Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima: $777 a month against $1,112 in Bangkok, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
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Bangkok Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Ratchasima
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Nakhon Ratchasima Living Index

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Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,112

/mo nomad

Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Thailand

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangkok and in Nakhon Ratchasima

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 Nakhon Ratchasima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,112 in Bangkok versus $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Bangkok $1,112
Nakhon Ratchasima $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,788 in Bangkok versus $1,275 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Bangkok $1,788
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,464 in Bangkok versus $1,773 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Bangkok $2,464
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,773

Living in Bangkok is roughly 43% more expensive than in Nakhon Ratchasima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 18% lower, Nakhon Ratchasima 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ฿98.7

$2.84 ฿94.9

3.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.13 ฿1,174

$26.08 ฿871

34.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.33 ฿245

$6.01 ฿201

21.96%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿91.3

$1.92 ฿64.2

42.19%

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

$0.62 ฿20.78

$0.57 ฿19.14

8.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿12.17

$0.29 ฿9.65

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ฿87.9

$1.83 ฿61.1

43.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.75 ฿92.0

58.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ฿61.8

$1.59 ฿53.2

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$1.27 ฿42.52

18.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.72

$1.23 ฿40.98

8.94%

Eggs

$2.62 ฿87.4

$1.50 ฿50.2

74.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 ฿572

$15.63 ฿522

9.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.66 ฿88.9

37.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.83 ฿429

$10.10 ฿338

27.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 ฿125

$3.10 ฿104

20.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.28 ฿42.68

35.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ฿93.2

$1.86 ฿62.1

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 ฿62.9

$1.95 ฿65.1

-3.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ฿58.4

$1.20 ฿40.24

45.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.68

$1.03 ฿34.37

44.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ฿41.51

$1.23 ฿41.02

0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.22

$0.38 ฿12.60

44.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.73 ฿158

$2.89 ฿96.7

63.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 ฿505

$17.65 ฿590

-14.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.0

$1.71 ฿57.2

3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿106

$2.99 ฿100.0

6.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ฿37.19

$0.43 ฿14.40

158.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.46 ฿1,152

$18.99 ฿635

81.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿35.47

$1.02 ฿34.03

3.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ฿38.60

$1.13 ฿37.66

1.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 ฿194

$7.30 ฿244

-20.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿47.14

$1.35 ฿45.03

4.44%

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

$31.7K ฿1.1M

$46.6K ฿1.6M

-31.93%

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

$26.6K ฿887.8K

$26.6K ฿889.2K

-0.15%

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

$108 ฿3,612

$86.1 ฿2,877

25.54%

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

$15.14 ฿506

$11.39 ฿381

32.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.15 ฿607

$19.25 ฿643

-5.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 ฿1,857

$46.92 ฿1,568

18.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.54 ฿620

$14.91 ฿498

24.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 ฿261

$4.71 ฿158

66.03%

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

$569 ฿19.0K

$180 ฿6,020

215.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ฿557.0K

$14.1K ฿470.9K

18.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 ฿2,371

$49.69 ฿1,661

42.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.61 ฿1,424

$29.73 ฿994

43.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ฿3,361

$78.9 ฿2,637

27.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ฿3,560

$67.1 ฿2,243

58.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 ฿22.5K

$217 ฿7,263

209.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ฿11.1K

$158 ฿5,292

110.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ฿66.2K

$496 ฿16.6K

299.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 ฿24.5K

$420 ฿14.1K

74.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,236 ฿208.4K

$3,287 ฿109.9K

89.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,096 ฿103.5K

$1,737 ฿58.1K

78.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 ฿20.9K

$615 ฿20.6K

1.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.1

2.94%

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

Last update for Bangkok: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangkok

$333 30%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$158 20.4% 52.5% $175

Groceries & Markets

Bangkok

$272 24.5%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$235 30.3% 13.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Bangkok

$144 13%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$101 13.1% 29.7% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangkok

$141 12.7%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$117 15% 17.4% $25

Eating Out

Bangkok

$104 9.4%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$82 10.5% 21.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Bangkok

$71 6.4%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$56 7.3% 20.9% $15

Getting Around

Bangkok

$46 4.1%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$27 3.5% 40.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bangkok and $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 2% 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: $35.00 in Bangkok vs $26.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $235 per month, with Nakhon Ratchasima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🇹🇭 Nakhon Ratchasima

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

Same time as Bangkok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,666,264 Capital

126,391

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bangkok vs Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,112 vs $777 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $673 in Bangkok versus $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $35.00 in Bangkok. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,112 per month in Bangkok versus $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,112 in Bangkok, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Bangkok. The gap between the two cities makes Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Bangkok. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.