Cost of Living Comparison Between Shumen and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Shumen and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $889 in Shumen versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,376 in Shumen versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,862 in Shumen versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Shumen costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shumen 33% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.49 BGN 15.80

$4.48 ฿150

111.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.38 BGN 48.87

$45.59 ฿1,521

-35.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 BGN 14.41

$8.76 ฿292

-1.14%

Cappuccino

$1.70 BGN 2.83

$2.97 ฿99.0

-42.76%

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

$1.37 BGN 2.28

$0.69 ฿22.90

98.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.19

$0.39 ฿13.04

82.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 BGN 3.34

$2.53 ฿84.4

-20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 BGN 3.87

$3.75 ฿125

-37.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 BGN 2.73

$2.15 ฿71.6

-23.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 BGN 1.59

$1.82 ฿60.6

-47.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 BGN 3.18

$2.18 ฿72.9

-12.39%

Eggs

$3.08 BGN 5.12

$2.25 ฿75.0

36.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 BGN 15.66

$20.00 ฿667

-52.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 BGN 9.37

$3.63 ฿121

55.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 BGN 19.51

$13.56 ฿452

-13.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 BGN 2.93

$3.24 ฿108

-45.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.41

$1.64 ฿54.6

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 BGN 3.42

$2.33 ฿77.8

-11.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 BGN 3.74

$2.07 ฿69.1

8.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.42

$1.55 ฿51.6

-6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 BGN 2.21

$1.46 ฿48.54

-8.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 BGN 1.54

$0.98 ฿32.86

-5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 BGN 1.31

$0.48 ฿16.09

64.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 BGN 5.94

$4.35 ฿145

-17.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 BGN 12.00

$18.57 ฿620

-61.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 BGN 1.55

$1.86 ฿61.9

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 BGN 2.68

$2.65 ฿88.6

-39.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.45

$1.42 ฿47.28

-38.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.71 BGN 44.44

$11.57 ฿386

130.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 BGN 2.08

$3.17 ฿106

-60.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 BGN 0.51

$1.03 ฿34.41

-69.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.36 BGN 22.22

$13.89 ฿463

-3.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 BGN 2.47

$1.34 ฿44.84

11.19%

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

$32.0K BGN 53.2K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

15.00%

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

$25.2K BGN 41.9K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-24.56%

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

$96.4 BGN 160

$123 ฿4,105

-21.70%

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

$16.33 BGN 27.16

$13.77 ฿459

18.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.90 BGN 23.13

$18.33 ฿611

-24.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.73 BGN 66.1

$60.7 ฿2,025

-34.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.67 BGN 19.41

$17.16 ฿573

-31.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 BGN 11.54

$8.87 ฿296

-21.76%

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

$237 BGN 394

$688 ฿22.9K

-65.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K BGN 17.6K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-33.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 BGN 90.6

$59.3 ฿1,978

-8.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.57 BGN 69.2

$34.69 ฿1,157

19.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 BGN 138

$115 ฿3,843

-27.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 BGN 120

$83.8 ฿2,794

-13.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 BGN 452

$621 ฿20.7K

-56.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 BGN 314

$446 ฿14.9K

-57.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 BGN 844

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-75.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 BGN 542

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-78.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,289 BGN 2,144

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-62.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 BGN 1,691

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-59.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,034 BGN 1,719

$494 ฿16.5K

109.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

5.33

-14.26%

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

Last update for Shumen: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $272 in Shumen and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shumen pays 109% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Shumen vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $291 per month, with Shumen 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

Shumen vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shumen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 109% higher in Shumen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $272 in Shumen versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $237 in Shumen versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $889 in Shumen versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shumen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shumen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shumen 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, Shumen and Phuket 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 Shumen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.