Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Veliko Tarnovo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Veliko Tarnovo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $971 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,528 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,085 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Veliko Tarnovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Veliko Tarnovo 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$10.37 BGN 17.25

-56.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$40.59 BGN 67.5

13.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$9.09 BGN 15.11

-2.75%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.87 BGN 3.10

63.64%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.38 BGN 2.29

-47.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.66 BGN 1.10

-39.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.93 BGN 3.22

25.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.99 BGN 4.97

26.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.68 BGN 2.80

34.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.91 BGN 1.51

98.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.97 BGN 3.28

14.21%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.28 BGN 5.46

-31.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.50 BGN 15.80

105.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.88 BGN 13.10

-53.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.50 BGN 19.14

13.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.65 BGN 2.75

95.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.06 BGN 3.42

-21.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.01 BGN 3.35

18.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.49 BGN 4.14

-18.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.20 BGN 2.00

27.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.35 BGN 2.25

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.01 BGN 1.67

-2.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.80 BGN 1.32

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.58 BGN 5.95

24.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.64 BGN 11.04

175.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.95 BGN 1.58

95.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.61 BGN 2.68

66.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.86 BGN 1.43

63.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$34.46 BGN 57.3

-66.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.21 BGN 2.01

157.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.62 BGN 1.02

67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$11.97 BGN 19.91

17.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.56 BGN 2.60

-16.03%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$32.0K BGN 53.3K

-13.13%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.1K BGN 43.4K

27.33%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$93.9 BGN 156

30.38%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$16.63 BGN 27.67

-18.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$13.38 BGN 22.26

39.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$35.95 BGN 59.8

68.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$21.78 BGN 36.24

-22.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.00 BGN 11.65

29.57%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$233 BGN 388

203.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,168 BGN 6,934

279.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$43.83 BGN 72.9

33.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.93 BGN 49.78

18.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$82.4 BGN 137

40.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$71.5 BGN 119

17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$364 BGN 606

71.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$254 BGN 422

75.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$577 BGN 960

253.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$435 BGN 724

242.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,514 BGN 4,182

38.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,388 BGN 2,309

85.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$923 BGN 1,536

-45.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.57

16.63%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $364 in Veliko Tarnovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veliko Tarnovo pays 85% 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 $41.00 in Veliko Tarnovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $232 per month, with Veliko Tarnovo 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 Veliko Tarnovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veliko Tarnovo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Veliko Tarnovo. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $364 in Veliko Tarnovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $233 in Veliko Tarnovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $971 in Veliko Tarnovo versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Veliko Tarnovo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Veliko Tarnovo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Veliko Tarnovo 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 Veliko Tarnovo 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 Veliko Tarnovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.