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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,441 in Varna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,310 in Varna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,179 in Varna.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 15% less than in Varna, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Varna is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$14.06 BGN 23.39

-68.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$60.4 BGN 101

-46.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$10.73 BGN 17.85

-16.78%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.93 BGN 4.88

-1.02%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.88 BGN 3.12

-53.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.65 BGN 2.75

-70.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.01 BGN 5.00

-21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.77 BGN 6.27

-1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.95 BGN 3.24

-4.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.25 BGN 2.07

17.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.76 BGN 4.59

-43.84%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$3.61 BGN 6.00

-41.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.70 BGN 19.47

67.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.25 BGN 15.38

-63.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$14.84 BGN 24.69

-23.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.97 BGN 3.27

51.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.16 BGN 3.60

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.29 BGN 3.81

-3.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.17 BGN 5.27

-31.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.35 BGN 2.24

12.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.13 BGN 1.87

18.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.05 BGN 1.75

7.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.78 BGN 1.30

-29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.11 BGN 6.83

3.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.85 BGN 14.72

115.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.21 BGN 2.01

47.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.83 BGN 3.05

51.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.06 BGN 1.77

110.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$30.00 BGN 49.90

-24.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.65 BGN 2.75

83.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.88 BGN 1.46

15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$12.56 BGN 20.90

-69.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.74 BGN 2.89

-14.37%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$30.8K BGN 51.3K

-13.78%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$26.3K BGN 43.8K

2.76%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$179 BGN 298

-42.73%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$21.16 BGN 35.21

-46.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$17.42 BGN 28.98

-0.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$53.5 BGN 89.1

-2.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$20.73 BGN 34.49

-46.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.98 BGN 14.95

-14.37%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$517 BGN 859

8.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$6,405 BGN 10.7K

79.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$66.2 BGN 110

-4.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$35.07 BGN 58.3

-15.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$105 BGN 174

-6.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$105 BGN 175

-15.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$649 BGN 1,080

13.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$487 BGN 809

-0.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,360 BGN 2,263

54.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$933 BGN 1,552

31.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$3,250 BGN 5,407

11.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,145 BGN 3,569

21.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,272 BGN 2,116

-61.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.9

92.07%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Varna: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $649 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 158% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $60.0 in Varna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $278 per month, with Phuket 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 Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 158% lower in Varna. 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 $649 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $517 in Varna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Varna. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,441 in Varna, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Varna. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Varna, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Varna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.