Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phangan and Nakhon Sawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Sawan: $1,044 a month against $1,103 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $710 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Sawan
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Nakhon Sawan Living Index

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Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,103

/mo nomad

Nakhon Sawan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,103 in Koh Phangan versus $1,044 in Nakhon Sawan.

Koh Phangan $1,103
Nakhon Sawan $1,044

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,874 in Koh Phangan versus $1,620 in Nakhon Sawan.

Koh Phangan $1,874
Nakhon Sawan $1,620

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,646 in Koh Phangan versus $2,196 in Nakhon Sawan.

Koh Phangan $2,646
Nakhon Sawan $2,196

Living in Koh Phangan is roughly 6% more expensive than in Nakhon Sawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Phangan 19% lower, Nakhon Sawan 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ฿131

$2.94 ฿99.3

31.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.98 ฿978

$35.47 ฿1,197

-18.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ฿266

$5.97 ฿201

31.99%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ฿83.1

$2.83 ฿95.4

-13.07%

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

$0.80 ฿27.04

$0.67 ฿22.49

19.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ฿14.89

$0.32 ฿10.93

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 ฿76.0

$2.67 ฿90.2

-15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 ฿110

$4.55 ฿154

-28.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ฿53.6

$1.89 ฿63.6

-15.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 ฿46.55

$1.48 ฿49.90

-6.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$1.39 ฿46.88

3.60%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿67.3

$1.67 ฿56.4

19.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.46 ฿623

$17.17 ฿579

7.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$3.50 ฿118

-6.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 ฿360

$12.82 ฿432

-16.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 ฿91.7

$3.83 ฿129

-28.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ฿52.0

$0.71 ฿23.95

116.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.8

$2.66 ฿89.6

-22.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 ฿65.2

$1.91 ฿64.4

1.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.59

$1.20 ฿40.53

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ฿41.64

$1.21 ฿40.93

1.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.82 ฿27.68

30.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.04

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 ฿136

$2.73 ฿92.0

47.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.83 ฿602

$14.65 ฿494

21.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿57.4

$1.58 ฿53.4

7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿89.5

$3.32 ฿112

-20.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 ฿44.60

$0.93 ฿31.22

41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.08 ฿1,656

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 ฿88.2

$1.03 ฿34.65

153.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 ฿32.41

$1.15 ฿38.64

-16.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 ฿112

$6.08 ฿205

-45.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ฿44.95

$1.26 ฿42.37

5.56%

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

$23.5K ฿794.5K

$31.3K ฿1.1M

-24.85%

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

$23.7K ฿798.8K

$27.2K ฿918.9K

-13.08%

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

$98.0 ฿3,308

$107 ฿3,606

-8.27%

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

$11.12 ฿375

$12.68 ฿428

-12.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.94 ฿571

$17.53 ฿591

-3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 ฿2,284

$49.36 ฿1,665

37.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.81 ฿365

$13.51 ฿456

-19.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 ฿259

$7.62 ฿257

0.79%

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

$478 ฿16.1K

$794 ฿26.8K

-39.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿391.4K

$16.8K ฿567.1K

-30.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 ฿2,096

$69.4 ฿2,341

-10.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.52 ฿962

$42.62 ฿1,438

-33.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,240

$99.7 ฿3,363

-3.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 ฿2,919

$103 ฿3,481

-16.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.8K

$481 ฿16.2K

3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ฿11.7K

$332 ฿11.2K

4.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 ฿45.5K

$1,318 ฿44.5K

2.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 ฿34.0K

$608 ฿20.5K

65.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,927 ฿98.8K

$2,147 ฿72.4K

36.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,098 ฿70.8K

$1,943 ฿65.5K

8.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$724 ฿24.4K

$474 ฿16.0K

52.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Sawan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Phangan

$348 31.6%

Nakhon Sawan

$332 31.9% 4.4% $15

Groceries & Markets

Koh Phangan

$254 23.1%

Nakhon Sawan

$256 24.5% 0.6% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Phangan

$126 11.4%

Nakhon Sawan

$137 13.1% 8.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Phangan

$123 11.1%

Nakhon Sawan

$142 13.6% 15.3% $19

Eating Out

Koh Phangan

$107 9.7%

Nakhon Sawan

$102 9.8% 4.9% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Phangan

$83 7.5%

Nakhon Sawan

$65 6.2% 22.2% $18

Getting Around

Koh Phangan

$62 5.6%

Nakhon Sawan

$10 * 1% 83.1% $51

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 $498 in Koh Phangan and $481 in Nakhon Sawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Phangan pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $29 in Koh Phangan vs $35 in Nakhon Sawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $256 per month, with Koh Phangan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Nakhon Sawan

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

Same time as Koh Phangan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,305

💱 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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Koh Phangan Nakhon Sawan 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Koh Phangan
Nakhon Sawan

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 Sawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,103 in Koh Phangan and $1,044 in Nakhon Sawan, so Nakhon Sawan is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $498 in Koh Phangan versus $481 in Nakhon Sawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $478 in Koh Phangan versus $794 in Nakhon Sawan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,103 per month in Koh Phangan versus $1,044 in Nakhon Sawan – Nakhon Sawan is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Nakhon Sawan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Sawan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Nakhon Sawan wins on affordability, Koh Phangan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.