Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stara Zagora and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $908 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
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Stara Zagora Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$908

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $908 in Stara Zagora versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Stara Zagora $908
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Stara Zagora versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Stara Zagora $1,415
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Stara Zagora versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Stara Zagora $1,921
Phuket $3,154

Living in Stara Zagora costs roughly 29% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Stara Zagora 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.38 BGN 18.16

$4.47 ฿151

132.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 BGN 90.5

$32.41 ฿1,094

59.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 BGN 16.02

$8.81 ฿297

3.86%

Cappuccino

$2.34 BGN 4.09

$2.83 ฿95.4

-17.31%

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

$1.50 BGN 2.62

$0.87 ฿29.42

72.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 BGN 1.52

$0.49 ฿16.66

77.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 BGN 3.87

$2.56 ฿86.3

-13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 BGN 3.56

$3.68 ฿124

-44.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 BGN 3.02

$1.66 ฿56.0

4.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 BGN 1.51

$1.46 ฿49.32

-41.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.54

$1.50 ฿50.5

-3.33%

Eggs

$2.36 BGN 4.12

$2.09 ฿70.5

12.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 BGN 16.42

$19.07 ฿643

-50.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 BGN 11.18

$3.30 ฿111

93.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 BGN 15.03

$10.91 ฿368

-21.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 BGN 2.19

$2.93 ฿98.9

-57.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 BGN 2.98

$1.69 ฿57.0

0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 BGN 3.08

$2.25 ฿75.8

-21.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 BGN 3.38

$2.08 ฿70.1

-7.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 BGN 1.74

$1.51 ฿51.0

-33.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 BGN 1.26

$1.38 ฿46.54

-47.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BGN 0.97

$1.07 ฿35.97

-48.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 BGN 1.10

$0.52 ฿17.51

21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 BGN 6.38

$4.20 ฿142

-13.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 BGN 9.18

$18.79 ฿634

-72.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 BGN 1.91

$1.82 ฿61.5

-40.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 BGN 3.03

$2.84 ฿95.9

-39.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 BGN 1.49

$1.45 ฿49.00

-41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.45 BGN 35.79

$56.7 ฿1,912

-63.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 BGN 2.26

$3.02 ฿102

-57.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 BGN 1.13

$1.02 ฿34.34

-37.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.40 BGN 19.95

$3.69 ฿125

208.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 BGN 2.75

$1.47 ฿49.78

6.80%

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

$29.7K BGN 52.0K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

11.03%

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

$23.5K BGN 41.1K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-12.05%

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

$91.4 BGN 160

$96.4 ฿3,252

-5.18%

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

$14.59 BGN 25.53

$11.26 ฿380

29.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.26 BGN 21.46

$16.85 ฿569

-27.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.21 BGN 58.1

$67.2 ฿2,269

-50.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.06 BGN 36.86

$10.73 ฿362

96.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 BGN 15.55

$7.50 ฿253

18.53%

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

$227 BGN 398

$476 ฿16.1K

-52.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,270 BGN 3,972

$11.3K ฿380.1K

-79.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.35 BGN 53.1

$62.4 ฿2,105

-51.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.39 BGN 33.93

$28.41 ฿959

-31.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.0 BGN 112

$94.3 ฿3,182

-32.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.9 BGN 90.8

$85.8 ฿2,896

-39.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 BGN 577

$716 ฿24.2K

-53.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 BGN 489

$491 ฿16.6K

-43.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 BGN 871

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-74.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 BGN 699

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-72.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,506 BGN 2,635

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-63.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,109 BGN 1,941

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-63.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 BGN 1,867

$502 ฿17.0K

112.35%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stara Zagora

$279 30.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 75.8% $212

Groceries & Markets

Stara Zagora

$194 21.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 37.4% $73

Eating Out

Stara Zagora

$163 18%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 25.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stara Zagora

$118 13%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 5.3% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Stara Zagora

$75 8.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 63.5% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Stara Zagora

$51 5.6%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 61.3% $31

Getting Around

Stara Zagora

$28 3.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 149% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $330 in Stara Zagora and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stara Zagora pays about 2.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52 in Stara Zagora vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $266, with Stara Zagora cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

15:06 3:06 PM

5 h ahead of Stara Zagora

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,266

79,308

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Stara Zagora Phuket 8,000 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Stara Zagora
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

Stara Zagora vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stara Zagora is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Stara Zagora is about 2.1 times higher, 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: $330 in Stara Zagora versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $227 in Stara Zagora versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $908 in Stara Zagora versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Stara Zagora but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Stara Zagora the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Stara Zagora and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.