Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Varna and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Varna versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,870 in Varna versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,533 in Varna versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Varna costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Varna 9% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 BGN 19.48

$4.51 ฿147

159.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.60 BGN 77.5

$46.62 ฿1,515

-0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.82 BGN 14.68

$8.49 ฿276

3.89%

Cappuccino

$2.58 BGN 4.29

$3.08 ฿100

-16.23%

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

$1.76 BGN 2.92

$0.68 ฿22.07

158.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 BGN 2.11

$0.36 ฿11.75

252.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 BGN 4.85

$2.43 ฿78.8

20.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 BGN 4.77

$3.63 ฿118

-20.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 BGN 3.10

$2.19 ฿71.1

-15.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 BGN 1.70

$1.81 ฿59.0

-43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 BGN 4.10

$2.23 ฿72.5

10.76%

Eggs

$3.38 BGN 5.62

$2.24 ฿72.7

50.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 BGN 17.91

$19.60 ฿637

-45.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.41 BGN 14.00

$3.72 ฿121

126.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.36 BGN 20.56

$13.47 ฿438

-8.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 BGN 2.77

$3.36 ฿109

-50.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 BGN 3.47

$1.62 ฿52.5

28.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 BGN 3.06

$2.41 ฿78.3

-23.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 BGN 4.43

$1.99 ฿64.6

33.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 BGN 1.93

$1.53 ฿49.76

-24.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 BGN 1.81

$1.45 ฿47.19

-24.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 BGN 1.72

$1.01 ฿32.96

1.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BGN 1.18

$0.48 ฿15.73

47.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 BGN 6.31

$4.27 ฿139

-11.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.85 BGN 14.72

$19.12 ฿621

-53.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 BGN 1.90

$1.84 ฿59.7

-38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 BGN 3.18

$2.74 ฿89.1

-30.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 BGN 2.01

$1.42 ฿46.06

-14.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.44 BGN 48.98

$11.72 ฿381

151.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 BGN 2.33

$3.00 ฿97.6

-53.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 BGN 1.12

$1.05 ฿34.00

-35.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.19 BGN 20.27

$13.90 ฿452

-12.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.49

$1.29 ฿41.94

16.28%

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

$32.7K BGN 54.5K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

16.81%

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

$28.7K BGN 47.7K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-14.36%

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

$125 BGN 209

$122 ฿3,964

2.86%

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

$19.00 BGN 31.61

$13.93 ฿453

36.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.50 BGN 25.79

$18.87 ฿613

-17.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 BGN 68.6

$61.3 ฿1,992

-32.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 BGN 24.69

$16.84 ฿547

-11.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 BGN 14.53

$8.89 ฿289

-1.80%

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

$413 BGN 687

$691 ฿22.5K

-40.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,422 BGN 9,019

$16.2K ฿525.2K

-66.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 BGN 99.5

$57.8 ฿1,878

3.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 BGN 55.3

$35.39 ฿1,150

-6.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 BGN 151

$113 ฿3,685

-20.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 BGN 164

$83.0 ฿2,698

18.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 BGN 855

$607 ฿19.7K

-15.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 BGN 651

$448 ฿14.6K

-12.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 BGN 1,486

$2,029 ฿66.0K

-55.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 BGN 1,085

$1,493 ฿48.5K

-56.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,269 BGN 5,438

$3,585 ฿116.5K

-8.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,115 BGN 3,519

$2,585 ฿84.0K

-18.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,200 BGN 1,996

$505 ฿16.4K

137.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.71

5.33

-11.63%

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

Last update for Varna: June 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Varna and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 138% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Varna vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $292 per month, with Varna cheaper across the board.

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

Varna vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varna is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Varna pays 138% more on average, 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: $514 in Varna versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $413 in Varna versus $691 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Varna versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varna but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Varna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Varna 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, Varna 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 Varna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.