Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samokov Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Samokov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,014 in Samokov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,587 in Samokov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,160 in Samokov.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than Samokov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Samokov 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.29 BGN 17.19

-55.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$41.57 BGN 69.4

12.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.96 BGN 16.63

-11.24%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.87 BGN 3.12

60.43%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.37 BGN 2.28

-45.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.00 BGN 1.68

-63.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.95 BGN 3.25

25.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.91 BGN 4.85

24.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.04 BGN 3.40

10.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.01 BGN 1.69

82.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.86 BGN 4.77

-21.68%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.87 BGN 6.46

-40.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$12.84 BGN 21.44

53.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.55 BGN 14.28

-57.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.23 BGN 22.09

-0.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.65 BGN 2.75

105.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.23 BGN 3.73

-26.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.02 BGN 3.37

19.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.79 BGN 4.66

-27.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.15 BGN 1.92

35.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.38 BGN 2.31

8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.23 BGN 2.06

-17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.77 BGN 1.29

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.71 BGN 6.19

19.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.30 BGN 12.20

158.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.24 BGN 2.08

43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.61 BGN 2.69

70.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.85 BGN 1.42

64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$26.73 BGN 44.64

-57.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.21 BGN 2.02

157.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.64 BGN 1.07

56.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$11.68 BGN 19.50

20.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.52 BGN 2.54

-11.18%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$36.8K BGN 61.4K

-26.09%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.5K BGN 57.7K

-4.69%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$121 BGN 202

3.38%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.07 BGN 28.51

-20.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$13.14 BGN 21.94

40.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$29.14 BGN 48.66

110.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$14.59 BGN 24.37

15.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.26 BGN 12.12

26.58%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$324 BGN 542

115.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,487 BGN 9,164

184.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$43.91 BGN 73.3

31.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.25 BGN 48.85

20.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$128 BGN 214

-11.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$76.3 BGN 127

13.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$285 BGN 476

115.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$229 BGN 383

94.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$471 BGN 786

334.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$359 BGN 599

316.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,533 BGN 2,560

146.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$999 BGN 1,668

165.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$746 BGN 1,246

-29.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.1

4.51%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Samokov: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $285 in Samokov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samokov pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Samokov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $266 per month, with Samokov cheaper across the board.

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 Samokov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samokov is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Samokov earns 42% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $285 in Samokov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $324 in Samokov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,014 in Samokov versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Samokov but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Samokov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samokov is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Samokov are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Samokov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.