Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phangan and Nakhon Ratchasima

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima: $777 a month against $1,024 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Ratchasima
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Nakhon Ratchasima Living Index

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Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,024

/mo nomad

Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Thailand

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Phangan and in Nakhon Ratchasima

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 Nakhon Ratchasima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,024 in Koh Phangan versus $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Koh Phangan $1,024
Nakhon Ratchasima $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,693 in Koh Phangan versus $1,275 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Koh Phangan $1,693
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,361 in Koh Phangan versus $1,773 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Koh Phangan $2,361
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,773

Living in Koh Phangan is roughly 32% more expensive than in Nakhon Ratchasima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Phangan 24% lower, Nakhon Ratchasima 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ฿133

$2.84 ฿94.9

39.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.08 ฿972

$26.08 ฿871

11.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 ฿264

$6.01 ฿201

31.45%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ฿84.5

$1.92 ฿64.2

31.77%

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

$0.87 ฿28.98

$0.57 ฿19.14

52.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ฿13.98

$0.29 ฿9.65

44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.83 ฿61.1

20.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ฿115

$2.75 ฿92.0

25.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.59 ฿53.2

-0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ฿46.52

$1.27 ฿42.52

9.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.23 ฿40.98

21.95%

Eggs

$2.05 ฿68.5

$1.50 ฿50.2

36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 ฿613

$15.63 ฿522

17.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ฿111

$2.66 ฿88.9

24.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ฿346

$10.10 ฿338

2.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 ฿93.9

$3.10 ฿104

-9.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.3

$1.28 ฿42.68

29.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 ฿70.4

$1.86 ฿62.1

13.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.5

$1.95 ฿65.1

5.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.81

$1.20 ฿40.24

21.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ฿44.04

$1.03 ฿34.37

28.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.46

$1.23 ฿41.02

-13.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.45

$0.38 ฿12.60

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿140

$2.89 ฿96.7

45.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.36 ฿580

$17.65 ฿590

-1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿58.7

$1.71 ฿57.2

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ฿89.4

$2.99 ฿100.0

-10.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$0.43 ฿14.40

379.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.99 ฿635

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 ฿88.3

$1.02 ฿34.03

158.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ฿30.81

$1.13 ฿37.66

-18.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 ฿116

$7.30 ฿244

-52.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ฿44.17

$1.35 ฿45.03

-2.22%

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

$23.8K ฿796.2K

$46.6K ฿1.6M

-48.91%

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

$24.5K ฿818.5K

$26.6K ฿889.2K

-7.95%

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

$98.4 ฿3,287

$86.1 ฿2,877

14.26%

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

$11.11 ฿371

$11.39 ฿381

-2.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.91 ฿565

$19.25 ฿643

-12.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,764

$46.92 ฿1,568

12.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.82 ฿362

$14.91 ฿498

-27.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.71 ฿158

63.27%

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

$560 ฿18.7K

$180 ฿6,020

210.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ฿391.0K

$14.1K ฿470.9K

-16.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 ฿2,129

$49.69 ฿1,661

28.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.59 ฿955

$29.73 ฿994

-3.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 ฿3,205

$78.9 ฿2,637

21.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 ฿2,905

$67.1 ฿2,243

29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$217 ฿7,263

134.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ฿10.9K

$158 ฿5,292

105.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 ฿48.9K

$496 ฿16.6K

195.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 ฿27.8K

$420 ฿14.1K

98.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,509 ฿83.9K

$3,287 ฿109.9K

-23.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,781 ฿59.5K

$1,737 ฿58.1K

2.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 ฿23.8K

$615 ฿20.6K

15.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.1

9.22%

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

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Phangan

$326 31.8%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$158 20.4% 51.5% $168

Groceries & Markets

Koh Phangan

$256 25%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$235 30.3% 7.9% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Phangan

$126 12.3%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$117 15% 7.6% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Phangan

$124 12.1%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$101 13.1% 18% $22

Eating Out

Koh Phangan

$109 10.6%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$82 10.5% 24.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Phangan

$68 6.7%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$56 7.3% 17.3% $12

Getting Around

Koh Phangan

$16 * 1.5%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$27 3.5% 76.5% $12

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 $509 in Koh Phangan and $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Phangan pays 16% 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: $29.00 in Koh Phangan vs $26.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $256 vs $235 per month, with Nakhon Ratchasima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Nakhon Ratchasima

🕒 Local time

14:05 2:05 PM

Same time as Koh Phangan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,391

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Koh Phangan Nakhon Ratchasima 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Koh Phangan
Nakhon Ratchasima

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 Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Phangan and Nakhon Ratchasima differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,024 vs $777 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Koh Phangan, 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: $509 in Koh Phangan versus $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Koh Phangan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,024 per month in Koh Phangan versus $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,024 in Koh Phangan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Koh Phangan. The gap between the two cities makes Nakhon Ratchasima 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, Koh Phangan and Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Koh Phangan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.