Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Silistra

For one person, living is cheaper in Silistra: $858 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Silistra
Learn more

Silistra Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Silistra

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $858 in Silistra, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Silistra $858

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,223 in Silistra, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Silistra $1,223

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,589 in Silistra, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Silistra $1,589

Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Silistra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Silistra are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Silistra 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$10.13 BGN 17.62

-77.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$24.96 BGN 43.43

-21.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.75 BGN 15.22

-35.89%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.66 BGN 2.89

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.11 BGN 1.93

-36.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.79 BGN 1.38

-60.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.83 BGN 3.19

31.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.00 BGN 3.48

85.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.71 BGN 2.98

14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.81 BGN 1.42

74.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.49 BGN 2.59

-12.08%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.35 BGN 4.10

-7.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$9.41 BGN 16.37

76.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$6.36 BGN 11.07

-56.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$8.31 BGN 14.46

9.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.25 BGN 2.17

91.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.71 BGN 2.97

-39.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.68 BGN 2.92

-2.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.97 BGN 3.42

-23.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.96 BGN 1.66

34.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.71 BGN 1.23

56.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.56 BGN 0.97

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.67 BGN 1.17

-20.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.64 BGN 6.33

18.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$5.16 BGN 8.98

247.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.08 BGN 1.87

46.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.69 BGN 2.94

68.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.83 BGN 1.44

3.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$23.87 BGN 41.54

123.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.16 BGN 2.03

4.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.65 BGN 1.13

-12.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$5.61 BGN 9.76

-58.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.42 BGN 2.47

1.41%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.3K BGN 52.6K

-31.49%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$21.8K BGN 37.9K

23.02%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$92.5 BGN 161

-32.65%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$14.56 BGN 25.33

-16.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$12.13 BGN 21.10

64.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$31.10 BGN 54.1

19.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$17.20 BGN 29.93

-78.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.66 BGN 11.58

-2.40%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$232 BGN 404

241.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$2,274 BGN 3,958

551.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$30.97 BGN 53.9

73.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$19.44 BGN 33.83

26.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$63.3 BGN 110

43.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$52.0 BGN 90.5

36.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$332 BGN 578

37.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$248 BGN 431

20.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$333 BGN 580

172.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$243 BGN 423

127.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,304 BGN 2,268

48.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,082 BGN 1,883

33.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$720 BGN 1,252

-17.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.99

86.29%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Silistra: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Silistra

$248 28.9% 16.9% $50

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Silistra

$192 22.4% 18.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Silistra

$75 8.7% 31% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Silistra

$119 13.9% 26.3% $25

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Silistra

$148 17.3% 88.3% $69

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Silistra

$32 3.7% 48% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Silistra

$44 5.2% 11.3% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $332 in Silistra. 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 22% higher in Silistra, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $25.00 in Silistra. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $192 in Silistra – so Silistra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇬 Silistra

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

14:40 2:40 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

37,923

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Silistra 7,120 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Silistra

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 Silistra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Silistra, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,287 in Silistra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $232 in Silistra. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Silistra, where all-in costs run around $858, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Silistra 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. Silistra costs $858 versus $925 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 Silistra. 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.