Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliven and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Sliven: $779 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Sliven
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Sliven Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Sliven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$779

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sliven 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 Sliven and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $779 in Sliven versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Sliven $779
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,232 in Sliven versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Sliven $1,232
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,684 in Sliven versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Sliven $1,684
Phuket $2,845

Living in Sliven costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sliven 42% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 BGN 19.78

$4.40 ฿147

158.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.06 BGN 61.0

$32.26 ฿1,078

8.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 BGN 17.74

$8.76 ฿293

16.32%

Cappuccino

$1.79 BGN 3.11

$2.83 ฿94.5

-36.75%

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

$1.25 BGN 2.17

$0.90 ฿30.14

38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 BGN 1.53

$0.47 ฿15.56

87.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 BGN 2.97

$2.55 ฿85.2

-32.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 BGN 4.10

$3.83 ฿128

-38.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$1.73 ฿57.7

-10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 BGN 1.37

$1.47 ฿49.11

-46.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 BGN 4.49

$1.51 ฿50.6

70.86%

Eggs

$2.09 BGN 3.63

$2.17 ฿72.7

-3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 BGN 14.12

$19.70 ฿658

-58.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 BGN 9.57

$3.34 ฿112

64.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 BGN 11.61

$11.16 ฿373

-40.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 BGN 2.56

$2.85 ฿95.1

-48.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.88

$1.70 ฿56.9

-2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.52

$2.19 ฿73.3

-33.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 BGN 3.77

$2.05 ฿68.4

5.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 BGN 0.88

$1.45 ฿48.57

-64.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 BGN 1.53

$1.38 ฿46.16

-36.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 BGN 1.77

$1.07 ฿35.69

-4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 BGN 0.83

$0.51 ฿16.91

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 BGN 6.08

$4.26 ฿142

-18.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 BGN 10.68

$18.58 ฿621

-66.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 BGN 1.77

$1.78 ฿59.7

-43.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 BGN 2.21

$2.85 ฿95.2

-55.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 BGN 1.22

$2.26 ฿75.6

-69.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.80 BGN 60.6

$22.10 ฿738

57.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 BGN 1.96

$3.01 ฿101

-62.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 BGN 1.03

$1.06 ฿35.34

-44.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 BGN 15.16

$3.86 ฿129

125.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 BGN 2.66

$1.45 ฿48.45

5.52%

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

$30.3K BGN 52.7K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

15.02%

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

$22.2K BGN 38.6K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-17.60%

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

$86.7 BGN 151

$96.4 ฿3,221

-10.04%

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

$20.37 BGN 35.44

$11.04 ฿369

84.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.44 BGN 16.43

$17.14 ฿573

-44.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.32 BGN 40.58

$52.2 ฿1,744

-55.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$5.80 BGN 10.09

$7.81 ฿261

-25.74%

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

$508 BGN 885

$556 ฿18.6K

-8.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,395 BGN 11.1K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-44.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 BGN 101

$64.2 ฿2,146

-9.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.56 BGN 39.25

$28.69 ฿959

-21.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 BGN 120

$95.4 ฿3,187

-27.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 BGN 107

$88.0 ฿2,940

-30.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 BGN 402

$737 ฿24.6K

-68.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 BGN 253

$462 ฿15.5K

-68.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 BGN 572

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-84.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 BGN 441

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-78.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,147 BGN 1,996

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-67.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$915 BGN 1,593

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-63.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 BGN 2,306

$501 ฿16.7K

164.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.82

5.57

-49.37%

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

Last update for Sliven: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sliven

$181 23.2%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 48.6% $88

Eating Out

Sliven

$165 21.1%

Phuket

$121 10% 26.4% $43

Accommodation & Living

Sliven

$146 18.7%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 218% $317

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliven

$117 15%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 6.9% $8

Clothing & Footwear

Sliven

$95 12.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 30.8% $29

Getting Around

Sliven

$42 5.4%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 5.4% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Sliven

$35 4.5%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 94.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $231 in Sliven and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliven pays 165% 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 $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $181 vs $269, with Sliven cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Sliven

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

12:41 12:41 PM

5 h ahead of Sliven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,806

79,308

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sliven Phuket 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sliven
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

Sliven vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sliven is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 165% 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: $231 in Sliven versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $508 in Sliven versus $556 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 $779 in Sliven versus $1,208 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.