Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Ubon Ratchathani

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubon Ratchathani: $781 a month against $1,112 in Bangkok, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
Learn more

Bangkok Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Ubon Ratchathani
Learn more

Ubon Ratchathani Living Index

Jump to prices

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,112

/mo nomad

Ubon Ratchathani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$781

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bangkok and in Ubon Ratchathani

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 Ubon Ratchathani actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,112 in Bangkok versus $781 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Bangkok $1,112
Ubon Ratchathani $781

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,788 in Bangkok versus $1,444 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Bangkok $1,788
Ubon Ratchathani $1,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,464 in Bangkok versus $2,106 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Bangkok $2,464
Ubon Ratchathani $2,106

Living in Bangkok is roughly 42% more expensive than in Ubon Ratchathani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bangkok 18% lower, Ubon Ratchathani 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ฿98.7

$4.66 ฿156

-36.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.13 ฿1,174

$20.60 ฿689

70.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.33 ฿245

$7.41 ฿248

-1.08%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿91.3

$1.81 ฿60.3

50.83%

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

$0.62 ฿20.78

$1.30 ฿43.60

-52.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿12.17

$0.54 ฿17.99

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ฿87.9

$2.40 ฿80.2

9.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.62 ฿121

20.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ฿61.8

$1.81 ฿60.6

2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$1.46 ฿48.84

3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.72

$1.38 ฿46.15

-2.90%

Eggs

$2.62 ฿87.4

$2.05 ฿68.6

27.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 ฿572

$17.08 ฿571

0.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.35 ฿78.6

56.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.83 ฿429

$11.02 ฿368

16.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 ฿125

$2.99 ฿99.9

24.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.01 ฿33.59

72.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ฿93.2

$2.13 ฿71.2

30.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 ฿62.9

$2.06 ฿68.9

-8.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ฿58.4

$1.42 ฿47.54

23.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.68

$1.06 ฿35.58

40.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ฿41.51

$1.12 ฿37.44

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.22

$0.49 ฿16.51

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.73 ฿158

$4.25 ฿142

11.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 ฿505

$13.55 ฿453

11.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.0

$1.66 ฿55.4

6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿106

$2.85 ฿95.1

11.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ฿37.19

$0.85 ฿28.51

30.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.46 ฿1,152

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿35.47

$1.21 ฿40.40

-12.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ฿38.60

$1.04 ฿34.82

10.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 ฿194

$6.56 ฿219

-11.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿47.14

$1.22 ฿40.86

15.57%

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

$31.7K ฿1.1M

$28.1K ฿939.2K

12.95%

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

$26.6K ฿887.8K

$31.4K ฿1.1M

-15.47%

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

$108 ฿3,612

$81.4 ฿2,719

32.86%

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

$15.14 ฿506

$12.16 ฿407

24.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.15 ฿607

$14.40 ฿481

26.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 ฿1,857

$47.95 ฿1,603

15.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.54 ฿620

$13.14 ฿439

41.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 ฿261

$6.70 ฿224

16.72%

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

$569 ฿19.0K

$497 ฿16.6K

14.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ฿557.0K

$12.4K ฿413.4K

34.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 ฿2,371

$56.4 ฿1,885

25.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.61 ฿1,424

$28.54 ฿954

49.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ฿3,361

$85.2 ฿2,847

18.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ฿3,560

$75.8 ฿2,534

40.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 ฿22.5K

$235 ฿7,843

186.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ฿11.1K

$143 ฿4,785

132.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 ฿66.2K

$1,049 ฿35.1K

88.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 ฿24.5K

$724 ฿24.2K

1.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,236 ฿208.4K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

197.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,096 ฿103.5K

$1,243 ฿41.5K

149.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 ฿20.9K

$353 ฿11.8K

77.05%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Ubon Ratchathani: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangkok

$333 30%

Ubon Ratchathani

$143 18.3% 57% $190

Groceries & Markets

Bangkok

$272 24.5%

Ubon Ratchathani

$240 30.8% 11.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Bangkok

$144 13%

Ubon Ratchathani

$111 14.2% 23.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangkok

$141 12.7%

Ubon Ratchathani

$108 13.8% 23.7% $33

Eating Out

Bangkok

$104 9.4%

Ubon Ratchathani

$108 13.8% 3.4% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Bangkok

$71 6.4%

Ubon Ratchathani

$61 7.9% 13.8% $9.8

Getting Around

Bangkok

$46 4.1%

Ubon Ratchathani

$9.8 * 1.3% 78.5% $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 $673 in Bangkok and $235 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 77% 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: $35.00 in Bangkok vs $21.00 in Ubon Ratchathani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $240 per month, with Ubon Ratchathani cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🇹🇭 Ubon Ratchathani

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

Same time as Bangkok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,666,264 Capital

74,977

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bangkok Ubon Ratchathani 500 km

From you

Bangkok
Ubon Ratchathani

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 Ubon Ratchathani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangkok and Ubon Ratchathani differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,112 vs $781 including rent). Ubon Ratchathani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% higher in Bangkok, 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: $673 in Bangkok versus $235 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Bangkok. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,112 per month in Bangkok versus $781 in Ubon Ratchathani – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $781 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $1,112 in Bangkok, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ubon Ratchathani but tight or insufficient in Bangkok. The gap between the two cities makes Ubon Ratchathani 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 Ubon Ratchathani 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 Ubon Ratchathani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Bangkok. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.