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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $904 in Stara Zagora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,414 in Stara Zagora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,925 in Stara Zagora.

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than in Stara Zagora, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Stara Zagora 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.80 BGN 17.97

-59.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$52.3 BGN 87.0

-38.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.43 BGN 15.69

-5.30%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.29 BGN 3.82

26.64%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.56 BGN 2.59

-43.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.92 BGN 1.53

-47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.32 BGN 3.86

1.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.10 BGN 3.49

77.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.86 BGN 3.09

0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.89 BGN 1.49

65.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.51 BGN 2.51

2.65%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.34 BGN 3.89

-10.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$9.34 BGN 15.54

109.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.81 BGN 11.34

-49.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$8.52 BGN 14.18

33.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.36 BGN 2.26

119.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.68 BGN 2.79

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.75 BGN 2.91

26.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.95 BGN 3.24

10.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.02 BGN 1.70

49.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.79 BGN 1.31

69.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.58 BGN 0.96

94.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.68 BGN 1.14

-19.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.90 BGN 6.49

9.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$5.16 BGN 8.59

269.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.18 BGN 1.97

50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.79 BGN 2.97

55.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.93 BGN 1.55

139.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$18.62 BGN 30.97

22.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.33 BGN 2.21

127.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.68 BGN 1.13

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$12.02 BGN 20.00

-67.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.58 BGN 2.63

-5.70%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$30.8K BGN 51.2K

-13.61%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$20.9K BGN 34.9K

29.02%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$94.5 BGN 157

8.49%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$14.98 BGN 24.92

-24.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$12.50 BGN 20.79

39.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$27.89 BGN 46.40

86.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$21.77 BGN 36.21

-49.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.89 BGN 14.79

-13.50%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$239 BGN 397

134.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,395 BGN 3,984

380.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$31.86 BGN 53.0

97.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$19.81 BGN 32.95

49.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$65.6 BGN 109

49.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$52.8 BGN 87.9

67.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$299 BGN 497

147.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$263 BGN 438

83.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$516 BGN 858

308.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$407 BGN 677

201.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,496 BGN 2,488

141.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,101 BGN 1,831

136.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,086 BGN 1,807

-54.56%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $299 in Stara Zagora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stara Zagora pays 120% 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 $52.0 in Stara Zagora. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $199, with Stara Zagora cheaper for home cooking.

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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 120% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $299 in Stara Zagora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $239 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 $904 in Stara Zagora versus $1,232 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 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.