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: $878 in Shumen versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,375 in Shumen versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,872 in Shumen versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Shumen costs roughly 29% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shumen 34% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.76 BGN 16.30

$4.63 ฿151

110.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.01 BGN 50.1

$46.84 ฿1,523

-35.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 BGN 14.47

$8.84 ฿287

-2.04%

Cappuccino

$1.66 BGN 2.77

$3.00 ฿97.4

-44.67%

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

$1.38 BGN 2.30

$0.74 ฿24.11

86.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 BGN 1.16

$0.37 ฿11.88

89.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 BGN 3.31

$2.44 ฿79.3

-18.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 BGN 3.95

$3.61 ฿117

-34.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 BGN 2.81

$2.26 ฿73.5

-25.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 BGN 1.60

$1.84 ฿59.8

-47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 BGN 3.13

$2.24 ฿73.0

-16.52%

Eggs

$3.02 BGN 5.04

$2.32 ฿75.3

30.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 BGN 16.19

$19.67 ฿639

-50.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 BGN 9.85

$3.65 ฿119

61.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 BGN 19.26

$13.10 ฿426

-11.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 BGN 2.93

$3.39 ฿110

-48.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 BGN 3.46

$1.64 ฿53.4

26.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.42

$2.41 ฿78.5

-14.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 BGN 3.81

$2.03 ฿66.0

12.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 BGN 2.50

$1.56 ฿50.6

-3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 BGN 2.30

$1.50 ฿48.66

-8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 BGN 1.62

$1.02 ฿33.30

-4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 BGN 1.31

$0.49 ฿15.91

61.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 BGN 6.07

$4.45 ฿145

-18.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 BGN 12.15

$18.88 ฿614

-61.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 BGN 1.67

$1.78 ฿57.7

-43.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 BGN 2.70

$2.75 ฿89.5

-41.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.48

$1.40 ฿45.54

-36.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.38 BGN 44.06

$11.48 ฿373

129.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 BGN 2.10

$3.12 ฿101

-59.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 BGN 0.51

$1.00 ฿32.48

-69.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.29 BGN 22.20

$14.09 ฿458

-5.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 BGN 2.49

$1.35 ฿43.93

10.37%

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

$32.6K BGN 54.5K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

19.96%

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

$25.6K BGN 42.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-22.10%

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

$95.1 BGN 159

$125 ฿4,063

-23.88%

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

$16.85 BGN 28.14

$13.57 ฿441

24.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.05 BGN 23.46

$18.52 ฿602

-24.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.44 BGN 65.9

$61.5 ฿1,999

-35.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.87 BGN 19.82

$16.84 ฿547

-29.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 BGN 11.98

$9.19 ฿299

-21.98%

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

$235 BGN 392

$698 ฿22.7K

-66.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K BGN 17.7K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-32.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 BGN 91.2

$57.8 ฿1,878

-5.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.70 BGN 69.6

$35.24 ฿1,146

18.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 BGN 139

$113 ฿3,677

-26.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.4 BGN 121

$86.4 ฿2,808

-16.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 BGN 464

$616 ฿20.0K

-54.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 BGN 315

$446 ฿14.5K

-57.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 BGN 826

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-75.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 BGN 541

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-78.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,299 BGN 2,169

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-65.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,039 BGN 1,735

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-60.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,053 BGN 1,759

$524 ฿17.0K

101.04%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Shumen and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shumen pays 101% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shumen vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $292 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 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Shumen pays 101% more on average, 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: $278 in Shumen versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $235 in Shumen versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $878 in Shumen versus $1,232 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 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.