Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlovo and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlovo: $785 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Karlovo
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Karlovo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Karlovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$785

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karlovo 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 Karlovo and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $785 per month in Karlovo vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karlovo $785
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,263 per month in Karlovo vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karlovo $1,263
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,742 per month in Karlovo vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karlovo $1,742
Chiang Mai $1,903

Karlovo is about 15% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Karlovo and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Karlovo 42% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 BGN 12.34

$2.29 ฿76.5

209.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.57 BGN 58.4

$19.64 ฿656

70.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 BGN 15.07

$5.61 ฿188

54.37%

Cappuccino

$1.45 BGN 2.53

$1.66 ฿55.6

-12.65%

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

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$0.70 ฿23.40

47.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 BGN 1.28

$0.31 ฿10.24

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 BGN 3.41

$2.41 ฿80.4

-18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 BGN 3.04

$3.71 ฿124

-52.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 BGN 2.04

$1.95 ฿65.3

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 BGN 1.47

$1.41 ฿47.03

-40.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 BGN 3.25

$1.31 ฿43.62

42.75%

Eggs

$3.27 BGN 5.69

$2.18 ฿72.9

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.92 BGN 17.26

$16.65 ฿556

-40.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.31 BGN 14.45

$2.76 ฿92.2

201.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.86 BGN 10.20

$9.11 ฿304

-35.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 BGN 2.19

$2.39 ฿80.0

-47.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 BGN 3.41

$1.03 ฿34.26

90.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.70

$1.63 ฿54.4

30.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 BGN 3.68

$1.50 ฿50.0

40.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 BGN 0.84

$1.29 ฿43.13

-62.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 BGN 1.56

$1.11 ฿37.03

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 BGN 1.71

$0.72 ฿24.08

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.34

$0.53 ฿17.59

45.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 BGN 5.64

$4.31 ฿144

-24.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 BGN 11.64

$17.95 ฿600

-62.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 BGN 1.72

$1.58 ฿52.9

-37.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.29

$2.84 ฿95.0

-33.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 BGN 1.93

$0.86 ฿28.86

29.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.67 BGN 41.18

$53.3 ฿1,780

-55.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 BGN 2.03

$1.21 ฿40.29

-3.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 BGN 1.23

$0.57 ฿18.99

24.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.78 BGN 20.50

$2.35 ฿78.6

401.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 BGN 2.43

$1.44 ฿47.96

-2.78%

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

$30.0K BGN 52.2K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

44.67%

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

$22.3K BGN 38.8K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-16.73%

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

$104 BGN 180

$62.3 ฿2,083

66.34%

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

$14.45 BGN 25.13

$12.11 ฿405

19.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.91 BGN 20.72

$19.94 ฿666

-40.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.57 BGN 51.5

$37.07 ฿1,239

-20.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 BGN 30.18

$3.78 ฿126

358.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 BGN 9.69

$6.50 ฿217

-14.31%

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

$226 BGN 393

$793 ฿26.5K

-71.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,755 BGN 10.0K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-61.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.50 BGN 49.60

$53.7 ฿1,796

-46.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.54 BGN 20.08

$24.62 ฿823

-53.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.9 BGN 99.0

$90.9 ฿3,036

-37.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.99 BGN 80.0

$71.1 ฿2,378

-35.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 BGN 583

$455 ฿15.2K

-26.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 BGN 332

$298 ฿9,954

-35.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 BGN 929

$908 ฿30.4K

-41.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 BGN 701

$554 ฿18.5K

-27.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 BGN 2,297

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-31.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,083 BGN 1,885

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-25.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$448 BGN 779

$591 ฿19.7K

-24.23%

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 Karlovo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Karlovo

$205 26.2%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 14.7% $30

Accommodation & Living

Karlovo

$191 24.3%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 55.9% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karlovo

$130 16.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 27.4% $36

Eating Out

Karlovo

$121 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 34.8% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Karlovo

$64 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 68.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Karlovo

$41 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 23% $9.4

Getting Around

Karlovo

$33 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 85.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $335 in Karlovo versus $455 in Chiang Mai. 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 32% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $34.00 in Karlovo versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $205 in Karlovo vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Karlovo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Karlovo

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:53 1:53 PM

17:53 5:53 PM

4 h ahead of Karlovo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,919

127,240

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karlovo Chiang Mai 7,330 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Karlovo
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

Karlovo vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Karlovo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,177 per month in Karlovo and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karlovo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Karlovo and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Karlovo, where all-in costs run around $785, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Karlovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Karlovo costs $785 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. 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 Karlovo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.