Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Hat Yai

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $728 a month against $1,107 in Bangkok, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
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Bangkok Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
Learn more

Hat Yai Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,107

/mo nomad

Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$728

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangkok and in Hat Yai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,107 in Bangkok versus $728 in Hat Yai.

Bangkok $1,107
Hat Yai $728

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,876 in Bangkok versus $1,295 in Hat Yai.

Bangkok $1,876
Hat Yai $1,295

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,645 in Bangkok versus $1,863 in Hat Yai.

Bangkok $2,645
Hat Yai $1,863

Living in Bangkok is roughly 52% more expensive than in Hat Yai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 18% lower, Hat Yai 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ฿99.6

$2.95 ฿99.4

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.08 ฿1,285

$43.82 ฿1,479

-13.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ฿253

$3.59 ฿121

108.64%

Cappuccino

$2.68 ฿90.4

$2.83 ฿95.6

-5.30%

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

$0.67 ฿22.61

$1.25 ฿42.29

-46.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.91

$0.56 ฿18.83

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿87.5

$1.77 ฿59.7

46.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 ฿150

$3.60 ฿122

23.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ฿59.1

$1.51 ฿50.9

15.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.24 ฿41.91

20.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 ฿46.03

$1.23 ฿41.52

10.57%

Eggs

$2.58 ฿87.2

$2.50 ฿84.5

3.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.27 ฿583

$21.65 ฿730

-20.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 ฿136

$2.25 ฿76.0

79.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ฿438

$11.06 ฿373

17.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 ฿130

$2.56 ฿86.3

50.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ฿59.7

$1.44 ฿48.52

22.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ฿94.7

$1.96 ฿66.0

43.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 ฿66.3

$1.90 ฿64.1

3.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.52 ฿51.3

11.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 ฿52.4

$1.07 ฿36.08

44.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ฿43.04

$1.10 ฿37.27

16.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.16

$0.38 ฿12.76

26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 ฿156

$4.23 ฿143

9.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 ฿500

$14.56 ฿491

1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$1.72 ฿58.0

5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 ฿112

$1.92 ฿64.7

73.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ฿36.01

$0.56 ฿18.92

91.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.42 ฿1,161

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.37 ฿46.16

-21.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ฿40.66

$1.24 ฿41.71

-3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 ฿204

$4.97 ฿168

21.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿48.69

$1.33 ฿44.82

8.27%

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

$31.2K ฿1.1M

$18.9K ฿636.5K

65.35%

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

$27.2K ฿918.0K

$45.2K ฿1.5M

-39.82%

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

$99.5 ฿3,356

$84.9 ฿2,865

17.11%

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

$13.97 ฿471

$11.28 ฿381

23.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ฿603

$9.44 ฿319

89.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 ฿1,917

$48.16 ฿1,625

17.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.13 ฿646

$13.03 ฿440

46.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.56 ฿255

$7.07 ฿238

6.93%

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

$810 ฿27.3K

$631 ฿21.3K

28.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.8K ฿1.0M

$15.4K ฿519.4K

100.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 ฿2,328

$37.39 ฿1,262

84.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.47 ฿1,433

$27.14 ฿916

56.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 ฿3,217

$70.3 ฿2,371

35.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ฿3,589

$96.4 ฿3,251

10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 ฿23.9K

$262 ฿8,838

170.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 ฿11.4K

$107 ฿3,602

216.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 ฿77.0K

$718 ฿24.2K

218.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.6K

$394 ฿13.3K

130.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,177 ฿208.4K

$2,153 ฿72.6K

186.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,221 ฿108.7K

$1,768 ฿59.6K

82.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$620 ฿20.9K

$452 ฿15.2K

37.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

6.36

-17.45%

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

Last update for Bangkok: October 31, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangkok

$338 30.5%

Hat Yai

$107 14.7% 68.4% $231

Groceries & Markets

Bangkok

$275 24.8%

Hat Yai

$248 34% 9.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Bangkok

$141 12.7%

Hat Yai

$104 14.3% 26.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangkok

$131 11.9%

Hat Yai

$106 14.5% 19.5% $26

Eating Out

Bangkok

$104 9.4%

Hat Yai

$92 12.6% 12.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Bangkok

$72 6.5%

Hat Yai

$62 8.6% 13.4% $9.6

Getting Around

Bangkok

$46 4.1%

Hat Yai

$9.8 * 1.4% 78.6% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $710 in Bangkok and $262 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 37% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38 in Bangkok vs $44 in Hat Yai. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $248, with Hat Yai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🕒 Local time

03:34 3:34 AM

Same time as Bangkok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,666,264 Capital

156,802

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bangkok Hat Yai 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bangkok
Hat Yai

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

Bangkok vs Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,107 in Bangkok and $728 in Hat Yai, so Hat Yai is about 34% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Bangkok, 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: $710 in Bangkok versus $262 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Bangkok. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,107 per month in Bangkok versus $728 in Hat Yai – Hat Yai is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Bangkok and Hat Yai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Hat Yai wins on affordability, Bangkok on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.