Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stara Zagora Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stara Zagora

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $846 in Stara Zagora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,330 in Stara Zagora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,814 in Stara Zagora.

Living in Phuket is roughly 48% more expensive than in Stara Zagora, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Stara Zagora 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$9.10 BGN 15.13

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$35.43 BGN 58.9

30.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$9.16 BGN 15.23

-3.49%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.91 BGN 3.18

60.21%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.28 BGN 2.13

-42.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.73 BGN 1.22

-45.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.20 BGN 2.00

102.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.04 BGN 3.40

85.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.90 BGN 3.15

18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.82 BGN 1.37

120.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.55 BGN 2.58

45.16%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.27 BGN 3.78

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.13 BGN 15.19

113.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.36 BGN 12.25

-50.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.49 BGN 14.12

53.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.37 BGN 2.28

135.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.66 BGN 2.76

-2.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.85 BGN 3.08

28.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.16 BGN 3.60

-6.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.01 BGN 1.69

51.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.81 BGN 1.35

85.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.56 BGN 0.93

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.71 BGN 1.19

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.92 BGN 6.52

13.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.31 BGN 8.84

245.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.23 BGN 2.05

51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.16 BGN 3.60

24.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.91 BGN 1.51

54.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$19.02 BGN 31.65

-38.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.34 BGN 2.23

132.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.67 BGN 1.12

55.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$11.59 BGN 19.27

21.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.49 BGN 2.47

-12.08%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$24.8K BGN 41.3K

11.99%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.4K BGN 29.0K

90.49%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$101 BGN 169

20.68%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$15.19 BGN 25.26

-10.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$11.35 BGN 18.88

64.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$19.34 BGN 32.17

212.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$17.37 BGN 28.90

-2.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.88 BGN 13.11

15.10%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$232 BGN 386

204.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$2,400 BGN 3,993

558.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$38.78 BGN 64.5

50.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$19.03 BGN 31.65

85.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$77.9 BGN 130

48.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$75.2 BGN 125

11.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$248 BGN 413

152.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$226 BGN 376

96.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$399 BGN 664

411.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$356 BGN 592

318.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,497 BGN 2,490

132.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,082 BGN 1,800

138.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,044 BGN 1,737

-52.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.4

56.76%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $248 in Stara Zagora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stara Zagora pays 109% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Stara Zagora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $204 per month, with Stara Zagora 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 Stara Zagora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stara Zagora is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 109% lower in Stara Zagora. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $248 in Stara Zagora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $232 in Stara Zagora. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $846 in Stara Zagora versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 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.

For families, Stara Zagora 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 Stara Zagora 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 Stara Zagora gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.