Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Songkhla Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Songkhla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,068 in Bangkok versus $812 in Songkhla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,732 in Bangkok versus $1,277 in Songkhla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,396 in Bangkok versus $1,743 in Songkhla.

Living in Bangkok is roughly 32% more expensive than Songkhla, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.17 ฿103

$1.65 ฿53.8

92.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.33 ฿991

$18.35 ฿599

65.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 ฿205

$3.36 ฿110

86.61%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ฿81.9

$1.46 ฿47.69

71.92%

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

$0.68 ฿22.34

$0.68 ฿22.36

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿8.79

$0.35 ฿11.28

-22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.6

$2.20 ฿71.8

10.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 ฿129

$3.42 ฿112

15.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.58 ฿51.7

13.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ฿45.38

$0.89 ฿28.99

56.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.22

$2.12 ฿69.2

-33.02%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿73.8

$1.63 ฿53.2

38.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.40 ฿601

$16.33 ฿533

12.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.4

$2.70 ฿88.1

11.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.38 ฿306

$10.46 ฿342

-10.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 ฿116

$2.52 ฿82.3

40.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ฿57.6

$1.81 ฿59.2

-2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.25 ฿40.78

76.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ฿59.9

$1.30 ฿42.41

41.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.57 ฿51.3

4.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.88

$1.77 ฿57.8

-15.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ฿42.67

$1.51 ฿49.16

-13.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.10

$0.91 ฿29.76

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿139

$4.41 ฿144

-3.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 ฿490

$13.62 ฿445

10.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.9

$1.60 ฿52.4

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.69 ฿153

-27.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ฿39.00

$0.88 ฿28.61

35.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.43 ฿1,190

$61.8 ฿2,017

-41.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ฿35.84

$1.27 ฿41.36

-13.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ฿39.07

$0.75 ฿24.47

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 ฿200

$9.27 ฿303

-33.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ฿40.88

$1.35 ฿43.97

-7.41%

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

$37.3K ฿1.2M

$28.2K ฿920.6K

32.43%

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

$28.6K ฿934.5K

$36.5K ฿1.2M

-21.56%

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

$91.9 ฿3,000

$89.4 ฿2,918

2.79%

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

$12.96 ฿423

$12.76 ฿417

1.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.67 ฿577

$18.48 ฿604

-4.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 ฿1,759

$49.83 ฿1,627

8.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.68 ฿349

$1.81 ฿59.0

490.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 ฿258

$5.43 ฿177

45.49%

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

$601 ฿19.6K

$123 ฿4,030

386.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ฿432.6K

$9,497 ฿310.2K

39.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ฿1,863

$31.34 ฿1,024

82.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 ฿1,250

$34.98 ฿1,142

9.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ฿3,376

$99.4 ฿3,246

4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ฿3,103

$21.75 ฿711

336.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 ฿21.9K

$277 ฿9,032

142.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ฿10.7K

$180 ฿5,889

80.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 ฿61.3K

$594 ฿19.4K

215.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 ฿27.5K

$426 ฿13.9K

97.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,307 ฿206.0K

$1,766 ฿57.7K

257.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,371 ฿110.1K

$1,319 ฿43.1K

155.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 ฿24.4K

$829 ฿27.1K

-9.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

9.33

-37.41%

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

Last update for Bangkok: May 31, 2026

Last update for Songkhla: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $669 in Bangkok and $277 in Songkhla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Songkhla pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Bangkok vs $18.00 in Songkhla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $238 per month, with Songkhla 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 Songkhla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangkok and Songkhla differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,068 vs $812 including rent). Songkhla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Songkhla earns 11% less. 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: $669 in Bangkok versus $277 in Songkhla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Songkhla – a meal for two runs $18.00 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 Songkhla – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $812 in Songkhla versus $1,068 in Bangkok, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Songkhla but tight or insufficient in Bangkok. The gap between the two cities makes Songkhla 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 Songkhla 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 Songkhla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Bangkok. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.