Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Yambol

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $974 in Yambol, rent and utilities included – about $460 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Yambol
Learn more

Yambol Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Yambol

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $974 in Yambol, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Yambol $974

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,525 in Yambol, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Yambol $1,525

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,076 in Yambol, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Yambol $2,076

Chiang Mai is about 4% cheaper than Yambol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Yambol are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Yambol 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$11.05 BGN 19.34

-79.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$44.91 BGN 78.6

-57.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$9.78 BGN 17.12

-43.25%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.10 BGN 3.68

-20.48%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.73 BGN 3.03

-63.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.28 BGN 2.25

-75.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.74 BGN 3.05

35.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.91 BGN 5.09

25.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.88 BGN 3.29

3.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.25 BGN 2.18

15.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$2.39 BGN 4.19

-44.35%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.33 BGN 5.83

-31.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$9.07 BGN 15.87

81.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$7.22 BGN 12.64

-61.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$5.82 BGN 10.19

59.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.46 BGN 2.55

60.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.99 BGN 3.48

-51.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.66 BGN 2.91

-3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.59 BGN 2.79

-5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.30 BGN 2.28

-1.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.88 BGN 1.54

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.07 BGN 1.86

-33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.77 BGN 1.34

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.04 BGN 7.06

2.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$4.63 BGN 8.10

278.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.22 BGN 2.13

31.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.79 BGN 3.13

55.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.93 BGN 1.62

-6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$28.16 BGN 49.28

92.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.60 BGN 2.81

-27.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.91 BGN 1.59

-41.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$11.94 BGN 20.89

-79.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.64 BGN 2.87

-11.59%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$29.9K BGN 52.3K

-29.56%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$24.9K BGN 43.5K

8.32%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$111 BGN 195

-44.20%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$18.49 BGN 32.36

-34.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$15.91 BGN 27.84

26.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$27.28 BGN 47.74

36.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.01 BGN 14.01

-18.98%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$506 BGN 886

45.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$6,265 BGN 11.0K

135.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$52.0 BGN 91.0

2.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$21.73 BGN 38.03

13.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$86.0 BGN 150

6.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$61.1 BGN 107

17.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$359 BGN 628

34.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$271 BGN 474

14.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$540 BGN 945

86.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$478 BGN 836

32.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,279 BGN 2,238

84.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,175 BGN 2,056

35.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$954 BGN 1,669

-38.16%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Yambol: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Yambol

$271 27.8% 12.3% $38

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Yambol

$207 21.2% 11.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Yambol

$99 10.2% 8.5% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Yambol

$146 15% 54.4% $51

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Yambol

$170 17.4% 119% $92

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Yambol

$38 3.9% 38.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Yambol

$43 4.5% 13.9% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $359 in Yambol. 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 62% higher in Yambol. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $45 in Yambol. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $207 in Yambol – so Yambol wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇬 Yambol

🕒 Local time

17:02 5:02 PM

12:02 12:02 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

76,599

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Yambol 7,190 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Yambol

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 Yambol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yambol costs about 4% 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,461 in Yambol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yambol, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $359 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $506 in Yambol. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Yambol – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $974 in Yambol. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $974 in Yambol. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Yambol makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.