Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shumen Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shumen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $943 in Shumen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,474 in Shumen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,005 in Shumen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than in Shumen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Shumen 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$9.72 BGN 16.18

-54.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$35.07 BGN 58.3

-8.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.12 BGN 15.17

-2.08%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.81 BGN 3.00

60.22%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.47 BGN 2.44

-40.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.05 BGN 1.74

-54.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.91 BGN 4.83

-19.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.90 BGN 4.82

28.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.91 BGN 3.17

-2.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.12 BGN 1.86

31.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.60 BGN 4.33

-40.38%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.98 BGN 4.96

-29.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$9.57 BGN 15.91

104.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.06 BGN 8.42

-32.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.18 BGN 15.27

23.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.56 BGN 2.60

91.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.12 BGN 3.53

-20.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.19 BGN 3.64

0.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.27 BGN 3.78

-4.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.09 BGN 3.47

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.32 BGN 2.20

1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.83 BGN 1.38

36.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.78 BGN 1.31

-29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.74 BGN 6.22

13.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.18 BGN 11.95

165.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.99 BGN 1.65

79.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.46 BGN 2.44

90.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.92 BGN 1.53

142.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$26.37 BGN 43.86

-13.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.79 BGN 2.98

69.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.52 BGN 0.86

96.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.58 BGN 2.62

-5.70%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$31.9K BGN 53.0K

-16.55%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$23.1K BGN 38.5K

16.87%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$136 BGN 226

-24.56%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$18.06 BGN 30.05

-37.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$17.42 BGN 28.98

-0.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$40.40 BGN 67.2

28.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$11.74 BGN 19.53

-5.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$6.99 BGN 11.62

10.01%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$588 BGN 979

-4.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$10.6K BGN 17.6K

9.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$49.68 BGN 82.6

26.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$51.8 BGN 86.2

-43.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$94.2 BGN 157

4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$63.7 BGN 106

39.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$276 BGN 459

167.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$186 BGN 310

159.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$439 BGN 730

380.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$341 BGN 567

259.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,261 BGN 2,098

186.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,030 BGN 1,714

152.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,035 BGN 1,722

-52.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.25

71.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Shumen: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $276 in Shumen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shumen pays 110% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Shumen. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $219, with Shumen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Shumen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shumen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 110% lower in Shumen. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $276 in Shumen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $588 in Shumen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $943 in Shumen versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shumen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shumen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shumen 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 Shumen 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 Shumen 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.