Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Surat Thani Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Surat Thani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,068 in Bangkok versus $809 in Surat Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,732 in Bangkok versus $1,312 in Surat Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,396 in Bangkok versus $1,816 in Surat Thani.

Living in Bangkok is roughly 32% more expensive than Surat Thani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 20% lower, Surat Thani 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.17 ฿103

$1.90 ฿62.0

66.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.33 ฿991

$18.39 ฿601

64.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 ฿205

$4.68 ฿153

33.97%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ฿81.9

$1.59 ฿51.8

57.86%

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

$0.68 ฿22.34

$0.50 ฿16.37

36.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿8.79

$0.30 ฿9.78

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.6

$2.51 ฿82.1

-2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 ฿129

$3.73 ฿122

5.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.92 ฿62.8

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ฿45.38

$1.22 ฿39.98

13.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.22

$1.10 ฿35.78

29.09%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿73.8

$1.89 ฿61.6

19.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.40 ฿601

$19.57 ฿639

-5.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.4

$3.68 ฿120

-18.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.38 ฿306

$7.93 ฿259

18.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 ฿116

$3.35 ฿110

5.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ฿57.6

$1.69 ฿55.3

4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.12 ฿69.1

4.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ฿59.9

$1.78 ฿58.1

3.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.21 ฿39.61

35.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.88

$1.45 ฿47.42

3.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ฿42.67

$0.99 ฿32.20

32.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.10

$0.41 ฿13.54

26.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿139

$3.13 ฿102

35.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 ฿490

$18.86 ฿616

-20.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.9

$1.65 ฿53.8

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.69 ฿87.9

26.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ฿39.00

$1.10 ฿36.05

8.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.43 ฿1,190

$21.39 ฿699

70.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ฿35.84

$1.06 ฿34.71

3.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ฿39.07

$0.61 ฿19.90

96.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 ฿200

$3.67 ฿120

67.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ฿40.88

$1.21 ฿39.37

3.31%

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

$37.3K ฿1.2M

$27.8K ฿907.9K

34.28%

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

$28.6K ฿934.5K

$33.6K ฿1.1M

-14.81%

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

$91.9 ฿3,000

$77.4 ฿2,528

18.68%

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

$12.96 ฿423

$13.88 ฿453

-6.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.67 ฿577

$18.38 ฿600

-3.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 ฿1,759

$50.1 ฿1,636

7.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.68 ฿349

$12.18 ฿398

-12.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 ฿258

$4.49 ฿147

75.95%

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

$601 ฿19.6K

$703 ฿23.0K

-14.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ฿432.6K

$16.1K ฿525.2K

-17.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ฿1,863

$59.3 ฿1,935

-3.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 ฿1,250

$35.21 ฿1,150

8.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ฿3,376

$114 ฿3,732

-9.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ฿3,103

$84.6 ฿2,762

12.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 ฿21.9K

$240 ฿7,833

179.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ฿10.7K

$156 ฿5,098

109.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 ฿61.3K

$693 ฿22.6K

170.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 ฿27.5K

$416 ฿13.6K

102.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,307 ฿206.0K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

201.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,371 ฿110.1K

$1,698 ฿55.5K

98.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 ฿24.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.33

9.57%

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

Last update for Bangkok: May 31, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $669 in Bangkok and $240 in Surat Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Bangkok vs $18.00 in Surat Thani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $255 per month, with Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangkok and Surat Thani differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,068 vs $809 including rent). Surat Thani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,602 in Bangkok and $1,213 in Surat Thani to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $669 in Bangkok versus $240 in Surat Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Surat Thani – 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 $809 in Surat Thani – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $809 in Surat Thani versus $1,068 in Bangkok, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surat Thani but tight or insufficient in Bangkok. The gap between the two cities makes Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani 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.