Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Sakon Nakhon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakon Nakhon: $896 a month against $1,125 in Bangkok, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
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Bangkok Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Sakon Nakhon
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Sakon Nakhon Living Index

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Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,125

/mo nomad

Sakon Nakhon

🇹🇭 Thailand

$896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,125 in Bangkok versus $896 in Sakon Nakhon.

Bangkok $1,125
Sakon Nakhon $896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,837 in Bangkok versus $1,416 in Sakon Nakhon.

Bangkok $1,837
Sakon Nakhon $1,416

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,549 in Bangkok versus $1,937 in Sakon Nakhon.

Bangkok $2,549
Sakon Nakhon $1,937

Living in Bangkok is roughly 26% more expensive than in Sakon Nakhon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 17% lower, Sakon Nakhon 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ฿98.0

$1.46 ฿49.24

98.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.48 ฿1,197

$14.98 ฿505

136.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.37 ฿248

$2.89 ฿97.6

155.02%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿92.1

$1.46 ฿49.28

86.99%

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

$0.67 ฿22.73

$0.73 ฿24.57

-8.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.94

$0.25 ฿8.39

28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ฿88.7

$2.01 ฿68.0

30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ฿153

$2.12 ฿71.6

114.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ฿62.3

$2.38 ฿80.2

-22.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ฿49.92

$1.28 ฿43.18

15.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ฿47.55

$1.21 ฿40.77

16.53%

Eggs

$2.60 ฿87.8

$2.10 ฿70.8

23.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 ฿583

$10.51 ฿354

64.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 ฿120

$2.48 ฿83.7

43.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ฿428

$10.38 ฿350

22.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 ฿125

$3.11 ฿105

18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿58.2

$1.16 ฿39.27

48.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 ฿92.5

$2.13 ฿71.9

28.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 ฿66.2

$1.86 ฿62.9

5.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.46 ฿49.24

14.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$1.45 ฿48.77

4.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ฿42.83

$0.54 ฿18.26

135.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.94

$0.51 ฿17.12

-1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 ฿162

$4.35 ฿147

10.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 ฿502

$17.49 ฿590

-14.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿62.0

$1.66 ฿56.1

10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ฿109

$2.76 ฿93.0

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.87 ฿29.27

17.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.37 ฿1,193

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ฿35.44

$1.46 ฿49.36

-28.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ฿40.61

$1.10 ฿37.22

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 ฿206

$5.36 ฿181

13.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.24

$1.26 ฿42.58

13.49%

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

$30.8K ฿1.0M

$26.3K ฿888.5K

16.83%

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

$26.9K ฿906.7K

$27.4K ฿922.5K

-1.72%

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

$109 ฿3,663

$83.2 ฿2,806

30.57%

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

$14.94 ฿504

$10.13 ฿342

47.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.05 ฿609

$15.68 ฿529

15.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 ฿1,898

$48.92 ฿1,650

15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 ฿622

$12.06 ฿407

52.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ฿252

$3.54 ฿119

110.73%

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

$802 ฿27.1K

$660 ฿22.2K

21.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ฿572.6K

$11.0K ฿370.6K

54.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 ฿2,413

$19.47 ฿657

267.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 ฿1,421

$6.67 ฿225

531.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 ฿3,275

$118 ฿3,992

-17.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ฿3,600

$74.1 ฿2,500

44.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 ฿24.1K

$410 ฿13.8K

74.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ฿11.7K

$336 ฿11.3K

3.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 ฿74.9K

$1,219 ฿41.1K

82.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 ฿27.6K

$752 ฿25.4K

8.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,948 ฿200.6K

$2,173 ฿73.3K

173.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,151 ฿106.3K

$1,814 ฿61.2K

73.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 ฿20.7K

$741 ฿25.0K

-17.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.57

-5.75%

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

Last update for Bangkok: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sakon Nakhon: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangkok

$347 30.9%

Sakon Nakhon

$336 37.5% 3.1% $11

Groceries & Markets

Bangkok

$271 24.1%

Sakon Nakhon

$230 25.6% 15.3% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Bangkok

$143 12.7%

Sakon Nakhon

$98 11% 31.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangkok

$142 12.6%

Sakon Nakhon

$109 12.2% 23% $33

Eating Out

Bangkok

$104 9.3%

Sakon Nakhon

$56 6.3% 46.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Bangkok

$71 6.3%

Sakon Nakhon

$56 6.3% 21.4% $15

Getting Around

Bangkok

$47 4.1%

Sakon Nakhon

$10 * 1.2% 77.5% $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 $713 in Bangkok and $410 in Sakon Nakhon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sakon Nakhon pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35 in Bangkok vs $15 in Sakon Nakhon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $230 per month, with Sakon Nakhon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🇹🇭 Sakon Nakhon

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

Same time as Bangkok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,666,264 Capital

53,100

💱 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 Sakon Nakhon 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bangkok
Sakon Nakhon

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 Sakon Nakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,125 in Bangkok and $896 in Sakon Nakhon, so Sakon Nakhon is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Bangkok. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $713 in Bangkok versus $410 in Sakon Nakhon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Bangkok. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,125 per month in Bangkok versus $896 in Sakon Nakhon – Sakon Nakhon is about 20% 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 Sakon Nakhon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.