Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pleven

For one person, living is cheaper in Pleven: $887 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Pleven
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Pleven Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Pleven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pleven

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $887 in Pleven.

Phuket $1,278
Pleven $887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,418 in Pleven.

Phuket $2,216
Pleven $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,948 in Pleven.

Phuket $3,154
Pleven $1,948

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than in Pleven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Pleven 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$8.72 BGN 15.26

-48.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$29.16 BGN 51.0

11.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.35 BGN 11.12

38.74%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.10 BGN 3.67

34.76%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.27 BGN 2.22

-31.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.15 BGN 2.02

-57.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.18 BGN 3.81

17.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.24 BGN 3.93

64.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.64 BGN 2.88

1.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.16 BGN 2.02

25.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.71 BGN 2.99

-12.28%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.57 BGN 6.25

-41.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.93 BGN 15.63

113.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.88 BGN 13.79

-58.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.28 BGN 24.99

-23.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.25 BGN 2.18

134.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.99 BGN 3.48

-15.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.13 BGN 3.74

5.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.26 BGN 3.96

-7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.17 BGN 2.05

29.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.07 BGN 1.88

28.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.06 BGN 1.85

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.74 BGN 1.30

-29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.63 BGN 6.36

15.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.37 BGN 11.14

194.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.78 BGN 1.36

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.13 BGN 1.97

151.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.84 BGN 1.47

72.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$40.38 BGN 70.7

40.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.62 BGN 2.83

86.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.90 BGN 1.57

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$12.02 BGN 21.04

-69.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.64 BGN 2.86

-10.37%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$29.4K BGN 51.5K

-9.06%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$24.9K BGN 43.7K

7.00%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$95.6 BGN 167

0.74%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$15.87 BGN 27.78

-29.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$10.80 BGN 18.89

56.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$35.45 BGN 62.0

89.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$24.29 BGN 42.52

-55.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$8.66 BGN 15.16

-13.39%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$505 BGN 884

-5.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$6,321 BGN 11.1K

78.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$40.48 BGN 70.9

54.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$28.02 BGN 49.04

1.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$94.0 BGN 165

0.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$100 BGN 176

-14.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$331 BGN 578

116.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$171 BGN 300

186.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$568 BGN 993

239.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$333 BGN 582

330.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,450 BGN 2,537

188.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,133 BGN 1,982

168.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$939 BGN 1,643

-46.49%

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 Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pleven: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Pleven

$171 19.3% 65.1% $320

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Pleven

$234 26.4% 12.2% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Pleven

$122 13.8% 1.7% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Pleven

$118 13.3% 2.9% $3.6

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Pleven

$139 15.7% 14.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Pleven

$53 6% 35.8% $29

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Pleven

$50 5.6% 29.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $331 in Pleven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pleven pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $29 in Pleven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $234 per month, with Pleven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇬 Pleven

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

03:42 3:42 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

111,567

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 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

Phuket Pleven 8,100 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Pleven

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

Phuket vs Pleven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pleven is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $331 in Pleven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $505 in Pleven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $887 in Pleven versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Pleven but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pleven the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pleven are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Pleven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.