Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Koh Phangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $731 a month against $1,018 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
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Hat Yai Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index

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Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$731

/mo nomad

Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hat Yai and in Koh Phangan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in Hat Yai versus $1,018 in Koh Phangan.

Hat Yai $731
Koh Phangan $1,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,300 in Hat Yai versus $1,687 in Koh Phangan.

Hat Yai $1,300
Koh Phangan $1,687

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,870 in Hat Yai versus $2,357 in Koh Phangan.

Hat Yai $1,870
Koh Phangan $2,357

Living in Hat Yai costs roughly 28% less than in Koh Phangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hat Yai 46% lower, Koh Phangan 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ฿96.9

$3.91 ฿131

-25.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.67 ฿1,460

$29.34 ฿980

48.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.66 ฿122

$7.70 ฿257

-52.47%

Cappuccino

$2.88 ฿96.3

$2.51 ฿83.8

14.74%

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

$1.33 ฿44.34

$0.87 ฿28.93

52.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.60

$0.44 ฿14.79

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 ฿60.1

$2.23 ฿74.7

-19.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ฿116

$3.40 ฿114

1.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.55

$1.64 ฿54.8

-11.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ฿41.68

$1.31 ฿43.77

-4.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.28

$1.45 ฿48.44

-14.48%

Eggs

$2.51 ฿83.9

$2.05 ฿68.6

22.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.15 ฿740

$18.25 ฿610

21.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.24 ฿74.7

$3.15 ฿105

-28.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ฿374

$10.26 ฿343

9.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ฿84.8

$2.71 ฿90.6

-6.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.10

$1.50 ฿50.0

-8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ฿63.3

$2.12 ฿70.9

-10.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ฿60.3

$1.98 ฿66.3

-9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.94

$1.38 ฿46.05

5.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.38

$1.27 ฿42.34

-18.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.74

$1.05 ฿35.11

1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.57

$0.52 ฿17.54

-21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 ฿146

$4.02 ฿134

8.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 ฿502

$17.43 ฿583

-13.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$1.73 ฿57.8

2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ฿66.4

$2.64 ฿88.2

-24.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ฿18.98

$2.00 ฿66.7

-71.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ฿41.71

$2.63 ฿87.8

-52.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ฿37.78

$0.92 ฿30.83

22.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ฿165

$3.49 ฿117

41.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿43.15

$1.28 ฿42.83

0.78%

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

$18.9K ฿630.6K

$23.9K ฿799.7K

-21.15%

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

$45.1K ฿1.5M

$24.3K ฿811.4K

85.83%

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

$84.4 ฿2,819

$98.6 ฿3,296

-14.47%

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

$11.75 ฿393

$11.03 ฿369

6.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.65 ฿322

$17.25 ฿577

-44.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.45 ฿1,619

$51.8 ฿1,730

-6.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.10 ฿471

$11.01 ฿368

28.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 ฿240

$7.48 ฿250

-3.88%

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

$562 ฿18.8K

$549 ฿18.4K

2.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ฿357.3K

$11.4K ฿379.4K

-5.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.54 ฿1,255

$63.8 ฿2,131

-41.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.26 ฿878

$29.04 ฿971

-9.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ฿2,369

$94.3 ฿3,152

-24.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 ฿3,250

$88.5 ฿2,958

9.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ฿9,010

$506 ฿16.9K

-46.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ฿3,576

$326 ฿10.9K

-67.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$1,446 ฿48.3K

-49.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ฿13.3K

$842 ฿28.1K

-52.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.0K

$2,423 ฿81.0K

-20.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,584 ฿52.9K

$1,769 ฿59.1K

-10.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 ฿15.1K

$708 ฿23.7K

-36.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

5.57

14.18%

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

Last update for Hat Yai: October 11, 2026

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hat Yai

$249 34.1%

Koh Phangan

$252 24.7% 1% $2.5

Accommodation & Living

Hat Yai

$107 14.7%

Koh Phangan

$326 32% 204% $219

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hat Yai

$106 14.5%

Koh Phangan

$127 12.5% 20% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Hat Yai

$104 14.3%

Koh Phangan

$124 12.2% 18.9% $20

Eating Out

Hat Yai

$92 12.6%

Koh Phangan

$108 10.6% 16.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Hat Yai

$63 8.6%

Koh Phangan

$67 6.6% 6.2% $3.9

Getting Around

Hat Yai

$9.2 * 1.3%

Koh Phangan

$15 * 1.5% 66.1% $6.1

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 $270 in Hat Yai and $506 in Koh Phangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Phangan pays 57% 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: $44.00 in Hat Yai vs $29.00 in Koh Phangan. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $252, with Hat Yai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

Same time as Hat Yai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,802

💱 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

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Hat Yai Koh Phangan 310 km

From you

Hat Yai
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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

Hat Yai vs Koh Phangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Koh Phangan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hat Yai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Koh Phangan. 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: $270 in Hat Yai versus $506 in Koh Phangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $562 in Hat Yai versus $549 in Koh Phangan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $29.00 in Koh Phangan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Hat Yai versus $1,018 in Koh Phangan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hat Yai but tight or insufficient in Koh Phangan. The gap between the two cities makes Hat Yai 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, Hat Yai and Koh Phangan 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 Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Koh Phangan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.