Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shumen and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Shumen: $913 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Shumen
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Shumen Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Shumen

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$913

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shumen and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in Shumen versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Shumen $913
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,422 in Shumen versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Shumen $1,422
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Shumen versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Shumen $1,931
Phuket $3,154

Living in Shumen costs roughly 29% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shumen 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 BGN 15.99

$4.47 ฿151

104.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.66 BGN 60.7

$32.41 ฿1,093

6.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 BGN 15.99

$8.81 ฿297

3.75%

Cappuccino

$1.69 BGN 2.96

$2.83 ฿95.4

-40.28%

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

$1.43 BGN 2.50

$0.87 ฿29.41

64.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 BGN 1.87

$0.49 ฿16.65

118.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 BGN 5.15

$2.56 ฿86.3

15.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 BGN 5.06

$3.68 ฿124

-21.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 BGN 3.23

$1.66 ฿55.9

10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 BGN 1.89

$1.46 ฿49.31

-26.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 BGN 4.49

$1.50 ฿50.5

71.33%

Eggs

$2.85 BGN 4.98

$2.09 ฿70.5

36.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 BGN 15.94

$19.07 ฿643

-52.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 BGN 8.95

$3.30 ฿111

54.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.86 BGN 15.51

$10.91 ฿368

-18.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 BGN 2.66

$2.93 ฿98.9

-48.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.57

$1.69 ฿57.0

20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 BGN 3.80

$2.25 ฿75.8

-3.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$2.08 ฿70.0

10.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 BGN 3.59

$1.51 ฿51.0

35.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 BGN 2.20

$1.38 ฿46.52

-9.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 BGN 1.53

$1.07 ฿35.96

-17.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.34

$0.52 ฿17.51

48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 BGN 6.41

$4.20 ฿142

-12.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 BGN 12.25

$18.79 ฿634

-62.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 BGN 1.69

$1.82 ฿61.5

-46.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 BGN 2.57

$2.84 ฿95.8

-48.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$1.45 ฿48.98

-39.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.12 BGN 45.72

$56.7 ฿1,912

-53.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$3.02 ฿102

-41.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 BGN 0.93

$1.02 ฿34.33

-48.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 BGN 2.78

$1.47 ฿49.76

8.16%

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

$30.9K BGN 54.1K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

15.46%

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

$22.3K BGN 39.1K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-16.32%

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

$133 BGN 232

$96.4 ฿3,251

37.71%

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

$17.68 BGN 30.94

$11.26 ฿380

57.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.94 BGN 29.64

$16.85 ฿568

0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.15 BGN 66.8

$67.2 ฿2,268

-43.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.41 BGN 19.97

$10.73 ฿362

6.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 BGN 12.32

$7.50 ฿253

-6.13%

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

$561 BGN 982

$476 ฿16.1K

17.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K BGN 18.4K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-6.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.91 BGN 83.8

$62.4 ฿2,104

-23.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 BGN 90.4

$28.41 ฿958

81.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 BGN 165

$94.3 ฿3,181

-0.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 BGN 106

$85.8 ฿2,895

-29.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 BGN 460

$716 ฿24.2K

-63.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 BGN 315

$491 ฿16.6K

-63.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 BGN 748

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-77.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 BGN 584

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-76.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,231 BGN 2,154

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-70.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$997 BGN 1,744

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-67.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,024 BGN 1,792

$502 ฿16.9K

103.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

5.57

-41.65%

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

Last update for Shumen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shumen

$214 23.4%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 24.7% $53

Accommodation & Living

Shumen

$180 19.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 173% $311

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shumen

$167 18.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 25.6% $43

Eating Out

Shumen

$151 16.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 19.6% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Shumen

$114 12.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 6.5% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Shumen

$52 5.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 57.4% $30

Getting Around

Shumen

$34 3.7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 107% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $263 in Shumen and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shumen pays about 2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35 in Shumen vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $214 vs $266, with Shumen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Shumen

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

14:22 2:22 PM

5 h ahead of Shumen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,504

79,308

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shumen Phuket 7,910 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Shumen
Phuket

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

Shumen vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shumen is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Shumen is about 2 times higher, 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: $263 in Shumen versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Shumen versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $913 in Shumen versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Shumen and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.