Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Stara Zagora Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Stara Zagora

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $864 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,330 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,796 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Chiang Mai and Stara Zagora have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Stara Zagora are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Stara Zagora 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$8.82 BGN 14.68

-78.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$34.74 BGN 57.8

-46.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$8.99 BGN 14.95

-13.01%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.87 BGN 3.11

4.28%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$1.27 BGN 2.11

-33.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.73 BGN 1.22

-52.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.17 BGN 1.94

82.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.02 BGN 3.35

84.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.86 BGN 3.09

-8.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.78 BGN 1.29

108.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$1.54 BGN 2.56

-25.97%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$2.25 BGN 3.74

-14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$9.15 BGN 15.21

77.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$7.52 BGN 12.51

-58.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$8.65 BGN 14.39

26.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.37 BGN 2.27

100.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$1.66 BGN 2.76

-27.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.88 BGN 3.13

-13.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$2.14 BGN 3.55

-25.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$1.01 BGN 1.67

38.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.85 BGN 1.42

37.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.57 BGN 0.95

15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.75 BGN 1.24

-29.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.84 BGN 6.39

22.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$5.34 BGN 8.88

249.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.22 BGN 2.03

47.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.17 BGN 3.62

48.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.92 BGN 1.54

-2.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$18.95 BGN 31.52

1.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$1.38 BGN 2.29

2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.70 BGN 1.17

84.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$11.66 BGN 19.39

-32.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$1.54 BGN 2.55

-17.53%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$24.7K BGN 41.0K

-13.68%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$17.9K BGN 29.8K

23.83%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$104 BGN 173

-33.46%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$15.07 BGN 25.06

-6.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$11.04 BGN 18.36

63.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$19.66 BGN 32.70

108.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$17.48 BGN 29.08

-60.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$7.78 BGN 12.94

-23.91%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$232 BGN 386

28.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$2,361 BGN 3,927

533.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$38.22 BGN 63.6

43.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$18.85 BGN 31.36

42.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$76.1 BGN 127

11.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$75.7 BGN 126

-6.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$244 BGN 406

75.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$232 BGN 386

2.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$399 BGN 663

101.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$368 BGN 612

40.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$1,508 BGN 2,508

30.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$1,120 BGN 1,863

31.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$1,062 BGN 1,767

-41.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

47.06%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $244 in Stara Zagora. 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 72% higher in Stara Zagora. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $35.00 in Stara Zagora. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Chiang Mai vs $204 in Stara Zagora – so Stara Zagora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Stara Zagora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,296 in Stara Zagora. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $35.00 in Stara Zagora. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Stara Zagora. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $864 in Stara Zagora, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Stara Zagora costs $864 versus $866 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 Stara Zagora. 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.