Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Vidin

For one person, living is cheaper in Vidin: $789 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Vidin
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Vidin Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Vidin

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $789 in Vidin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Vidin $789

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,285 in Vidin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Vidin $1,285

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,782 in Vidin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Vidin $1,782

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Vidin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Vidin are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Vidin 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$6.73 BGN 11.85

-66.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$40.54 BGN 71.4

-53.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.95 BGN 15.76

-37.99%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.94 BGN 3.41

-13.92%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.54 BGN 2.70

-58.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.84 BGN 1.48

-63.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.31 BGN 2.31

80.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$1.72 BGN 3.03

112.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.67 BGN 2.94

16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.74 BGN 1.30

94.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.39 BGN 2.46

-4.32%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.93 BGN 5.15

-22.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$9.41 BGN 16.56

74.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$8.12 BGN 14.30

-65.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.59 BGN 23.92

-31.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$1.60 BGN 2.81

46.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.85 BGN 3.26

-47.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.83 BGN 3.21

-12.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.13 BGN 3.74

-29.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.08 BGN 1.90

18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.92 BGN 1.62

19.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.16 BGN 2.04

-38.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.68 BGN 1.19

-27.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.90 BGN 5.11

42.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$5.67 BGN 9.97

208.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.06 BGN 1.86

51.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.11 BGN 1.95

150.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.58 BGN 1.03

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$14.55 BGN 25.61

271.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.73 BGN 3.04

-32.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.48 BGN 0.84

10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$15.66 BGN 27.57

-84.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.43 BGN 2.51

1.40%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$26.1K BGN 46.0K

-19.37%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$25.3K BGN 44.5K

6.67%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$108 BGN 190

-42.45%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$16.07 BGN 28.28

-24.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$14.37 BGN 25.30

40.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$26.85 BGN 47.25

38.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$5.93 BGN 10.43

-36.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.86 BGN 10.32

10.75%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$426 BGN 750

72.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$5,980 BGN 10.5K

146.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$71.4 BGN 126

-25.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$32.67 BGN 57.5

-24.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$57.3 BGN 101

59.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$84.8 BGN 149

-15.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$207 BGN 365

132.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$132 BGN 233

133.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$341 BGN 599

195.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$274 BGN 482

131.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$899 BGN 1,582

162.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$659 BGN 1,159

141.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$668 BGN 1,175

-11.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.89

92.73%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vidin: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Vidin

$132 16.8% 57.2% $177

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Vidin

$225 28.5% 4.1% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Vidin

$111 14% 2% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Vidin

$138 17.5% 46.6% $44

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Vidin

$123 15.7% 59.2% $46

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Vidin

$21 2.7% 65.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Vidin

$39 4.9% 23.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $207 in Vidin. 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 13% higher in Vidin, 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 $41 in Vidin. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $225 in Vidin – so Vidin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇬 Vidin

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

05:09 5:09 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

50,977

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 BGN = 0.568 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 BGN (1 BGN = 0.568 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 Vidin 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Vidin

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 Vidin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Vidin, 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 $1,184 in Vidin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vidin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $207 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $426 in Vidin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Vidin – 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.