Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varna Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varna

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,207 in Varna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,870 in Varna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,533 in Varna.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than Varna, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Varna 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$11.71 BGN 19.48

-61.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$46.60 BGN 77.5

0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$8.82 BGN 14.68

-3.74%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.58 BGN 4.29

19.38%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.76 BGN 2.92

-61.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.27 BGN 2.11

-71.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.92 BGN 4.85

-16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.87 BGN 4.77

26.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.86 BGN 3.10

17.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.02 BGN 1.70

77.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$2.47 BGN 4.10

-9.72%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$3.38 BGN 5.62

-33.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$10.77 BGN 17.91

81.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$8.41 BGN 14.00

-55.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$12.36 BGN 20.56

8.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.66 BGN 2.77

102.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$2.08 BGN 3.47

-22.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.84 BGN 3.06

30.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.66 BGN 4.43

-25.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.16 BGN 1.93

31.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.09 BGN 1.81

33.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.03 BGN 1.72

-1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.71 BGN 1.18

-32.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.79 BGN 6.31

12.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$8.85 BGN 14.72

116.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.14 BGN 1.90

61.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.91 BGN 3.18

43.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$1.21 BGN 2.01

17.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$29.44 BGN 48.98

-60.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.40 BGN 2.33

114.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.68 BGN 1.12

54.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$12.19 BGN 20.27

14.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.50 BGN 2.49

-14.00%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$32.7K BGN 54.5K

-14.39%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$28.7K BGN 47.7K

16.77%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$125 BGN 209

-2.78%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$19.00 BGN 31.61

-26.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$15.50 BGN 25.79

21.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$41.21 BGN 68.6

48.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$14.84 BGN 24.69

13.48%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$8.73 BGN 14.53

1.83%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$413 BGN 687

67.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$5,422 BGN 9,019

198.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$59.8 BGN 99.5

-3.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$33.26 BGN 55.3

6.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$90.6 BGN 151

25.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$98.3 BGN 164

-15.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$514 BGN 855

18.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$392 BGN 651

14.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$893 BGN 1,486

127.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$652 BGN 1,085

128.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$3,269 BGN 5,438

9.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$2,115 BGN 3,519

22.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$1,200 BGN 1,996

-57.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.71

13.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Varna: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $514 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 138% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Varna. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $251, with Varna 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 Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varna is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Varna earns 138% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $514 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $413 in Varna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Varna versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varna but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Varna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Varna 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 Varna 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 Varna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.