Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Stara Zagora

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Stara Zagora: $906 and $864 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
Learn more

Stara Zagora Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Stara Zagora

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $864 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Stara Zagora $864

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,394 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Stara Zagora $1,394

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,924 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Stara Zagora $1,924

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Stara Zagora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Stara Zagora are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Stara Zagora 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$10.36 BGN 18.13

-79.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$50.8 BGN 88.8

-61.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-37.77%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$2.33 BGN 4.08

-27.90%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$1.51 BGN 2.65

-56.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$0.88 BGN 1.54

-61.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

$2.30 BGN 4.02

5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$2.00 BGN 3.49

86.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$1.79 BGN 3.13

15.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$0.88 BGN 1.54

65.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$1.45 BGN 2.54

-6.90%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$2.37 BGN 4.14

-4.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

$9.27 BGN 16.22

75.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$6.62 BGN 11.58

-59.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

$8.59 BGN 15.04

7.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

$1.32 BGN 2.31

81.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$1.71 BGN 3.00

-39.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

$1.76 BGN 3.08

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

$1.98 BGN 3.46

-27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

$1.01 BGN 1.77

28.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$0.76 BGN 1.33

46.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

$0.54 BGN 0.95

29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.64 BGN 1.11

-20.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$3.79 BGN 6.64

8.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$5.04 BGN 8.82

252.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

$1.14 BGN 2.00

42.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$1.71 BGN 2.99

67.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-3.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

$18.61 BGN 32.56

185.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

$1.31 BGN 2.29

-6.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

$0.64 BGN 1.12

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

$11.52 BGN 20.16

-79.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.60 BGN 2.81

-6.25%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

$30.6K BGN 53.6K

-31.88%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

$22.3K BGN 39.1K

19.62%

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

$93.2 BGN 163

-34.29%

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

$12.50 ฿419

$14.82 BGN 25.93

-15.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

$12.33 BGN 21.57

65.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$26.49 BGN 46.36

43.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

$21.22 BGN 37.14

-82.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

$8.66 BGN 15.16

-23.79%

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

$774 ฿25.9K

$234 BGN 410

230.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

$2,272 BGN 3,975

535.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

$31.04 BGN 54.3

76.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

$19.21 BGN 33.62

31.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

$63.9 BGN 112

41.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

$51.7 BGN 90.5

41.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$298 BGN 522

53.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$250 BGN 438

17.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$494 BGN 865

86.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$395 BGN 692

39.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$1,449 BGN 2,536

32.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

$1,064 BGN 1,861

35.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

$1,058 BGN 1,852

-44.01%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Stara Zagora

$250 28.7% 14.8% $43

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Stara Zagora

$196 22.4% 16.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Stara Zagora

$75 8.5% 32% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Stara Zagora

$120 13.8% 27.9% $26

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Stara Zagora

$162 18.6% 110% $85

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Stara Zagora

$27 3.1% 56% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Stara Zagora

$44 5% 14.3% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $298 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 79% higher in Stara Zagora, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $51.0 in Stara Zagora. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Chiang Mai vs $196 in Stara Zagora – so Stara Zagora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

16:06 4:06 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

149,266

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Stara Zagora 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Stara Zagora

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 Stara Zagora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Stara Zagora, 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 $1,359 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.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Chiang Mai and $234 in Stara Zagora. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% 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 Stara Zagora, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Chiang Mai at $906. In Stara Zagora 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. Stara Zagora costs $864 versus $906 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.