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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $872 in Shumen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,388 in Shumen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,903 in Shumen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than in Shumen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Shumen 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$9.76 BGN 16.24

-53.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$29.12 BGN 48.45

60.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$9.09 BGN 15.13

-6.60%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$1.71 BGN 2.84

80.12%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.33 BGN 2.22

-48.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.71 BGN 1.18

-49.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$2.08 BGN 3.46

16.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.27 BGN 3.78

59.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.62 BGN 2.70

35.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$0.94 BGN 1.57

92.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.97 BGN 3.27

13.20%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$3.06 BGN 5.10

-26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$9.16 BGN 15.24

113.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.67 BGN 9.43

-34.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$11.44 BGN 19.03

17.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$1.71 BGN 2.85

96.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$2.10 BGN 3.50

-22.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.09 BGN 3.47

15.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$2.33 BGN 3.88

-14.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.50 BGN 2.50

2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$1.33 BGN 2.21

9.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.93 BGN 1.55

8.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.80 BGN 1.33

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.58 BGN 5.95

19.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$7.46 BGN 12.41

156.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.00 BGN 1.67

84.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$1.60 BGN 2.66

71.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.87 BGN 1.45

63.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$26.10 BGN 43.42

-55.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.25 BGN 2.08

140.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.31 BGN 0.51

238.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$12.97 BGN 21.57

7.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.49 BGN 2.48

-13.42%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$32.6K BGN 54.3K

-14.13%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$25.8K BGN 42.9K

30.00%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$94.7 BGN 158

28.77%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$16.37 BGN 27.23

-14.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$13.71 BGN 22.80

37.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$39.89 BGN 66.4

53.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$11.60 BGN 19.30

45.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$7.07 BGN 11.76

25.74%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$236 BGN 393

192.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$10.5K BGN 17.5K

53.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$55.5 BGN 92.3

4.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$41.49 BGN 69.0

-14.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$80.7 BGN 134

40.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$70.5 BGN 117

17.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$277 BGN 460

119.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$194 BGN 322

131.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$510 BGN 848

297.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$329 BGN 547

354.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$1,291 BGN 2,147

177.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$1,045 BGN 1,738

147.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$1,052 BGN 1,750

-52.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.57

16.63%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Shumen: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $277 in Shumen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shumen pays 108% 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 $29.00 in Shumen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $221 per month, with Shumen 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 Shumen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shumen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 108% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $277 in Shumen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $236 in Shumen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $872 in Shumen versus $1,223 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 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.