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: $814 in Sliven versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,284 in Sliven versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,754 in Sliven versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Sliven costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sliven 41% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 BGN 19.86

$4.66 ฿153

156.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.86 BGN 59.7

$32.22 ฿1,059

11.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 BGN 17.43

$8.68 ฿285

20.74%

Cappuccino

$1.93 BGN 3.21

$2.90 ฿95.3

-33.45%

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

$1.28 BGN 2.12

$0.84 ฿27.75

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 BGN 1.51

$0.49 ฿16.08

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 BGN 2.89

$2.48 ฿81.6

-29.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 BGN 3.86

$3.73 ฿123

-37.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 BGN 2.65

$1.89 ฿62.0

-15.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 BGN 1.32

$1.41 ฿46.31

-43.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 BGN 4.68

$1.62 ฿53.3

73.46%

Eggs

$2.24 BGN 3.73

$2.24 ฿73.7

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 BGN 13.44

$19.84 ฿652

-59.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 BGN 9.29

$3.48 ฿114

60.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.66 BGN 11.08

$11.37 ฿374

-41.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 BGN 2.55

$2.90 ฿95.3

-47.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 BGN 2.77

$1.72 ฿56.7

-3.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.41

$2.27 ฿74.7

-36.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 BGN 3.66

$2.13 ฿70.1

3.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 BGN 0.85

$1.47 ฿48.49

-65.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 BGN 1.43

$1.42 ฿46.69

-39.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 BGN 1.81

$1.10 ฿36.08

-0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 BGN 0.81

$0.60 ฿19.66

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 BGN 6.05

$4.31 ฿142

-15.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 BGN 10.59

$18.60 ฿612

-65.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 BGN 1.83

$1.80 ฿59.2

-38.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 BGN 2.24

$2.97 ฿97.5

-54.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 BGN 1.13

$2.25 ฿73.8

-69.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.20 BGN 61.9

$23.49 ฿772

58.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 BGN 2.02

$3.10 ฿102

-60.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 BGN 1.00

$1.08 ฿35.39

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.66 BGN 14.41

$3.87 ฿127

123.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 BGN 2.57

$1.43 ฿46.93

8.39%

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

$30.8K BGN 51.2K

$27.8K ฿913.6K

10.78%

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

$23.3K BGN 38.7K

$27.0K ฿887.2K

-13.73%

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

$87.8 BGN 146

$105 ฿3,446

-16.27%

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

$21.17 BGN 35.21

$11.39 ฿375

85.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.25 BGN 15.39

$17.54 ฿577

-47.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.00 BGN 39.93

$54.3 ฿1,787

-55.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿376

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 BGN 9.92

$7.78 ฿256

-23.26%

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

$529 BGN 880

$576 ฿19.0K

-8.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,434 BGN 10.7K

$11.6K ฿380.8K

-44.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 BGN 97.8

$63.6 ฿2,092

-7.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.13 BGN 40.14

$29.10 ฿957

-17.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 BGN 119

$96.2 ฿3,164

-25.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.8 BGN 108

$90.0 ฿2,960

-28.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 BGN 392

$733 ฿24.1K

-67.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 BGN 243

$501 ฿16.5K

-70.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 BGN 565

$2,126 ฿69.9K

-84.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 BGN 447

$1,252 ฿41.2K

-78.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,174 BGN 1,954

$3,534 ฿116.2K

-66.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$966 BGN 1,607

$2,622 ฿86.2K

-63.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,383 BGN 2,301

$508 ฿16.7K

172.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.87

5.57

-48.47%

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

Last update for Sliven: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $235 in Sliven and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliven pays 172% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Sliven vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $275, with Sliven 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

Sliven vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliven is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 172% 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: $235 in Sliven versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $529 in Sliven versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $814 in Sliven versus $1,265 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 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.