Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Varna

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,411 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Varna
Learn more

Varna Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,411

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,411 in Varna, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Varna $1,411

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,223 in Varna, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Varna $2,223

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,035 in Varna, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Varna $3,035

Chiang Mai is about 34% cheaper than Varna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Varna is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$12.74 BGN 22.18

-82.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$59.4 BGN 103

-66.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$10.24 BGN 17.81

-45.21%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.92 BGN 5.08

-43.15%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.97 BGN 3.42

-64.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.64 BGN 2.86

-81.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.82 BGN 4.90

-14.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.48 BGN 6.06

6.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.95 BGN 3.39

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.24 BGN 2.16

13.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$2.67 BGN 4.64

-50.94%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.42 BGN 5.96

-36.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$11.35 BGN 19.74

46.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$9.31 BGN 16.21

-70.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$14.35 BGN 24.98

-36.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.01 BGN 3.50

18.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$2.08 BGN 3.62

-50.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.11 BGN 3.67

-22.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.92 BGN 5.08

-48.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.28 BGN 2.23

0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.04 BGN 1.81

6.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.02 BGN 1.78

-29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.77 BGN 1.34

-31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.03 BGN 7.01

6.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$8.97 BGN 15.61

100.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.18 BGN 2.05

33.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.79 BGN 3.12

58.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.88 BGN 1.52

-2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$28.86 BGN 50.2

84.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-22.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.90 BGN 1.56

-36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$12.06 BGN 20.99

-80.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-17.24%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.4K BGN 52.9K

-31.81%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$24.5K BGN 42.7K

9.28%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$177 BGN 307

-64.71%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$21.08 BGN 36.67

-42.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$15.97 BGN 27.80

24.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$51.2 BGN 89.0

-27.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$19.51 BGN 33.94

-80.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$9.52 BGN 16.56

-31.72%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$511 BGN 890

55.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$6,289 BGN 10.9K

135.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$65.1 BGN 113

-17.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$33.59 BGN 58.5

-26.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$102 BGN 178

-10.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$103 BGN 179

-30.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$645 BGN 1,122

-29.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$477 BGN 830

-37.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,365 BGN 2,376

-33.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$914 BGN 1,590

-39.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,941 BGN 5,118

-34.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,142 BGN 3,726

-32.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,271 BGN 2,211

-53.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.82

97.52%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Varna: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Varna

$477 33.8% 60.2% $179

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Varna

$272 19.3% 15.5% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Varna

$137 9.7% 26.3% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Varna

$214 15.1% 126% $119

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Varna

$203 14.4% 159% $125

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Varna

$38 2.7% 36.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Varna

$70 5% 40.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $645 in Varna. 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 115% higher in Varna, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $59.0 in Varna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $272 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇬 Varna

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

15:35 3:35 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

348,058

💱 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 24, 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 24, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Varna 7,070 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Varna

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 Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varna costs about 53% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $2,117 in Varna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, 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 $511 in Varna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Varna, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Varna at $1,411. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,411 in Varna. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.