Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phangan and Buriram

For one person, living is cheaper in Buriram: $929 a month against $1,113 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Buriram
Learn more

Buriram Living Index

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Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,113

/mo nomad

Buriram

🇹🇭 Thailand

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Phangan and in Buriram

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

A single person spends $1,113 per month in Koh Phangan vs $929 in Buriram, rent included.

Koh Phangan $1,113
Buriram $929

A couple spends around $1,886 per month in Koh Phangan vs $1,448 in Buriram, rent included.

Koh Phangan $1,886
Buriram $1,448

A family of three spends $2,659 per month in Koh Phangan vs $1,966 in Buriram, rent included.

Koh Phangan $2,659
Buriram $1,966

Koh Phangan costs about 20% more than Buriram, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Koh Phangan and Buriram are more affordable than the global median – Koh Phangan 18% lower, Buriram 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 ฿139

$1.52 ฿51.4

170.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.64 ฿1,000

$26.37 ฿889

12.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿265

$8.54 ฿288

-7.96%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ฿82.8

$1.35 ฿45.53

82.22%

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

$0.79 ฿26.70

$0.42 ฿14.30

88.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿15.25

$0.26 ฿8.84

73.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.2

$1.81 ฿61.2

28.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 ฿110

$4.03 ฿136

-19.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿55.2

$1.83 ฿61.8

-10.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ฿44.85

$1.36 ฿45.98

-2.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ฿48.21

$1.22 ฿41.30

17.21%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿66.3

$2.14 ฿72.2

-7.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.20 ฿614

$17.47 ฿589

4.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ฿110

$2.39 ฿80.8

36.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 ฿364

$11.40 ฿384

-5.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 ฿92.5

$2.76 ฿93.0

-0.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ฿51.4

$1.10 ฿37.26

38.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ฿72.3

$2.46 ฿83.1

-13.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 ฿68.2

$1.85 ฿62.4

9.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 ฿48.10

$1.53 ฿51.7

-6.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ฿42.03

$1.14 ฿38.57

9.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿36.07

$0.95 ฿31.96

12.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.55

$0.53 ฿17.91

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 ฿136

$4.24 ฿143

-4.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.37 ฿586

$15.40 ฿519

12.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ฿56.8

$1.69 ฿57.1

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ฿88.5

$2.87 ฿96.9

-8.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿46.10

$0.85 ฿28.75

61.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,850

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ฿43.87

$1.13 ฿38.27

15.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ฿21.50

$0.99 ฿33.40

-35.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 ฿114

$5.43 ฿183

-37.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿45.20

$1.38 ฿46.49

-2.90%

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

$23.8K ฿804.2K

$24.6K ฿828.1K

-2.89%

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

$23.6K ฿797.6K

$23.8K ฿803.9K

-0.78%

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

$96.7 ฿3,261

$89.5 ฿3,018

8.05%

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

$11.14 ฿376

$11.74 ฿396

-5.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.06 ฿575

$21.39 ฿722

-20.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.5 ฿2,311

$43.97 ฿1,483

55.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿373

$12.07 ฿407

-8.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.38 ฿249

$5.71 ฿193

29.25%

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

$534 ฿18.0K

$603 ฿20.4K

-11.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ฿636.5K

$17.4K ฿586.0K

8.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 ฿2,107

$55.3 ฿1,864

13.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.08 ฿947

$26.20 ฿884

7.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,242

$85.9 ฿2,896

11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 ฿2,950

$83.5 ฿2,817

4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 ฿16.7K

$447 ฿15.1K

10.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ฿11.9K

$310 ฿10.4K

14.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 ฿46.1K

$1,233 ฿41.6K

10.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$610 ฿20.6K

64.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,938 ฿99.1K

$1,911 ฿64.5K

53.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,353 ฿79.4K

$1,591 ฿53.7K

47.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$712 ฿24.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 31, 2026

Last update for Buriram: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Phangan

$354 31.8%

Buriram

$310 33.3% 12.6% $45

Groceries & Markets

Koh Phangan

$254 22.8%

Buriram

$246 26.4% 3.2% $8.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Phangan

$125 11.2%

Buriram

$123 13.2% 1.8% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Phangan

$123 11.1%

Buriram

$113 12.1% 8.5% $10

Eating Out

Koh Phangan

$109 9.8%

Buriram

$74 8% 32.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Phangan

$83 7.5%

Buriram

$55 6% 33.5% $28

Getting Around

Koh Phangan

$65 5.8%

Buriram

$9.5 * 1% 85.3% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $494 in Koh Phangan versus $447 in Buriram. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Koh Phangan versus $26 in Buriram. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $246 – making Buriram the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Buriram

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

Same time as Koh Phangan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,333

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Koh Phangan Buriram 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Koh Phangan
Buriram

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

Koh Phangan vs Buriram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Koh Phangan is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,670 per month in Koh Phangan and $1,394 in Buriram. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Buriram, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $447 there versus $494 in Koh Phangan.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,113 in Koh Phangan and $929 in Buriram. That makes Buriram about 17% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $534 per month in Koh Phangan and $603 in Buriram. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Koh Phangan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $929 in Buriram to $1,113 in Koh Phangan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.