Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cha-am and Bangkok

For one person, living is cheaper in Cha-am: $871 a month against $1,125 in Bangkok, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Cha-am
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Cha-am Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
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Bangkok Living Index

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Cha-am

🇹🇭 Thailand

$871

/mo nomad

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cha-am and in Bangkok

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cha-am and in Bangkok actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $871 in Cha-am versus $1,125 in Bangkok.

Cha-am $871
Bangkok $1,125

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,405 in Cha-am versus $1,837 in Bangkok.

Cha-am $1,405
Bangkok $1,837

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,940 in Cha-am versus $2,549 in Bangkok.

Cha-am $1,940
Bangkok $2,549

Living in Cha-am costs roughly 23% less than in Bangkok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cha-am 36% lower, Bangkok 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ฿101

$2.90 ฿98.1

2.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.18 ฿749

$35.48 ฿1,198

-37.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ฿248

$7.37 ฿249

-0.27%

Cappuccino

$2.01 ฿68.0

$2.73 ฿92.2

-26.37%

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

$0.69 ฿23.34

$0.67 ฿22.75

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.69

$0.32 ฿10.96

9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿82.4

$2.63 ฿88.8

-7.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$4.54 ฿153

-35.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.6

$1.85 ฿62.3

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.48 ฿49.98

-0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.94

$1.41 ฿47.61

-5.67%

Eggs

$1.87 ฿63.2

$2.60 ฿87.9

-28.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 ฿418

$17.29 ฿584

-28.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.53 ฿85.3

$3.55 ฿120

-28.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 ฿337

$12.69 ฿428

-21.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ฿114

$3.70 ฿125

-8.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿41.01

$1.72 ฿58.2

-29.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ฿64.0

$2.74 ฿92.6

-30.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ฿61.2

$1.96 ฿66.3

-7.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ฿58.8

$1.67 ฿56.5

4.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ฿36.62

$1.51 ฿50.9

-28.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ฿40.53

$1.27 ฿42.88

-5.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ฿14.81

$0.50 ฿16.96

-12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿144

$4.80 ฿162

-11.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿606

$14.88 ฿503

20.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.84 ฿62.1

-9.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 ฿96.6

$3.22 ฿109

-11.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.62

$1.02 ฿34.33

-10.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.60 ฿763

$35.37 ฿1,194

-36.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ฿45.29

$1.05 ฿35.48

27.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿36.49

$1.20 ฿40.66

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 ฿122

$6.10 ฿206

-40.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ฿46.41

$1.43 ฿48.30

-4.20%

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

$16.3K ฿551.6K

$30.8K ฿1.0M

-46.92%

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

$26.5K ฿893.4K

$26.9K ฿907.8K

-1.58%

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

$80.9 ฿2,732

$109 ฿3,668

-25.50%

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

$11.74 ฿397

$14.94 ฿504

-21.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.19 ฿783

$18.05 ฿610

28.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.97 ฿810

$56.3 ฿1,900

-57.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.88 ฿199

$18.45 ฿623

-68.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ฿226

$7.46 ฿252

-10.19%

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

$615 ฿20.8K

$802 ฿27.1K

-23.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ฿358.8K

$17.0K ฿573.2K

-37.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 ฿1,722

$71.5 ฿2,416

-28.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.67 ฿968

$42.12 ฿1,422

-31.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ฿2,438

$97.1 ฿3,279

-25.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.1 ฿1,791

$107 ฿3,604

-50.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 ฿12.4K

$713 ฿24.1K

-48.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 ฿9,020

$347 ฿11.7K

-23.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 ฿25.4K

$2,219 ฿74.9K

-66.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 ฿22.0K

$820 ฿27.7K

-20.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,948 ฿200.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,151 ฿106.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$362 ฿12.2K

$612 ฿20.7K

-40.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.25

13.52%

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

Last update for Cha-am: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bangkok: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cha-am

$267 30.7%

Bangkok

$347 30.9% 29.9% $80

Groceries & Markets

Cha-am

$233 26.7%

Bangkok

$271 24.1% 16.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cha-am

$116 13.3%

Bangkok

$142 12.6% 22.2% $26

Eating Out

Cha-am

$92 10.6%

Bangkok

$104 9.3% 13.1% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Cha-am

$92 10.6%

Bangkok

$143 12.7% 54.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Cha-am

$37 4.3%

Bangkok

$71 6.3% 90.4% $34

Getting Around

Cha-am

$33 3.8%

Bangkok

$47 4.1% 41.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $368 in Cha-am and $713 in Bangkok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $22 in Cha-am vs $35 in Bangkok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $271 per month, with Cha-am cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Cha-am

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🕒 Local time

21:02 9:02 PM

Same time as Cha-am

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,354

5,666,264 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cha-am Bangkok 120 km

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Cha-am
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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

Cha-am vs Bangkok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cha-am and Bangkok differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($871 vs $1,125 including rent). Cha-am is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Cha-am. 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: $368 in Cha-am versus $713 in Bangkok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cha-am – a meal for two runs $22 versus $35 in Bangkok. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $871 per month in Cha-am versus $1,125 in Bangkok – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, Cha-am and Bangkok 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 Cha-am gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Bangkok. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.