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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,070 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,686 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,302 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than in Veliko Tarnovo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Veliko Tarnovo 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$11.80 BGN 19.62

-61.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$48.39 BGN 80.5

-32.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$10.21 BGN 16.99

-12.83%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.06 BGN 3.43

35.92%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$1.33 BGN 2.22

-33.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$1.08 BGN 1.80

-54.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.82 BGN 3.03

31.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.04 BGN 5.06

22.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.98 BGN 3.30

-9.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.04 BGN 1.74

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$2.74 BGN 4.56

-42.34%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.43 BGN 5.71

-37.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$10.86 BGN 18.07

83.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$8.45 BGN 14.05

-59.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$13.24 BGN 22.03

-14.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.68 BGN 2.79

75.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.02 BGN 3.36

-14.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$2.04 BGN 3.40

13.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.74 BGN 4.56

-24.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$1.13 BGN 1.88

30.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.24 BGN 2.07

9.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.05 BGN 1.75

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.80 BGN 1.33

-28.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.11 BGN 6.83

3.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$6.72 BGN 11.18

174.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.20 BGN 2.00

55.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.71 BGN 2.85

70.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.91 BGN 1.52

143.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$23.67 BGN 39.37

-3.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.21 BGN 2.01

150.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.72 BGN 1.20

48.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$12.05 BGN 20.04

-67.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.52 BGN 2.52

-1.97%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$31.7K BGN 52.7K

-14.34%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$31.8K BGN 53.0K

-13.76%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$107 BGN 179

-4.29%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$19.33 BGN 32.16

-43.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$14.59 BGN 24.27

20.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$31.04 BGN 51.6

72.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$21.21 BGN 35.28

-47.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$7.34 BGN 12.21

1.91%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$49.30 BGN 82.0

29.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$32.21 BGN 53.6

-9.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$128 BGN 213

-24.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$99.4 BGN 165

-9.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$365 BGN 608

99.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$272 BGN 452

83.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$593 BGN 987

252.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$438 BGN 729

176.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,510 BGN 4,176

43.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,386 BGN 2,305

81.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$953 BGN 1,586

-47.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.18

75.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $365 in Veliko Tarnovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veliko Tarnovo pays 89% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $48.00 in Veliko Tarnovo. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $254, with Veliko Tarnovo 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 Veliko Tarnovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 89% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $365 in Veliko Tarnovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Veliko Tarnovo – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Veliko Tarnovo runs roughly 3% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,070 in Veliko Tarnovo versus $1,253 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 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.