Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dobrich and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Dobrich: $596 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dobrich, Bulgaria
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Dobrich
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$596
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dobrich and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $596 per month in Dobrich vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Dobrich $596
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $984 per month in Dobrich vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Dobrich $984
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,372 per month in Dobrich vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Dobrich $1,372
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Dobrich is about 36% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dobrich and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Dobrich 56% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dobrich
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.93 BGN 12.12
$2.24 ฿75.6
209.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.09 BGN 49.16
$19.00 ฿641
47.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.53 BGN 20.18
$5.55 ฿187
107.75%
Cappuccino
$1.73 BGN 3.04
$1.67 ฿56.5
3.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.89 BGN 1.56
$0.64 ฿21.53
39.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 BGN 0.92
$0.31 ฿10.30
70.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.96 BGN 3.43
$2.36 ฿79.5
-16.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 BGN 4.90
$3.66 ฿124
-23.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dobrich
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 BGN 2.97
$1.95 ฿65.7
-12.82%
White Bread (500g)
$0.84 BGN 1.47
$1.44 ฿48.45
-41.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.09 BGN 3.65
$1.33 ฿45.01
57.14%
Eggs
$3.16 BGN 5.53
$2.28 ฿77.0
38.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.28 BGN 10.98
$16.45 ฿555
-61.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.88 BGN 15.54
$2.78 ฿93.8
219.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.51 BGN 20.14
$9.31 ฿314
23.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 BGN 3.96
$2.35 ฿79.4
-3.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 BGN 3.44
$0.97 ฿32.78
103.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 BGN 3.72
$1.60 ฿53.9
32.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 BGN 4.32
$1.50 ฿50.6
64.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.17 BGN 2.05
$1.28 ฿43.10
-8.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.43 BGN 2.50
$1.10 ฿37.17
30.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.94 BGN 1.65
$0.71 ฿23.81
32.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 BGN 0.90
$0.49 ฿16.36
4.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.20 BGN 5.59
$4.14 ฿140
-22.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.98 BGN 12.22
$17.52 ฿591
-60.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 BGN 1.62
$1.61 ฿54.5
-42.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 BGN 3.27
$2.78 ฿93.9
-32.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Dobrich
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.92 BGN 1.61
$0.87 ฿29.29
5.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.18 BGN 38.81
$54.1 ฿1,825
-58.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.71 BGN 2.99
$1.16 ฿39.03
47.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 BGN 1.24
$0.53 ฿17.79
33.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.90 BGN 20.82
$2.42 ฿81.7
391.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 BGN 2.66
$1.45 ฿48.87
4.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K BGN 52.0K
$21.1K ฿710.3K
40.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.1K BGN 38.7K
$26.9K ฿908.7K
-17.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dobrich
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$51.2 BGN 89.7
$62.2 ฿2,097
-17.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.48 BGN 25.33
$12.17 ฿410
18.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.68 BGN 20.45
$20.12 ฿679
-41.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dobrich
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.38 BGN 44.42
$37.31 ฿1,259
-31.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.61 BGN 8.07
$6.49 ฿219
-28.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dobrich
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$232 BGN 406
$736 ฿24.8K
-68.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.0K BGN 26.3K
$14.8K ฿498.0K
1.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dobrich
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 BGN 102
$53.4 ฿1,800
9.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.26 BGN 51.2
$24.64 ฿831
18.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.6 BGN 124
$91.5 ฿3,086
-22.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$51.2 BGN 89.6
$71.9 ฿2,426
-28.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dobrich
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$482 ฿16.3K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$309 ฿10.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$633 ฿21.4K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dobrich
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,016 BGN 1,778
$590 ฿19.9K
72.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.25
5.57
-41.65%

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

Last update for Dobrich: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Dobrich
$227
Chiang Mai
$234 3.4% $7.7
Eating Out
Dobrich
$132
Chiang Mai
$78 41.2% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Dobrich
$94
Chiang Mai
$109 15.2% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dobrich
$77
Chiang Mai
$94 22% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Dobrich
$35
Chiang Mai
$50 45.3% $16
Getting Around
Dobrich
$31
Chiang Mai
$61 97.1% $30
Accommodation & Living
Dobrich
- *
Chiang Mai
$309

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 72% higher in Dobrich, 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 $28 in Dobrich versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $227 in Dobrich vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Dobrich wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Dobrich
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
01:55 1:55 AM
06:55 6:55 AM
5 h ahead of Dobrich
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
89,627
127,240
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dobrich Chiang Mai 7,080 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dobrich
  • Chiang Mai

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
Dobrich vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Dobrich or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 57% more than Dobrich, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Dobrich and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $894 per month in Dobrich and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do childcare costs compare in Dobrich and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $232 per month in Dobrich and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Dobrich or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 3% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Dobrich or in Chiang Mai?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $596 in Dobrich and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Dobrich or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $596 in Dobrich to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Dobrich compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Dobrich vs other spots: cost of living compared

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