Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Samut Prakan Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Samut Prakan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Bangkok versus $890 in Samut Prakan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,863 in Bangkok versus $1,509 in Samut Prakan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Bangkok versus $2,128 in Samut Prakan.

Living in Bangkok is roughly 28% more expensive than in Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 17% lower, Samut Prakan 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ฿99.8

$3.14 ฿103

-3.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.64 ฿1,205

$15.51 ฿510

136.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ฿244

$7.76 ฿255

-4.38%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ฿97.5

$1.49 ฿48.88

98.66%

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

$0.67 ฿22.13

$0.50 ฿16.59

34.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.17

$0.25 ฿8.16

36.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 ฿87.5

$2.03 ฿66.6

31.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ฿150

$2.82 ฿92.8

61.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ฿65.7

$1.46 ฿47.87

36.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ฿48.91

$1.03 ฿33.89

44.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.09 ฿35.95

40.37%

Eggs

$2.66 ฿87.6

$1.79 ฿58.9

48.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.32 ฿569

$12.80 ฿421

35.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ฿118

$2.54 ฿83.7

40.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 ฿462

$10.50 ฿345

33.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ฿135

$1.82 ฿59.8

126.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ฿63.3

$1.03 ฿34.02

86.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 ฿93.2

$1.75 ฿57.4

62.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 ฿64.5

$1.35 ฿44.41

45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ฿56.3

$1.72 ฿56.6

-0.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.7

$1.05 ฿34.47

55.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ฿41.71

$0.75 ฿24.63

69.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.47

$0.43 ฿14.10

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 ฿151

$4.47 ฿147

3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 ฿502

$12.10 ฿398

26.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$1.53 ฿50.3

16.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ฿111

$2.24 ฿73.6

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ฿36.51

$0.51 ฿16.80

117.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.19 ฿1,190

$30.18 ฿992

19.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ฿35.65

$1.09 ฿35.96

-0.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 ฿38.98

$1.20 ฿39.32

-0.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 ฿197

$4.01 ฿132

49.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.89

$1.11 ฿36.56

28.83%

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

$32.0K ฿1.1M

$12.3K ฿403.3K

161.30%

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

$27.9K ฿917.7K

$24.6K ฿808.1K

13.56%

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

$105 ฿3,454

$83.3 ฿2,739

26.08%

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

$14.49 ฿476

$9.44 ฿310

53.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 ฿610

$17.03 ฿560

9.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.5 ฿1,958

$46.30 ฿1,522

28.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.07 ฿627

$14.46 ฿475

31.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 ฿250

$6.03 ฿198

26.20%

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

$558 ฿18.3K

$155 ฿5,082

261.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ฿555.5K

$6,927 ฿227.8K

143.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.7 ฿2,422

$23.18 ฿762

217.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 ฿1,425

$34.18 ฿1,124

26.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 ฿3,165

$74.1 ฿2,436

29.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ฿3,870

$98.0 ฿3,223

20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 ฿23.1K

$486 ฿16.0K

44.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ฿11.7K

$290 ฿9,520

23.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ฿66.5K

$1,234 ฿40.6K

64.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 ฿24.9K

$827 ฿27.2K

-8.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,987 ฿196.9K

$1,962 ฿64.5K

205.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,211 ฿105.6K

$1,640 ฿53.9K

95.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$638 ฿21.0K

$650 ฿21.4K

-1.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

79.33%

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

Last update for Bangkok: August 29, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Bangkok and $486 in Samut Prakan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samut Prakan pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Bangkok vs $16.00 in Samut Prakan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $200 per month, with Samut Prakan 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

Bangkok vs Samut Prakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangkok and Samut Prakan differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,138 vs $890 including rent). Samut Prakan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Samut Prakan. 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: $704 in Bangkok versus $486 in Samut Prakan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Samut Prakan – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $37.00 in Bangkok. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,138 per month in Bangkok versus $890 in Samut Prakan – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $890 in Samut Prakan versus $1,138 in Bangkok, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samut Prakan but tight or insufficient in Bangkok. The gap between the two cities makes Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Bangkok. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.