Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phangan and Khon Kaen

For one person, living is cheaper in Khon Kaen: $608 a month against $1,103 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index

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Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,103

/mo nomad

Khon Kaen

🇹🇭 Thailand

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Phangan and in Khon Kaen

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 Khon Kaen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,103 per month in Koh Phangan vs $608 in Khon Kaen, rent included.

Koh Phangan $1,103
Khon Kaen $608

A couple spends around $1,874 per month in Koh Phangan vs $1,024 in Khon Kaen, rent included.

Koh Phangan $1,874
Khon Kaen $1,024

A family of three spends $2,646 per month in Koh Phangan vs $1,440 in Khon Kaen, rent included.

Koh Phangan $2,646
Khon Kaen $1,440

Koh Phangan costs about 81% more than Khon Kaen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Koh Phangan and Khon Kaen are more affordable than the global median – Koh Phangan 19% lower, Khon Kaen 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ฿131

$3.04 ฿103

27.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.98 ฿978

$29.92 ฿1,010

-3.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ฿266

$5.93 ฿200

32.88%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ฿83.1

$1.46 ฿49.36

68.49%

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

$0.80 ฿27.05

$0.59 ฿19.82

35.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ฿14.90

$0.29 ฿9.82

51.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 ฿76.0

$1.72 ฿58.0

30.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 ฿110

$6.73 ฿227

-51.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ฿53.6

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 ฿46.57

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.47

$0.86 ฿29.14

67.44%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿67.3

$2.47 ฿83.5

-19.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.46 ฿623

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 ฿360

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 ฿91.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ฿52.0

$0.87 ฿29.33

77.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.8

$1.50 ฿50.6

38.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 ฿65.2

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.60

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ฿41.65

$1.50 ฿50.6

-18.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.62 ฿20.84

72.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.05

$0.52 ฿17.70

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 ฿136

Wine (Bottle)

$17.83 ฿602

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿57.5

$1.65 ฿55.5

3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿89.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 ฿44.61

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.08 ฿1,656

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 ฿88.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 ฿32.42

$1.20 ฿40.57

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 ฿112

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ฿44.96

$1.32 ฿44.67

0.76%

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

$23.5K ฿794.7K

$44.6K ฿1.5M

-47.18%

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

$23.7K ฿799.0K

$26.5K ฿895.7K

-10.80%

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

$98.0 ฿3,309

$94.7 ฿3,195

3.56%

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

$11.12 ฿375

$17.99 ฿607

-38.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.94 ฿572

$29.73 ฿1,003

-43.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 ฿2,284

$59.5 ฿2,008

13.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.81 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 ฿259

$5.85 ฿197

31.28%

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

$478 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿391.5K

$8,970 ฿302.7K

29.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 ฿2,097

$30.04 ฿1,014

106.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.52 ฿962

$34.83 ฿1,176

-18.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,240

$73.8 ฿2,489

30.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 ฿2,920

$90.5 ฿3,055

-4.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.8K

$280 ฿9,445

78.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ฿11.7K

$156 ฿5,264

123.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 ฿45.5K

$730 ฿24.6K

84.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 ฿34.0K

$480 ฿16.2K

109.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,927 ฿98.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,098 ฿70.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$724 ฿24.4K

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 25, 2026

Last update for Khon Kaen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Phangan

$348 31.6%

Khon Kaen

–

Groceries & Markets

Koh Phangan

$254 23.1%

Khon Kaen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Phangan

$126 11.4%

Khon Kaen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Phangan

$123 11.1%

Khon Kaen

–

Eating Out

Koh Phangan

$107 9.7%

Khon Kaen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Phangan

$83 7.5%

Khon Kaen

–

Getting Around

Koh Phangan

$62 5.6%

Khon Kaen

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $498 in Koh Phangan versus $280 in Khon Kaen. 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 $29 in Koh Phangan versus $30 in Khon Kaen. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Koh Phangan vs $45 in Khon Kaen – so Khon Kaen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Khon Kaen

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

Same time as Koh Phangan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,459

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Koh Phangan Khon Kaen 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Koh Phangan
Khon Kaen

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 Khon Kaen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Koh Phangan is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,654 per month in Koh Phangan and $913 in Khon Kaen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Khon Kaen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $280 there versus $498 in Koh Phangan.

Groceries cost about 471% more in Koh Phangan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Koh Phangan and $30 in Khon Kaen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Khon Kaen, where all-in costs run around $608, than in Koh Phangan at $1,103. In Khon Kaen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Koh Phangan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Koh Phangan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $608 in Khon Kaen to $1,103 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.