Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ruse and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $990 in Ruse, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Ruse
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Ruse Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Ruse

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$990

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ruse 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 Ruse and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $990 per month in Ruse vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ruse $990
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,470 per month in Ruse vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ruse $1,470
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,949 per month in Ruse vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ruse $1,949
Chiang Mai $1,903

Ruse costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ruse and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ruse 27% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.07 BGN 15.77

$2.29 ฿76.5

296.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.26 BGN 59.6

$19.64 ฿656

74.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 BGN 16.62

$5.61 ฿188

70.23%

Cappuccino

$1.68 BGN 2.93

$1.66 ฿55.6

1.20%

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

$1.48 BGN 2.58

$0.70 ฿23.40

111.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 BGN 1.45

$0.31 ฿10.24

167.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$2.41 ฿80.4

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 BGN 4.88

$3.71 ฿124

-24.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 BGN 3.04

$1.95 ฿65.3

-10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 BGN 1.76

$1.41 ฿47.03

-28.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 BGN 3.96

$1.31 ฿43.62

74.05%

Eggs

$2.55 BGN 4.43

$2.18 ฿72.9

16.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 BGN 15.54

$16.65 ฿556

-46.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 BGN 13.52

$2.76 ฿92.2

181.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 BGN 25.10

$9.11 ฿304

58.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 BGN 2.44

$2.39 ฿80.0

-41.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 BGN 3.21

$1.03 ฿34.26

79.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 BGN 3.50

$1.63 ฿54.4

23.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 BGN 3.52

$1.50 ฿50.0

34.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 BGN 1.87

$1.29 ฿43.13

-16.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 BGN 1.84

$1.11 ฿37.03

-4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 BGN 2.11

$0.72 ฿24.08

68.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 BGN 1.15

$0.53 ฿17.59

24.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 BGN 5.91

$4.31 ฿144

-21.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.12 BGN 10.66

$17.95 ฿600

-65.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 BGN 1.97

$1.58 ฿52.9

-28.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 BGN 2.04

$2.84 ฿95.0

-58.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BGN 1.46

$0.86 ฿28.86

-2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.93 BGN 27.71

$53.3 ฿1,780

-70.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 BGN 2.17

$1.21 ฿40.29

3.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 BGN 1.06

$0.57 ฿18.99

7.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.22 BGN 17.79

$2.35 ฿78.6

334.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 BGN 2.63

$1.44 ฿47.96

4.86%

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

$30.2K BGN 52.5K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

45.47%

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

$22.6K BGN 39.3K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-15.77%

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

$104 BGN 182

$62.3 ฿2,083

67.38%

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

$17.91 BGN 31.17

$12.11 ฿405

47.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.89 BGN 22.44

$19.94 ฿666

-35.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.68 BGN 55.1

$37.07 ฿1,239

-14.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.80 BGN 15.32

$3.78 ฿126

132.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 BGN 9.74

$6.50 ฿217

-13.85%

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

$518 BGN 902

$793 ฿26.5K

-34.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 BGN 9,363

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-63.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 BGN 88.6

$53.7 ฿1,796

-5.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.15 BGN 48.99

$24.62 ฿823

14.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 BGN 125

$90.9 ฿3,036

-20.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 BGN 152

$71.1 ฿2,378

22.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 BGN 606

$455 ฿15.2K

-23.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 BGN 531

$298 ฿9,954

2.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 BGN 914

$908 ฿30.4K

-42.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 BGN 712

$554 ฿18.5K

-26.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,660 BGN 2,889

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-14.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,210 BGN 2,105

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-16.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$966 BGN 1,681

$591 ฿19.7K

63.52%

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 Ruse: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ruse

$305 30.9%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 2.5% $7.6

Groceries & Markets

Ruse

$230 23.3%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 2.2% $5.1

Eating Out

Ruse

$145 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 45.8% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ruse

$135 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 30.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Ruse

$107 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 0.9% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ruse

$43 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 16.8% $7.2

Getting Around

Ruse

$24 2.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 158% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $348 in Ruse 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 64% higher in Ruse, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Ruse versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in Ruse vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Ruse wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Ruse

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

17:50 5:50 PM

4 h ahead of Ruse

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,798

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

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Highest

Between locations

Ruse Chiang Mai 7,230 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ruse
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

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

Ruse costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,485 per month in Ruse 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 Chiang Mai, 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 Ruse and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Ruse – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Ruse at $990. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ruse it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $990 in Ruse. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ruse makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.