Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliven and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliven and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $763 in Sliven versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,234 in Sliven versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,706 in Sliven versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Sliven costs roughly 39% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sliven 43% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.96 BGN 14.91

$4.55 ฿153

96.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.15 BGN 58.5

$46.18 ฿1,554

-23.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 BGN 14.65

$8.84 ฿298

-0.34%

Cappuccino

$1.93 BGN 3.20

$3.06 ฿103

-36.93%

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

$1.32 BGN 2.20

$0.73 ฿24.42

80.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 BGN 1.46

$0.40 ฿13.40

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 BGN 3.02

$2.43 ฿81.8

-25.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 BGN 3.89

$3.78 ฿127

-38.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 BGN 2.61

$2.26 ฿76.0

-30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 BGN 1.40

$1.81 ฿60.9

-53.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 BGN 3.65

$2.25 ฿75.8

-2.67%

Eggs

$2.25 BGN 3.74

$2.25 ฿75.6

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 BGN 13.35

$19.51 ฿656

-58.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.49 BGN 9.13

$3.65 ฿123

50.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.96 BGN 11.59

$13.05 ฿439

-46.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 BGN 2.48

$3.23 ฿109

-53.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.83

$1.62 ฿54.4

4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 BGN 2.37

$2.38 ฿80.2

-39.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 BGN 3.68

$2.03 ฿68.2

8.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 BGN 0.87

$1.53 ฿51.6

-66.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 BGN 1.48

$1.50 ฿50.5

-40.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 BGN 1.75

$0.98 ฿32.93

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 BGN 0.81

$0.52 ฿17.40

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 BGN 5.98

$4.44 ฿149

-18.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 BGN 10.12

$18.32 ฿616

-66.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 BGN 1.78

$1.86 ฿62.7

-42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 BGN 2.14

$2.68 ฿90.2

-52.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 BGN 1.14

$1.41 ฿47.49

-51.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.52 BGN 60.8

$11.70 ฿394

212.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 BGN 1.91

$3.11 ฿105

-63.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 BGN 1.23

$1.04 ฿35.08

-28.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 BGN 14.29

$14.11 ฿475

-39.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.49

$1.31 ฿44.13

14.50%

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

$32.7K BGN 54.5K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

17.73%

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

$28.0K BGN 46.5K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-15.76%

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

$86.8 BGN 144

$122 ฿4,120

-29.12%

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

$17.78 BGN 29.57

$13.59 ฿457

30.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.46 BGN 15.73

$18.70 ฿629

-49.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.71 BGN 39.44

$60.5 ฿2,035

-60.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.85 BGN 24.71

$16.98 ฿572

-12.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 BGN 9.89

$9.07 ฿305

-34.40%

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

$430 BGN 715

$706 ฿23.8K

-39.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,076 BGN 11.8K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-55.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 BGN 98.0

$58.6 ฿1,970

0.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.14 BGN 38.50

$35.36 ฿1,190

-34.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 BGN 118

$115 ฿3,885

-38.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.2 BGN 104

$83.7 ฿2,818

-25.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 BGN 398

$626 ฿21.1K

-61.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 BGN 241

$445 ฿15.0K

-67.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 BGN 565

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-83.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 BGN 444

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-82.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,159 BGN 1,929

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-66.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$954 BGN 1,587

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-62.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 BGN 2,211

$500 ฿16.8K

165.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

5.33

-20.26%

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

Last update for Sliven: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $239 in Sliven and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliven pays 166% 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 Sliven vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $289 per month, with Sliven 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

Sliven vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliven is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 166% higher in Sliven, 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: $239 in Sliven versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $430 in Sliven versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $763 in Sliven versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sliven but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sliven the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sliven 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, Sliven 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 Sliven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.