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: $943 in Shumen versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,474 in Shumen versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,005 in Shumen versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Shumen costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shumen 31% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.72 BGN 16.18

$4.41 ฿147

120.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 BGN 58.3

$32.26 ฿1,077

8.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 BGN 15.17

$8.93 ฿298

2.13%

Cappuccino

$1.81 BGN 3.00

$2.90 ฿96.6

-37.59%

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

$1.47 BGN 2.44

$0.88 ฿29.38

67.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 BGN 1.74

$0.48 ฿16.06

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 BGN 4.83

$2.35 ฿78.5

23.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 BGN 4.82

$3.72 ฿124

-22.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 BGN 3.17

$1.87 ฿62.3

2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 BGN 1.86

$1.47 ฿48.94

-23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 BGN 4.33

$1.55 ฿51.8

67.74%

Eggs

$2.98 BGN 4.96

$2.10 ฿70.1

41.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 BGN 15.91

$19.59 ฿654

-51.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.06 BGN 8.42

$3.42 ฿114

47.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 BGN 15.27

$11.38 ฿380

-19.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 BGN 2.60

$2.98 ฿99.6

-47.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 BGN 3.53

$1.68 ฿56.2

26.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 BGN 3.64

$2.21 ฿73.7

-0.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 BGN 3.78

$2.16 ฿72.1

5.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 BGN 3.47

$1.52 ฿50.9

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 BGN 2.20

$1.34 ฿44.67

-1.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 BGN 1.38

$1.13 ฿37.67

-26.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BGN 1.31

$0.55 ฿18.24

41.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.74 BGN 6.22

$4.26 ฿142

-12.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 BGN 11.95

$19.09 ฿637

-62.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 BGN 1.65

$1.78 ฿59.4

-44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 BGN 2.44

$2.78 ฿92.9

-47.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 BGN 1.53

$2.23 ฿74.4

-58.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.37 BGN 43.86

$22.74 ฿759

15.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 BGN 2.98

$3.03 ฿101

-40.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 BGN 0.86

$1.02 ฿34.15

-49.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 BGN 2.62

$1.49 ฿49.77

6.04%

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

$31.9K BGN 53.0K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

19.84%

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

$23.1K BGN 38.5K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-14.43%

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

$136 BGN 226

$102 ฿3,420

32.56%

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

$18.06 BGN 30.05

$11.33 ฿378

59.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.42 BGN 28.98

$17.40 ฿581

0.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.40 BGN 67.2

$52.1 ฿1,738

-22.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.74 BGN 19.53

$11.07 ฿370

6.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 BGN 11.62

$7.69 ฿257

-9.10%

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

$588 BGN 979

$561 ฿18.7K

4.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K BGN 17.6K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-8.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.68 BGN 82.6

$63.0 ฿2,104

-21.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 BGN 86.2

$29.52 ฿986

75.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 BGN 157

$98.0 ฿3,272

-3.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.7 BGN 106

$88.5 ฿2,954

-28.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 BGN 459

$738 ฿24.6K

-62.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 BGN 310

$482 ฿16.1K

-61.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 BGN 730

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-79.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 BGN 567

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-72.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,261 BGN 2,098

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-65.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,030 BGN 1,714

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-60.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,035 BGN 1,722

$494 ฿16.5K

109.66%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $276 in Shumen and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shumen pays 110% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Shumen vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $219 vs $274, with Shumen cheaper for home cooking.

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, Getting Around. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 110% 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: $276 in Shumen versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $588 in Shumen versus $561 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 $943 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 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.