Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Popovo and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living costs are similar in Popovo and in Chiang Mai: $911 and $925 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Popovo
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Popovo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Popovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$911

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Popovo and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $911 per month in Popovo vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Popovo $911
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,380 per month in Popovo vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Popovo $1,380
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,849 per month in Popovo vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Popovo $1,849
Chiang Mai $1,903

Popovo is about 2% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Popovo and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Popovo 33% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.53 BGN 14.84

$2.29 ฿76.5

272.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.74 BGN 50.0

$19.64 ฿656

46.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 BGN 12.25

$5.61 ฿188

25.49%

Cappuccino

$1.16 BGN 2.02

$1.66 ฿55.6

-30.12%

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

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$0.70 ฿23.40

2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 BGN 2.71

$0.31 ฿10.24

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 BGN 4.39

$2.41 ฿80.4

4.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 BGN 7.42

$3.71 ฿124

15.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 BGN 2.51

$1.95 ฿65.3

-26.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$1.41 ฿47.03

-26.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 BGN 3.68

$1.31 ฿43.62

61.83%

Eggs

$2.55 BGN 4.43

$2.18 ฿72.9

16.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 BGN 11.84

$16.65 ฿556

-59.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 BGN 13.84

$2.76 ฿92.2

188.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 BGN 24.34

$9.11 ฿304

53.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 BGN 2.53

$2.39 ฿80.0

-38.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 BGN 2.51

$1.03 ฿34.26

39.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 BGN 2.42

$1.63 ฿54.4

-14.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 BGN 3.70

$1.50 ฿50.0

42.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 BGN 1.82

$1.29 ฿43.13

-18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 BGN 1.81

$1.11 ฿37.03

-6.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 BGN 2.09

$0.72 ฿24.08

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 BGN 1.33

$0.53 ฿17.59

43.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 BGN 6.65

$4.31 ฿144

-11.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 BGN 10.84

$17.95 ฿600

-65.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 BGN 1.46

$1.58 ฿52.9

-46.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 BGN 3.53

$2.84 ฿95.0

-28.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BGN 1.46

$0.86 ฿28.86

-2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.48 BGN 42.60

$53.3 ฿1,780

-54.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$1.21 ฿40.29

-51.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$0.57 ฿18.99

3.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 BGN 13.40

$2.35 ฿78.6

227.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 BGN 2.72

$1.44 ฿47.96

8.33%

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

$28.7K BGN 50.0K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

38.52%

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

$22.1K BGN 38.4K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-17.68%

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

$113 BGN 197

$62.3 ฿2,083

82.06%

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

$18.33 BGN 31.90

$12.11 ฿405

51.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.37 BGN 26.75

$19.94 ฿666

-22.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.26 BGN 35.26

$37.07 ฿1,239

-45.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 BGN 29.83

$3.78 ฿126

353.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 BGN 10.82

$6.50 ฿217

-4.31%

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

$518 BGN 901

$793 ฿26.5K

-34.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,408 BGN 9,410

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-63.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 BGN 88.3

$53.7 ฿1,796

-5.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 BGN 70.1

$24.62 ฿823

63.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 BGN 121

$90.9 ฿3,036

-23.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.17 BGN 80.3

$71.1 ฿2,378

-35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 BGN 571

$455 ฿15.2K

-27.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 BGN 445

$298 ฿9,954

-14.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 BGN 952

$908 ฿30.4K

-39.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 BGN 707

$554 ฿18.5K

-26.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,337 BGN 2,326

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-30.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,062 BGN 1,848

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-26.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,261 BGN 2,194

$591 ฿19.7K

113.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

5.57

-44.34%

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

Last update for Popovo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Popovo

$256 28.1%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 16.6% $42

Groceries & Markets

Popovo

$218 23.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 8.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Popovo

$147 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 35.9% $53

Eating Out

Popovo

$134 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 41.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Popovo

$93 10.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 16.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Popovo

$33 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 53.1% $17

Getting Around

Popovo

$31 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 93.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $328 in Popovo versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 113% higher in Popovo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Popovo versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $218 in Popovo vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Popovo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Popovo

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:53 1:53 PM

17:53 5:53 PM

4 h ahead of Popovo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,878

127,240

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Popovo Chiang Mai 7,210 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Popovo
Chiang Mai

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

Popovo vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 2% more than Popovo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,367 per month in Popovo and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Popovo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $518 per month in Popovo and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Popovo, where all-in costs run around $911, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Popovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Popovo costs $911 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Popovo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.