Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stara Zagora

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $908 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
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Stara Zagora Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Stara Zagora

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $908 in Stara Zagora.

Phuket $1,278
Stara Zagora $908

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,415 in Stara Zagora.

Phuket $2,216
Stara Zagora $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,921 in Stara Zagora.

Phuket $3,154
Stara Zagora $1,921

Living in Phuket is roughly 41% more expensive than in Stara Zagora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Stara Zagora 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.38 BGN 18.16

-56.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$51.7 BGN 90.5

-37.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.15 BGN 16.02

-3.72%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.34 BGN 4.09

20.94%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.50 BGN 2.62

-42.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-43.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.21 BGN 3.87

15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.03 BGN 3.56

81.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.73 BGN 3.02

-4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.86 BGN 1.51

69.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.45 BGN 2.54

3.45%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.36 BGN 4.12

-11.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$9.38 BGN 16.42

103.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.39 BGN 11.18

-48.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$8.59 BGN 15.03

27.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.25 BGN 2.19

134.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.70 BGN 2.98

-0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.76 BGN 3.08

27.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.93 BGN 3.38

7.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.00 BGN 1.74

51.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.72 BGN 1.26

91.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.55 BGN 0.97

94.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.63 BGN 1.10

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.64 BGN 6.38

15.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.25 BGN 9.18

257.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.09 BGN 1.91

66.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.73 BGN 3.03

64.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.85 BGN 1.49

70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$20.45 BGN 35.79

177.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.29 BGN 2.26

134.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.64 BGN 1.13

59.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$11.40 BGN 19.95

-67.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.57 BGN 2.75

-6.37%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$29.7K BGN 52.0K

-9.93%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$23.5K BGN 41.1K

13.70%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$91.4 BGN 160

5.46%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$14.59 BGN 25.53

-22.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$12.26 BGN 21.46

37.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$33.21 BGN 58.1

102.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$21.06 BGN 36.86

-49.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$8.89 BGN 15.55

-15.64%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$227 BGN 398

109.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$2,270 BGN 3,972

396.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$30.35 BGN 53.1

105.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$19.39 BGN 33.93

46.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$64.0 BGN 112

47.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$51.9 BGN 90.8

65.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$330 BGN 577

117.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$279 BGN 489

75.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$498 BGN 871

287.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$399 BGN 699

258.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,506 BGN 2,635

177.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,109 BGN 1,941

174.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,067 BGN 1,867

-52.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.99

86.29%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Stara Zagora

$279 30.8% 43.1% $212

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Stara Zagora

$194 21.3% 27.2% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Stara Zagora

$118 13% 5% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Stara Zagora

$75 8.2% 38.9% $47

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Stara Zagora

$163 18% 34% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Stara Zagora

$51 5.6% 38% $31

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Stara Zagora

$28 3.1% 59.8% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $330 in Stara Zagora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stara Zagora pays about 2.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $52 in Stara Zagora. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $194, with Stara Zagora cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

08:04 8:04 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

149,266

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Stara Zagora 8,000 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Stara Zagora

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 Stara Zagora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stara Zagora is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $330 in Stara Zagora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $227 in Stara Zagora. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $908 in Stara Zagora versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Stara Zagora but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Stara Zagora the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Stara Zagora are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.