Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Khon Kaen

For one person, living is cheaper in Khon Kaen: $608 a month against $1,125 in Bangkok, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
Learn more

Bangkok Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,125

/mo nomad

Khon Kaen

🇹🇭 Thailand

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangkok and in Khon Kaen

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 Khon Kaen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,125 in Bangkok versus $608 in Khon Kaen.

Bangkok $1,125
Khon Kaen $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,837 in Bangkok versus $1,024 in Khon Kaen.

Bangkok $1,837
Khon Kaen $1,024

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,549 in Bangkok versus $1,440 in Khon Kaen.

Bangkok $2,549
Khon Kaen $1,440

Living in Bangkok is roughly 85% more expensive than in Khon Kaen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 17% lower, Khon Kaen 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ฿98.0

$3.04 ฿102

-4.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.48 ฿1,197

$29.92 ฿1,009

18.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.37 ฿248

$5.93 ฿200

24.28%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿92.1

$1.46 ฿49.33

86.99%

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

$0.67 ฿22.73

$0.59 ฿19.80

13.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.94

$0.29 ฿9.81

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ฿88.7

$1.72 ฿58.0

52.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ฿153

$6.73 ฿227

-32.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ฿62.3

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ฿49.92

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ฿47.55

$0.86 ฿29.13

63.95%

Eggs

$2.60 ฿87.8

$2.47 ฿83.4

5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 ฿583

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 ฿120

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 ฿125

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿58.2

$0.87 ฿29.31

97.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 ฿92.5

$1.50 ฿50.6

82.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 ฿66.2

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ฿56.5

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$1.50 ฿50.6

0.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ฿42.83

$0.62 ฿20.83

104.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.94

$0.52 ฿17.69

-3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 ฿162

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 ฿502

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿62.0

$1.65 ฿55.5

11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ฿109

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ฿34.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.37 ฿1,193

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ฿35.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ฿40.61

$1.20 ฿40.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 ฿206

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.24

$1.32 ฿44.64

8.33%

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

$30.8K ฿1.0M

$44.6K ฿1.5M

-30.97%

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

$26.9K ฿906.7K

$26.5K ฿895.2K

1.28%

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

$109 ฿3,663

$94.7 ฿3,193

14.74%

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

$14.94 ฿504

$17.99 ฿607

-16.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.05 ฿609

$29.73 ฿1,003

-39.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 ฿1,898

$59.5 ฿2,007

-5.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 ฿622

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ฿252

$5.85 ฿197

27.52%

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

$802 ฿27.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ฿572.6K

$8,970 ฿302.6K

89.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 ฿2,413

$30.04 ฿1,013

138.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 ฿1,421

$34.83 ฿1,175

20.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 ฿3,275

$73.8 ฿2,488

31.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ฿3,600

$90.5 ฿3,053

17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 ฿24.1K

$280 ฿9,439

154.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ฿11.7K

$156 ฿5,261

122.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 ฿74.9K

$730 ฿24.6K

203.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 ฿27.6K

$480 ฿16.2K

70.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,948 ฿200.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,151 ฿106.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 ฿20.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

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

Last update for Bangkok: October 25, 2026

Last update for Khon Kaen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangkok

$347 30.9%

Khon Kaen

–

Groceries & Markets

Bangkok

$271 24.1%

Khon Kaen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bangkok

$143 12.7%

Khon Kaen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangkok

$142 12.6%

Khon Kaen

–

Eating Out

Bangkok

$104 9.3%

Khon Kaen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bangkok

$71 6.3%

Khon Kaen

–

Getting Around

Bangkok

$47 4.1%

Khon Kaen

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $713 in Bangkok and $280 in Khon Kaen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35 in Bangkok vs $30 in Khon Kaen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $45 per month, with Khon Kaen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🇹🇭 Khon Kaen

🕒 Local time

23:27 11:27 PM

Same time as Bangkok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,666,264 Capital

114,459

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bangkok Khon Kaen 390 km

From you

Bangkok
Khon Kaen

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 Khon Kaen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,125 in Bangkok and $608 in Khon Kaen, so Khon Kaen is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,687 in Bangkok and $913 in Khon Kaen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $713 in Bangkok versus $280 in Khon Kaen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Khon Kaen – a meal for two runs $30 versus $35 in Bangkok. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,125 per month in Bangkok versus $608 in Khon Kaen – Khon Kaen is about 46% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $608 in Khon Kaen versus $1,125 in Bangkok, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khon Kaen but tight or insufficient in Bangkok. The gap between the two cities makes Khon Kaen 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, Bangkok and Khon Kaen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.