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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,223 in Varna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,849 in Varna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,476 in Varna.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Varna 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$11.69 BGN 19.45

-61.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$47.30 BGN 78.7

-3.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.07 BGN 15.09

-3.42%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.47 BGN 4.12

20.24%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.73 BGN 2.87

-60.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.32 BGN 2.19

-70.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.89 BGN 4.80

-12.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.93 BGN 4.88

27.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.79 BGN 2.98

20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.03 BGN 1.71

76.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.44 BGN 4.05

-10.66%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.44 BGN 5.73

-34.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.79 BGN 17.95

85.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.10 BGN 13.47

-55.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$12.26 BGN 20.40

10.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.69 BGN 2.80

91.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.04 BGN 3.40

-19.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.87 BGN 3.10

24.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.73 BGN 4.54

-24.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.20 BGN 2.00

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.14 BGN 1.89

28.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.00 BGN 1.66

-2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.74 BGN 1.23

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.74 BGN 6.22

16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.68 BGN 14.44

113.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.11 BGN 1.85

67.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.91 BGN 3.18

38.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.16 BGN 1.93

22.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$29.23 BGN 48.62

-60.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.35 BGN 2.25

134.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.72 BGN 1.19

43.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$12.42 BGN 20.67

11.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.50 BGN 2.50

-10.67%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$32.3K BGN 53.8K

-14.07%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$29.5K BGN 49.1K

13.15%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$124 BGN 207

-1.13%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$18.60 BGN 30.94

-25.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$15.89 BGN 26.43

15.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$41.68 BGN 69.3

45.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$14.85 BGN 24.70

15.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$8.94 BGN 14.87

-0.78%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$413 BGN 687

66.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$5,503 BGN 9,156

186.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$60.4 BGN 100

-1.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$33.21 BGN 55.3

4.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$92.6 BGN 154

24.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$102 BGN 170

-17.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$510 BGN 848

21.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$389 BGN 647

14.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$893 BGN 1,485

127.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$650 BGN 1,082

130.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$3,269 BGN 5,438

5.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,167 BGN 3,606

16.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,207 BGN 2,008

-59.11%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Varna: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $510 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 145% 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 $47.00 in Varna. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $249, 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, salaries run 145% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $510 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 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 17% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,223 in Varna versus $1,264 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.