Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Veliko Tarnovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliko Tarnovo: $1,006 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Veliko Tarnovo
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Veliko Tarnovo Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Veliko Tarnovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Veliko Tarnovo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Veliko Tarnovo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Phuket $1,207
Veliko Tarnovo $1,006

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,574 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Phuket $2,037
Veliko Tarnovo $1,574

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $2,141 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Phuket $2,867
Veliko Tarnovo $2,141

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than in Veliko Tarnovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Veliko Tarnovo 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$11.12 BGN 19.35

-58.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$39.76 BGN 69.2

-18.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$9.61 BGN 16.73

-11.03%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.85 BGN 3.21

47.03%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.31 BGN 2.29

-28.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.88 BGN 1.53

-44.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.03 BGN 3.53

27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.79 BGN 4.85

37.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.86 BGN 3.23

-6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.05 BGN 1.83

36.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$2.48 BGN 4.31

-38.31%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.67 BGN 6.39

-40.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$10.17 BGN 17.70

88.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$8.00 BGN 13.92

-58.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$12.43 BGN 21.63

-10.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$1.60 BGN 2.78

84.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.05 BGN 3.57

-18.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.96 BGN 3.41

17.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$2.58 BGN 4.48

-17.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.09 BGN 1.90

40.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.17 BGN 2.04

16.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.98 BGN 1.70

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.73 BGN 1.27

-24.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.10 BGN 7.13

3.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$6.72 BGN 11.69

170.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.21 BGN 2.10

43.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.61 BGN 2.79

73.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.90 BGN 1.56

146.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$23.23 BGN 40.42

-5.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.16 BGN 2.02

150.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.67 BGN 1.17

50.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$11.18 BGN 19.46

-65.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.56 BGN 2.71

-4.49%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

-12.57%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$30.6K BGN 53.3K

-12.76%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$95.9 BGN 167

3.67%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$18.81 BGN 32.73

-40.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$15.86 BGN 27.59

9.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$30.50 BGN 53.1

71.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$19.69 BGN 34.26

-44.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$6.91 BGN 12.02

9.55%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$46.95 BGN 81.7

33.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$30.58 BGN 53.2

-6.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$122 BGN 213

-21.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$93.1 BGN 162

-5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$351 BGN 611

107.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$260 BGN 453

76.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$572 BGN 995

266.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$420 BGN 731

191.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$2,407 BGN 4,187

43.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,364 BGN 2,373

82.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$952 BGN 1,657

-48.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.74

103.28%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Veliko Tarnovo

$260 25.9% 43.4% $200

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Veliko Tarnovo

$244 24.2% 9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Veliko Tarnovo

$131 13% 2% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Veliko Tarnovo

$132 13.1% 6.2% $7.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Veliko Tarnovo

$164 16.3% 35.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Veliko Tarnovo

$44 4.4% 34.3% $23

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Veliko Tarnovo

$31 3.1% 19.4% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $351 in Veliko Tarnovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veliko Tarnovo pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Veliko Tarnovo. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $244, with Veliko Tarnovo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇬 Veliko Tarnovo

🕒 Local time

22:52 10:52 PM

18:52 6:52 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

71,150

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Veliko Tarnovo 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Veliko Tarnovo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, leisure, and transport. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 93% 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: $729 in Phuket versus $351 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 $40.00 versus $32.00 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 5% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo versus $1,207 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 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.