Cost of Living Comparison Between Chon Buri and Pattaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Chon Buri and Pattaya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $756 in Chon Buri versus $972 in Pattaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,289 in Chon Buri versus $1,529 in Pattaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,821 in Chon Buri versus $2,087 in Pattaya.

Living in Chon Buri costs roughly 22% less than in Pattaya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chon Buri 44% lower, Pattaya 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 ฿64.8

$3.61 ฿118

-44.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿614

$30.97 ฿1,012

-39.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 ฿197

$9.38 ฿306

-35.50%

Cappuccino

$1.89 ฿61.8

$2.07 ฿67.7

-8.70%

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

$0.63 ฿20.60

$0.85 ฿27.74

-25.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.57

$0.37 ฿12.11

29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 ฿59.4

$2.44 ฿79.6

-25.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿120

$2.44 ฿79.6

50.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.15

$1.75 ฿57.2

-19.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.40

$1.42 ฿46.41

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.78

$1.28 ฿41.68

-17.19%

Eggs

$1.92 ฿62.8

$2.33 ฿76.0

-17.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 ฿432

$15.41 ฿503

-14.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.1

$3.43 ฿112

-40.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.70 ฿349

$11.20 ฿366

-4.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 ฿79.3

$3.40 ฿111

-28.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ฿24.72

$1.32 ฿43.19

-42.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ฿58.7

$1.88 ฿61.5

-4.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.8

$1.47 ฿48.05

6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.5

$1.46 ฿47.81

10.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.77

$1.17 ฿38.14

4.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 ฿26.35

$1.63 ฿53.1

-50.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿14.94

$0.53 ฿17.33

-13.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.73 ฿154

$4.71 ฿154

0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 ฿485

$16.93 ฿553

-12.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ฿54.6

$1.84 ฿60.2

-9.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿119

$2.37 ฿77.3

53.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿30.64

$0.30 ฿9.79

213.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.57 ฿607

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿34.54

$1.36 ฿44.56

-22.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 ฿24.99

$1.29 ฿42.26

-40.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 ฿181

$3.29 ฿108

68.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.28 ฿41.88

5.47%

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

$19.9K ฿649.4K

$25.9K ฿844.9K

-23.13%

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

$21.1K ฿689.6K

$26.8K ฿874.4K

-21.13%

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

$73.1 ฿2,387

$79.8 ฿2,606

-8.41%

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

$12.89 ฿421

$13.73 ฿448

-6.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.54 ฿605

$18.71 ฿611

-0.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.45 ฿1,582

$45.23 ฿1,477

7.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.29 ฿401

$16.88 ฿551

-27.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.06 ฿100.0

$7.80 ฿255

-60.77%

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

$141 ฿4,589

$293 ฿9,559

-51.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K ฿521.7K

$9,198 ฿300.4K

73.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.51 ฿637

$29.59 ฿966

-34.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.30 ฿794

$19.41 ฿634

25.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.5 ฿2,009

$99.1 ฿3,238

-37.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 ฿1,906

$43.68 ฿1,427

33.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 ฿17.3K

$545 ฿17.8K

-2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 ฿7,093

$347 ฿11.3K

-37.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 ฿26.5K

$1,350 ฿44.1K

-40.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 ฿21.7K

$697 ฿22.8K

-4.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,575 ฿84.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$814 ฿26.6K

$1,513 ฿49.4K

-46.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$608 ฿19.8K

$479 ฿15.6K

26.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

5.45

13.21%

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

Last update for Chon Buri: May 31, 2026

Last update for Pattaya: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $529 in Chon Buri and $545 in Pattaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chon Buri pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chon Buri vs $31.00 in Pattaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $250 per month, with Chon Buri 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

Chon Buri vs Pattaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chon Buri wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Pattaya. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chon Buri the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Chon Buri pays 27% 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: $529 in Chon Buri versus $545 in Pattaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $141 in Chon Buri versus $293 in Pattaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chon Buri – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $31.00 in Pattaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $756 in Chon Buri versus $972 in Pattaya, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chon Buri but tight or insufficient in Pattaya. The gap between the two cities makes Chon Buri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chon Buri delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $756 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chon Buri hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chon Buri and Pattaya 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 Chon Buri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Pattaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.