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 $1,197 in Varna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,871 in Varna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,545 in Varna.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than Varna, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Varna 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$11.83 BGN 19.76

-60.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$48.05 BGN 80.2

-2.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.08 BGN 15.17

-2.64%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.52 BGN 4.21

19.05%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.75 BGN 2.92

-57.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.34 BGN 2.23

-72.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.02 BGN 5.04

-19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.88 BGN 4.81

25.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.87 BGN 3.12

20.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.08 BGN 1.80

70.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.54 BGN 4.24

-11.81%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.32 BGN 5.54

-30.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.96 BGN 18.31

79.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.13 BGN 13.57

-55.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$12.21 BGN 20.40

7.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.67 BGN 2.79

102.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.04 BGN 3.40

-19.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.80 BGN 3.00

33.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.68 BGN 4.48

-24.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.15 BGN 1.92

35.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.14 BGN 1.91

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.04 BGN 1.73

-1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.74 BGN 1.24

-33.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.85 BGN 6.42

15.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.64 BGN 12.75

147.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.11 BGN 1.85

60.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.84 BGN 3.07

49.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.15 BGN 1.91

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$29.53 BGN 49.32

-61.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.35 BGN 2.25

131.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.67 BGN 1.11

49.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$12.27 BGN 20.49

14.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.54 BGN 2.57

-12.34%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$32.9K BGN 54.9K

-17.28%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.8K BGN 48.2K

14.15%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$124 BGN 207

1.05%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$18.70 BGN 31.23

-27.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$15.83 BGN 26.43

16.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$40.64 BGN 67.9

51.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$14.50 BGN 24.21

16.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$8.61 BGN 14.37

6.74%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$412 BGN 688

69.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,541 BGN 9,254

181.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$62.0 BGN 104

-6.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$33.87 BGN 56.6

4.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$91.6 BGN 153

23.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$102 BGN 170

-14.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$506 BGN 846

21.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$390 BGN 652

14.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$895 BGN 1,495

128.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$639 BGN 1,067

133.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,152 BGN 5,264

19.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,018 BGN 3,371

31.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,222 BGN 2,040

-57.12%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Varna: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $506 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 133% 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 $48.00 in Varna. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $248, 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 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Varna earns 133% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $506 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $412 in Varna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,197 in Varna versus $1,232 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 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.