Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Veliko Tarnovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. The total is higher in Veliko Tarnovo despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Veliko Tarnovo
Learn more

Veliko Tarnovo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Veliko Tarnovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Veliko Tarnovo

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Veliko Tarnovo $1,006

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,574 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Veliko Tarnovo $1,574

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,141 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Veliko Tarnovo $2,141

Chiang Mai is about 7% cheaper than Veliko Tarnovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Veliko Tarnovo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Veliko Tarnovo 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.7

$11.12 BGN 19.46

-79.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿644

$39.76 BGN 69.6

-51.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿188

$9.61 BGN 16.83

-41.83%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.9

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-7.03%

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

$0.64 ฿21.63

$1.31 BGN 2.30

-51.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.22

$0.88 BGN 1.54

-62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.1

$2.03 BGN 3.55

16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿131

$2.79 BGN 4.88

39.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.9

$1.86 BGN 3.25

10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.89

$1.05 BGN 1.85

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$2.48 BGN 4.34

-48.39%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$3.67 BGN 6.43

-38.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿568

$10.17 BGN 17.81

66.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿92.0

$8.00 BGN 14.00

-65.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿314

$12.43 BGN 21.76

-24.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.60 BGN 2.80

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿34.05

$2.05 BGN 3.59

-50.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.1

$1.96 BGN 3.43

-17.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.58 BGN 4.51

-41.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.07

$1.09 BGN 1.91

17.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.36

$1.17 BGN 2.05

-5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.18

$0.98 BGN 1.71

-26.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.61

$0.73 BGN 1.27

-28.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.10 BGN 7.17

5.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿595

$6.72 BGN 11.75

163.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.6

$1.21 BGN 2.11

34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.7

$1.61 BGN 2.81

77.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.42

$0.90 BGN 1.57

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,808

$23.23 BGN 40.65

132.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.33

$1.16 BGN 2.03

0.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.07

$0.67 BGN 1.18

-14.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.5

$11.18 BGN 19.57

-78.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-7.05%

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

$20.5K ฿686.9K

$30.5K BGN 53.4K

-32.90%

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

$26.5K ฿889.5K

$30.6K BGN 53.6K

-13.40%

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

$62.3 ฿2,091

$95.9 BGN 168

-34.97%

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

$12.27 ฿412

$18.81 BGN 32.92

-34.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿670

$15.86 BGN 27.75

25.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,272

$30.50 BGN 53.4

24.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$19.69 BGN 34.46

-80.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿225

$6.91 BGN 12.08

-2.89%

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

$797 ฿26.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,787

$46.95 BGN 82.2

13.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿840

$30.58 BGN 53.5

-18.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,074

$122 BGN 214

-24.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,465

$93.1 BGN 163

-21.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.6K

$351 BGN 614

32.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$260 BGN 456

17.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.7K

$572 BGN 1,000

60.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$420 BGN 735

31.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿64.1K

$2,407 BGN 4,211

-20.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.3K

$1,364 BGN 2,387

5.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$952 BGN 1,666

-37.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.74

103.28%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Veliko Tarnovo

$260 25.9% 14.6% $44

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Veliko Tarnovo

$244 24.2% 2.3% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Veliko Tarnovo

$132 13.1% 20.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Veliko Tarnovo

$131 13% 38% $36

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Veliko Tarnovo

$164 16.3% 108% $85

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Veliko Tarnovo

$31 3.1% 48.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Veliko Tarnovo

$44 4.4% 13.7% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $351 in Veliko Tarnovo. 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 60% higher in Veliko Tarnovo, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $40.00 in Veliko Tarnovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇬 Veliko Tarnovo

🕒 Local time

05:28 5:28 AM

01:28 1:28 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

71,150

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 14, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Veliko Tarnovo 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Veliko Tarnovo

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 Veliko Tarnovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veliko Tarnovo costs about 7% 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,509 in Veliko Tarnovo. 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.

Public transport costs about 132% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Veliko Tarnovo, 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 $938, than in Veliko Tarnovo at $1,006. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Veliko Tarnovo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo. 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, Veliko Tarnovo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.