Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stara Zagora and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living costs are similar in Stara Zagora and in Chiang Mai: $864 and $906 a month, rent and utilities included.

42

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
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Stara Zagora Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$864

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stara Zagora and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $864 per month in Stara Zagora vs $906 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Stara Zagora $864
Chiang Mai $906

A couple spends around $1,394 per month in Stara Zagora vs $1,385 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,394
Chiang Mai $1,385

A family of three spends $1,924 per month in Stara Zagora vs $1,864 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Stara Zagora $1,924
Chiang Mai $1,864

Stara Zagora is about 5% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Stara Zagora and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Stara Zagora 36% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.36 BGN 18.13

$2.13 ฿71.4

386.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 BGN 88.8

$19.40 ฿649

161.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 BGN 15.38

$5.47 ฿183

60.69%

Cappuccino

$2.33 BGN 4.08

$1.68 ฿56.4

38.69%

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

$1.51 BGN 2.65

$0.66 ฿22.10

128.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$0.34 ฿11.52

158.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 BGN 4.02

$2.42 ฿81.0

-4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 BGN 3.49

$3.73 ฿125

-46.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 BGN 3.13

$2.06 ฿68.9

-13.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 BGN 1.54

$1.46 ฿48.78

-39.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.54

$1.35 ฿45.09

7.41%

Eggs

$2.37 BGN 4.14

$2.27 ฿76.0

4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 BGN 16.22

$16.31 ฿546

-43.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 BGN 11.58

$2.70 ฿90.3

145.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 BGN 15.04

$9.20 ฿308

-6.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 BGN 2.31

$2.39 ฿80.1

-44.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 BGN 3.00

$1.04 ฿34.66

64.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 BGN 3.08

$1.60 ฿53.7

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 BGN 3.46

$1.44 ฿48.37

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BGN 1.77

$1.30 ฿43.59

-22.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 BGN 1.33

$1.11 ฿37.29

-31.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 BGN 0.95

$0.70 ฿23.55

-22.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 BGN 1.11

$0.51 ฿16.99

25.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 BGN 6.64

$4.13 ฿138

-8.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 BGN 8.82

$17.78 ฿595

-71.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 BGN 2.00

$1.63 ฿54.7

-30.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 BGN 2.99

$2.87 ฿96.0

-40.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$0.86 ฿28.76

3.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.61 BGN 32.56

$53.2 ฿1,780

-64.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 BGN 2.29

$1.22 ฿40.81

7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 BGN 1.12

$0.56 ฿18.81

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.52 BGN 20.16

$2.31 ฿77.5

398.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 BGN 2.81

$1.50 ฿50.2

6.67%

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

$30.6K BGN 53.6K

$20.9K ฿698.3K

46.80%

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

$22.3K BGN 39.1K

$26.7K ฿895.0K

-16.40%

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

$93.2 BGN 163

$61.3 ฿2,051

52.19%

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

$14.82 BGN 25.93

$12.50 ฿419

18.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.33 BGN 21.57

$20.36 ฿682

-39.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.49 BGN 46.36

$37.94 ฿1,270

-30.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.22 BGN 37.14

$3.77 ฿126

462.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 BGN 15.16

$6.60 ฿221

31.21%

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

$234 BGN 410

$774 ฿25.9K

-69.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,272 BGN 3,975

$14.4K ฿483.2K

-84.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.04 BGN 54.3

$54.8 ฿1,835

-43.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.21 BGN 33.62

$25.26 ฿846

-23.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.9 BGN 112

$90.6 ฿3,032

-29.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.7 BGN 90.5

$73.3 ฿2,453

-29.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 BGN 522

$459 ฿15.4K

-34.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 BGN 438

$294 ฿9,835

-14.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 BGN 865

$919 ฿30.8K

-46.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 BGN 692

$552 ฿18.5K

-28.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,449 BGN 2,536

$1,917 ฿64.2K

-24.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,064 BGN 1,861

$1,445 ฿48.4K

-26.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 BGN 1,852

$592 ฿19.8K

78.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

5.57

-46.32%

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

Last update for Stara Zagora: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stara Zagora

$250 28.7%

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8% 17.3% $43

Groceries & Markets

Stara Zagora

$196 22.4%

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6% 20.4% $40

Eating Out

Stara Zagora

$162 18.6%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4% 52.4% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stara Zagora

$120 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 21.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Stara Zagora

$75 8.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9% 47.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Stara Zagora

$44 5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 16.7% $7.3

Getting Around

Stara Zagora

$27 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 127% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $298 in Stara Zagora versus $459 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 79% higher in Stara Zagora, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Stara Zagora versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Stara Zagora vs $236 in Chiang Mai – so Stara Zagora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

20:06 8:06 PM

4 h ahead of Stara Zagora

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,266

127,240

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Stara Zagora Chiang Mai 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Stara Zagora
Chiang Mai

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

Stara Zagora vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Stara Zagora, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,296 per month in Stara Zagora and $1,359 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stara Zagora, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $234 per month in Stara Zagora and $774 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Stara Zagora, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Chiang Mai at $906. In Stara Zagora it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Stara Zagora costs $864 versus $906 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Stara Zagora. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.