Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Targovishte

For one person, living is cheaper in Targovishte: $559 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Targovishte
Learn more

Targovishte Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Targovishte

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $559 in Targovishte, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Targovishte $559

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,135 in Targovishte, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Targovishte $1,135

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,711 in Targovishte, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Targovishte $1,711

Chiang Mai costs about 67% more than Targovishte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Targovishte are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Targovishte 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$6.96 BGN 12.18

-69.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$39.99 BGN 70.0

-53.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$6.48 BGN 11.35

-13.58%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.52 BGN 2.67

9.21%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$1.05 BGN 1.83

-38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.62 BGN 1.08

-51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$0.95 BGN 1.67

144.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$4.52 BGN 7.91

-18.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.55 BGN 2.70

30.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$0.71 BGN 1.25

98.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$2.15 BGN 3.77

-35.35%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$2.68 BGN 4.68

-11.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$8.38 BGN 14.66

97.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$5.75 BGN 10.06

-53.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$8.48 BGN 14.84

6.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.70 BGN 2.97

41.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-44.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.73 BGN 3.02

-4.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$2.59 BGN 4.53

-39.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$1.10 BGN 1.92

12.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$1.07 BGN 1.87

1.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$0.93 BGN 1.63

-18.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.55 BGN 0.96

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$3.43 BGN 6.00

20.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$5.99 BGN 10.48

199.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$0.71 BGN 1.25

128.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$1.01 BGN 1.76

179.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$0.48 BGN 0.83

93.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$1.16 BGN 2.03

1.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.56 BGN 0.98

-69.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$10.62 BGN 18.58

-82.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.72 BGN 3.01

-14.53%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$30.2K BGN 52.8K

-30.42%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$20.3K BGN 35.6K

30.39%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$56.7 BGN 99.3

10.30%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$8.51 BGN 14.90

36.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$12.69 BGN 22.20

59.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$16.84 BGN 29.47

124.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$22.88 BGN 40.04

-83.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$5.86 BGN 10.26

11.09%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$597 BGN 1,045

21.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$10.8K BGN 18.9K

53.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$69.0 BGN 121

-22.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$41.63 BGN 72.9

-40.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$91.1 BGN 159

-0.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$106 BGN 185

-31.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$145 BGN 253

232.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$374 BGN 654

183.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$337 BGN 590

95.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$1,364 BGN 2,388

77.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$1,146 BGN 2,006

40.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,275 BGN 2,231

-53.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.1

79.68%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Targovishte: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Targovishte

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Targovishte

$194 34.7% 18% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Targovishte

$138 24.8% 27.7% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Targovishte

$78 14% 17.5% $17

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Targovishte

$114 20.4% 48.7% $37

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Targovishte

$5.9 * 1.1% 90% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Targovishte

$29 5.1% 43.9% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $145 in Targovishte. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Targovishte are about 2.1 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 $40 in Targovishte. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $194 in Targovishte – so Targovishte wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇬 Targovishte

🕒 Local time

06:13 6:13 AM

01:13 1:13 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

39,578

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.508 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.97 BGN (1 BGN = 0.508 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Targovishte 7,180 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Targovishte

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 Targovishte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 67% more than Targovishte, 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 $838 in Targovishte. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Targovishte, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $145 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $40 in Targovishte. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $559 in Targovishte, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Targovishte – 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.