Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat Thani and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat Thani: $775 a month against $965 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bansko outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

38

Cost of Living Index in Surat Thani
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Surat Thani Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$775

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surat Thani and in Bansko

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

A single person spends $775 per month in Surat Thani vs $965 in Bansko, rent included.

Surat Thani $775
Bansko $965

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Surat Thani vs $1,481 in Bansko, rent included.

Surat Thani $1,414
Bansko $1,481

A family of three spends $2,053 per month in Surat Thani vs $1,998 in Bansko, rent included.

Surat Thani $2,053
Bansko $1,998

Surat Thani is about 20% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Surat Thani and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Surat Thani 43% lower, Bansko 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 ฿63.0

$8.74 BGN 15.20

-78.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.87 ฿597

$46.37 BGN 80.7

-61.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 ฿151

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-49.44%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ฿50.2

$2.27 BGN 3.94

-33.92%

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

$0.50 ฿16.68

$1.57 BGN 2.73

-68.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.66

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-67.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿85.4

$1.73 BGN 3.01

47.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ฿123

$1.95 BGN 3.39

89.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.4

$1.79 BGN 3.11

-7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ฿39.89

$0.81 BGN 1.42

46.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.13

$1.51 BGN 2.62

-22.52%

Eggs

$1.87 ฿62.4

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-20.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 ฿641

$9.55 BGN 16.61

100.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ฿111

$6.63 BGN 11.54

-49.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 ฿249

$8.37 BGN 14.57

-11.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿97.2

$1.30 BGN 2.26

123.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$1.68 BGN 2.93

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 ฿58.7

$1.68 BGN 2.92

4.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.92 BGN 3.34

6.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.57

$0.94 BGN 1.63

38.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.90

$0.75 BGN 1.31

82.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ฿37.24

$0.59 BGN 1.02

88.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.66

$0.58 BGN 1.02

-29.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ฿103

$3.26 BGN 5.67

-5.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.86 ฿630

$5.20 BGN 9.04

262.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ฿51.6

$1.14 BGN 1.98

35.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.74 BGN 3.03

4.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ฿34.00

$0.90 BGN 1.57

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 ฿700

$26.72 BGN 46.50

-21.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.50

$1.30 BGN 2.26

-9.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ฿21.05

$0.61 BGN 1.06

3.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ฿117

$10.29 BGN 17.91

-66.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ฿38.93

$1.56 BGN 2.71

-25.64%

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

$26.6K ฿890.1K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

-8.61%

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

$27.3K ฿911.7K

$21.3K BGN 37.1K

27.87%

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

$72.9 ฿2,437

$92.8 BGN 161

-21.43%

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

$11.12 ฿372

$15.05 BGN 26.18

-26.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.32 ฿579

$12.19 BGN 21.21

42.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.24 ฿1,612

$32.83 BGN 57.1

46.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 ฿385

$8.40 BGN 14.61

37.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ฿151

$5.56 BGN 9.67

-18.53%

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

$549 ฿18.3K

$230 BGN 400

138.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿386.5K

$2,295 BGN 3,994

403.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 ฿2,070

$30.31 BGN 52.7

104.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 ฿974

$19.41 BGN 33.78

50.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 ฿3,252

$45.34 BGN 78.9

114.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 ฿2,892

$48.47 BGN 84.3

78.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,910

$514 BGN 894

-53.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 ฿4,985

$361 BGN 627

-58.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 ฿38.4K

$630 BGN 1,096

82.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 ฿23.7K

$571 BGN 993

24.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 ฿74.4K

$1,202 BGN 2,091

85.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ฿46.9K

$972 BGN 1,691

44.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,665 BGN 2,898

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.99

86.29%

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

Last update for Surat Thani: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surat Thani

$244 31.5%

Bansko

$194 20.2% 20.4% $50

Accommodation & Living

Surat Thani

$149 19.3%

Bansko

$361 37.4% 142% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Surat Thani

$124 16%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 47.8% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surat Thani

$101 13.1%

Bansko

$120 12.5% 18.4% $19

Eating Out

Surat Thani

$70 9%

Bansko

$146 15.2% 109% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Surat Thani

$57 7.4%

Bansko

$44 4.6% 23.3% $13

Getting Around

Surat Thani

$29 3.8%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 18.2% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Surat Thani versus $514 in Bansko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Surat Thani versus $46.00 in Bansko. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Surat Thani vs $194 in Bansko – so Bansko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Surat Thani

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

18:46 6:46 PM

4 h behind Surat Thani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,040

8,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surat Thani Bansko 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Surat Thani
Bansko

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

Surat Thani vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $775 in Surat Thani, $965 in Bansko – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,163 per month in Surat Thani and $1,447 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Surat Thani and $46.00 in Bansko. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $775 in Surat Thani and $965 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 24%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surat Thani, where all-in costs run around $775, than in Bansko at $965. In Surat Thani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bansko it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $775 in Surat Thani to $965 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Surat Thani. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.