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: $1,068 in Bangkok versus $812 in Samut Prakan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,732 in Bangkok versus $1,421 in Samut Prakan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,396 in Bangkok versus $2,030 in Samut Prakan.

Living in Bangkok is roughly 31% more expensive than Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 20% lower, Samut Prakan 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.17 ฿103

$3.05 ฿99.6

3.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.33 ฿991

$15.28 ฿499

98.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 ฿205

$7.72 ฿252

-18.78%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ฿81.9

$1.31 ฿42.87

91.60%

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

$0.68 ฿22.34

$0.62 ฿20.36

9.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿8.79

$0.29 ฿9.62

-6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.6

$1.84 ฿60.1

32.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 ฿129

$3.81 ฿124

3.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.43 ฿46.84

25.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ฿45.38

$1.01 ฿33.04

37.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.22

$1.12 ฿36.49

26.79%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿73.8

$1.80 ฿58.8

25.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.40 ฿601

$13.43 ฿439

37.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.4

$2.83 ฿92.4

6.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.38 ฿306

$10.76 ฿351

-12.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 ฿116

$1.83 ฿59.9

93.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ฿57.6

$0.75 ฿24.63

134.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.81 ฿59.1

22.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ฿59.9

$1.37 ฿44.85

34.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.63 ฿53.3

0.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.88

$1.10 ฿35.96

36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ฿42.67

$0.78 ฿25.59

67.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.10

$0.43 ฿13.92

20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿139

$4.76 ฿155

-10.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 ฿490

$12.09 ฿395

24.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.9

$1.51 ฿49.38

19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.21 ฿72.3

53.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ฿39.00

$0.52 ฿16.89

128.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.43 ฿1,190

$31.10 ฿1,016

17.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ฿35.84

$1.11 ฿36.26

-0.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ฿39.07

$0.71 ฿23.16

69.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 ฿200

$5.26 ฿172

16.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ฿40.88

$1.29 ฿42.15

-3.10%

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

$37.3K ฿1.2M

$12.3K ฿402.5K

202.91%

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

$28.6K ฿934.5K

$21.1K ฿688.9K

35.66%

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

$91.9 ฿3,000

$73.2 ฿2,390

25.50%

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

$12.96 ฿423

$10.91 ฿356

18.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.67 ฿577

$17.11 ฿559

3.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 ฿1,759

$46.92 ฿1,532

14.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.68 ฿349

$12.05 ฿393

-11.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 ฿258

$6.07 ฿198

30.15%

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

$601 ฿19.6K

$383 ฿12.5K

57.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ฿432.6K

$6,856 ฿223.9K

93.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ฿1,863

$19.33 ฿631

195.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 ฿1,250

$34.17 ฿1,116

12.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ฿3,376

$61.4 ฿2,004

68.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ฿3,103

$58.0 ฿1,894

63.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 ฿21.9K

$486 ฿15.9K

37.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ฿10.7K

$245 ฿8,005

33.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 ฿61.3K

$803 ฿26.2K

133.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 ฿27.5K

$832 ฿27.2K

1.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,307 ฿206.0K

$1,755 ฿57.3K

259.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,371 ฿110.1K

$1,487 ฿48.6K

126.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 ฿24.4K

$651 ฿21.3K

14.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

94.67%

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

Last update for Bangkok: May 31, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $669 in Bangkok and $486 in Samut Prakan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 15% 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: $30.00 in Bangkok vs $15.00 in Samut Prakan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $202 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,068 vs $812 including rent). Samut Prakan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bangkok pays 15% more on average, 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: $669 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 $15.00 versus $30.00 in Bangkok. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,068 per month in Bangkok versus $812 in Samut Prakan – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $812 in Samut Prakan versus $1,068 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 31% less than in Bangkok. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.