Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sliven

For one person, living is cheaper in Sliven: $779 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Sliven
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Sliven Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Sliven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sliven

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 Sliven actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $779 in Sliven.

Phuket $1,208
Sliven $779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,232 in Sliven.

Phuket $2,027
Sliven $1,232

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,684 in Sliven.

Phuket $2,845
Sliven $1,684

Living in Phuket is roughly 55% more expensive than in Sliven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Sliven 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$11.37 BGN 19.78

-61.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$35.06 BGN 61.0

-7.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$10.19 BGN 17.74

-14.03%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.79 BGN 3.11

58.10%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.25 BGN 2.17

-28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.88 BGN 1.53

-46.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.71 BGN 2.97

49.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.36 BGN 4.10

62.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.55 BGN 2.70

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.79 BGN 1.37

86.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$2.58 BGN 4.49

-41.47%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.09 BGN 3.63

3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$8.12 BGN 14.12

142.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$5.50 BGN 9.57

-39.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$6.67 BGN 11.61

67.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.47 BGN 2.56

93.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.65 BGN 2.88

3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.45 BGN 2.52

51.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.16 BGN 3.77

-5.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.51 BGN 0.88

184.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.88 BGN 1.53

56.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.02 BGN 1.77

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.48 BGN 0.83

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.49 BGN 6.08

22.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$6.14 BGN 10.68

202.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.01 BGN 1.77

76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.27 BGN 2.21

124.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.70 BGN 1.22

222.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$34.80 BGN 60.6

-36.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.12 BGN 1.96

168.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.59 BGN 1.03

79.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$8.71 BGN 15.16

-55.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.53 BGN 2.66

-5.23%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$30.3K BGN 52.7K

-13.06%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$22.2K BGN 38.6K

21.36%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$86.7 BGN 151

11.16%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$20.37 BGN 35.44

-45.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$9.44 BGN 16.43

81.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$23.32 BGN 40.58

123.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$5.80 BGN 10.09

34.66%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$508 BGN 885

9.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$6,395 BGN 11.1K

81.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$58.1 BGN 101

10.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$22.56 BGN 39.25

27.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$69.1 BGN 120

38.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$61.6 BGN 107

42.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$231 BGN 402

219.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$146 BGN 253

217.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$329 BGN 572

537.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$254 BGN 441

373.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,147 BGN 1,996

204.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$915 BGN 1,593

175.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,325 BGN 2,306

-62.22%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Sliven: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Sliven

$146 18.7% 68.5% $317

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Sliven

$181 23.2% 32.7% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Sliven

$117 15% 6.5% $8

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Sliven

$95 12.2% 23.5% $29

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Sliven

$165 21.1% 35.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Sliven

$35 4.5% 48.5% $33

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Sliven

$42 5.4% 5.7% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $231 in Sliven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliven pays 165% 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 Sliven. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $181, with Sliven cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇬 Sliven

🕒 Local time

13:31 1:31 PM

08:31 8:31 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

95,806

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 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 October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Sliven 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sliven

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 Sliven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliven is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 165% lower in Sliven. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $231 in Sliven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $508 in Sliven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $779 in Sliven versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sliven but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sliven the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sliven 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 Sliven 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 Sliven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.