN 5.08

-55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.22 BGN 3.90

-68.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.64 BGN 1.13

-23.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.48 BGN 6.12

18.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.00 BGN 1.76

61.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.88 BGN 1.55

-1.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.23 BGN 2.17

-5.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.71 BGN 1.25

-25.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.67 BGN 2.93

-13.17%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$119 BGN 209

-47.62%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$17.06 BGN 30.02

-28.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$17.83 BGN 31.38

12.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$29.50 BGN 51.9

26.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$10.25 BGN 18.03

-63.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.18 BGN 10.88

5.02%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$339 BGN 596

117.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$133 BGN 234

-59.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$286 BGN 504

68.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$225 BGN 397

37.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,150 BGN 2,023

105.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$736 BGN 1,295

115.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$681 BGN 1,199

-13.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.77

16.77%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pazardzhik: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Pazardzhik

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Pazardzhik

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Pazardzhik

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Pazardzhik

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Pazardzhik

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Pazardzhik

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Pazardzhik

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $286 in Pazardzhik. 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 15% higher in Pazardzhik, 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 $28 in Pazardzhik. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $149 in Pazardzhik – so Pazardzhik wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇬 Pazardzhik

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

02:13 2:13 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

76,739

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BGN = 0.568 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 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 = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 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 = 0.51 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Pazardzhik 7,370 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Pazardzhik

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 Pazardzhik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Pazardzhik, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,212 in Pazardzhik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pazardzhik, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $286 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $28 in Pazardzhik. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $808 in Pazardzhik, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pazardzhik – 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.