Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sliven Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sliven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $761 in Sliven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,207 in Sliven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,653 in Sliven.

Living in Phuket is roughly 66% more expensive than Sliven, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sliven 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$8.77 BGN 14.59

-46.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$35.75 BGN 59.5

26.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$8.71 BGN 14.49

-3.21%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.84 BGN 3.06

59.24%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.27 BGN 2.11

-45.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.91 BGN 1.51

-59.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.74 BGN 2.90

38.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.29 BGN 3.81

62.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.59 BGN 2.64

40.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.80 BGN 1.33

128.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.21 BGN 3.68

-1.81%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.15 BGN 3.57

2.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.08 BGN 13.44

144.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.51 BGN 9.16

-34.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.94 BGN 11.54

94.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.45 BGN 2.40

126.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.72 BGN 2.86

-6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.48 BGN 2.47

62.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.26 BGN 3.75

-7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.51 BGN 0.85

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.90 BGN 1.51

64.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.05 BGN 1.74

-5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.48 BGN 0.79

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.53 BGN 5.87

24.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.20 BGN 10.31

212.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.04 BGN 1.74

71.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.27 BGN 2.12

113.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.74 BGN 1.23

85.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$36.12 BGN 60.1

-68.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.16 BGN 1.94

160.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.77 BGN 1.29

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.96 BGN 14.90

57.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.43 BGN 2.37

-4.90%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$31.9K BGN 53.1K

-11.71%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.8K BGN 46.2K

18.38%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$89.0 BGN 148

36.74%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$17.99 BGN 29.94

-24.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$9.21 BGN 15.33

98.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$23.18 BGN 38.57

159.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.92 BGN 24.82

14.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.03 BGN 10.04

44.11%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$422 BGN 703

64.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$7,038 BGN 11.7K

122.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$60.0 BGN 99.8

-0.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$23.21 BGN 38.62

49.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$69.6 BGN 116

64.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$64.6 BGN 107

28.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$233 BGN 387

163.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$150 BGN 249

192.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$336 BGN 559

523.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$269 BGN 447

461.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,181 BGN 1,965

217.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$965 BGN 1,605

171.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,395 BGN 2,320

-63.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.25

25.41%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sliven: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $233 in Sliven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliven pays 175% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Sliven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $182 per month, with Sliven 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 Sliven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliven is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sliven earns 175% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $233 in Sliven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $422 in Sliven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $761 in Sliven versus $1,265 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 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.