Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phangan and Nakhon Si Thammarat

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Si Thammarat: $1,003 a month against $1,103 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Koh Phangan, Thailand
Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
Koh Phangan
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,103
/mo nomad
Nakhon Si Thammarat
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,003
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Phangan and in Nakhon Si Thammarat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,103 in Koh Phangan versus $1,003 in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

  • Koh Phangan $1,103
  • Nakhon Si Thammarat $1,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,874 in Koh Phangan versus $1,626 in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

  • Koh Phangan $1,874
  • Nakhon Si Thammarat $1,626

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,646 in Koh Phangan versus $2,249 in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

  • Koh Phangan $2,646
  • Nakhon Si Thammarat $2,249

Living in Koh Phangan is roughly 10% more expensive than in Nakhon Si Thammarat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Phangan 19% lower, Nakhon Si Thammarat 26% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Koh Phangan
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.88 ฿131
$3.07 ฿104
26.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.98 ฿979
$32.72 ฿1,105
-11.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.88 ฿266
$8.63 ฿291
-8.69%
Cappuccino
$2.46 ฿83.2
$2.84 ฿96.1
-13.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 ฿27.06
$0.95 ฿32.05
-15.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44 ฿14.90
$0.47 ฿15.76
-6.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 ฿76.0
$2.47 ฿83.3
-8.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 ฿110
$3.81 ฿129
-14.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Koh Phangan
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 ฿53.6
$1.67 ฿56.5
-4.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 ฿46.60
$1.47 ฿49.72
-6.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 ฿48.50
$1.52 ฿51.3
-5.26%
Eggs
$2.00 ฿67.4
$2.11 ฿71.3
-5.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.46 ฿623
$19.37 ฿654
-4.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.29 ฿111
$3.41 ฿115
-3.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.67 ฿360
$11.14 ฿376
-4.22%
Apples (1kg)
$2.72 ฿91.7
$2.84 ฿96.0
-4.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 ฿52.0
$1.67 ฿56.4
-7.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.07 ฿69.9
$2.28 ฿77.0
-9.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 ฿65.3
$2.04 ฿68.8
-5.39%
Potato (1kg)
$1.44 ฿48.63
$1.47 ฿49.80
-2.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.23 ฿41.67
$1.37 ฿46.11
-10.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$1.06 ฿35.72
0.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ฿16.06
$0.51 ฿17.07
-5.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.04 ฿136
$4.44 ฿150
-9.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.83 ฿602
$18.27 ฿617
-2.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ฿57.5
$1.77 ฿59.9
-3.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65 ฿89.6
$2.89 ฿97.5
-8.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Koh Phangan
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.32 ฿44.64
$0.85 ฿28.55
55.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.08 ฿1,657
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.61 ฿88.3
$1.16 ฿39.29
125.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.96 ฿32.44
$1.05 ฿35.46
-8.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.32 ฿112
$3.81 ฿129
-12.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 ฿44.99
$1.42 ฿48.05
-6.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.5K ฿795.2K
$27.1K ฿913.8K
-12.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K ฿799.5K
$27.2K ฿917.8K
-12.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Phangan
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$98.0 ฿3,311
$98.3 ฿3,321
-0.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.12 ฿376
$11.37 ฿384
-2.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.94 ฿572
$17.10 ฿577
-0.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Koh Phangan
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.7 ฿2,286
$47.49 ฿1,604
42.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.81 ฿365
$13.15 ฿444
-17.79%
Cinema Ticket
$7.68 ฿259
$7.69 ฿260
-0.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Koh Phangan
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$478 ฿16.2K
$555 ฿18.7K
-13.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿391.7K
$11.6K ฿392.5K
-0.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Koh Phangan
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.1 ฿2,098
$63.6 ฿2,149
-2.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.52 ฿963
$28.79 ฿972
-0.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,242
$95.5 ฿3,224
0.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.5 ฿2,922
$89.5 ฿3,023
-3.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Koh Phangan
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$498 ฿16.8K
$431 ฿14.6K
15.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$348 ฿11.7K
$301 ฿10.2K
15.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,349 ฿45.6K
$1,150 ฿38.8K
17.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,007 ฿34.0K
$698 ฿23.6K
44.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,927 ฿98.8K
$1,924 ฿65.0K
52.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,098 ฿70.9K
$1,428 ฿48.2K
46.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Koh Phangan
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$724 ฿24.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
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 Nakhon Si Thammarat: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Koh Phangan
$348
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$301 13.4% $46
Groceries & Markets
Koh Phangan
$254
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$267 4.9% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Phangan
$126
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$127 0.6% $0.7
Clothing & Footwear
Koh Phangan
$123
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$125 1.6% $1.9
Eating Out
Koh Phangan
$107
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$110 3% $3.2
Sport & Entertainment
Koh Phangan
$83
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$63 24.3% $20
Getting Around
Koh Phangan
$62
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$9.8 * 84.1% $52

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 $431 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29 in Koh Phangan vs $33 in Nakhon Si Thammarat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $267 per month, with Koh Phangan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Koh Phangan
🇹🇭 Nakhon Si Thammarat
🕒 Local time
19:01 7:01 PM
19:01 7:01 PM
Same time as Koh Phangan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
102,152
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Koh Phangan Nakhon Si Thammarat 150 km
From you
  • Koh Phangan
  • Nakhon Si Thammarat

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 Si Thammarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Koh Phangan and in Nakhon Si Thammarat?
Koh Phangan and Nakhon Si Thammarat differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,103 vs $1,003 including rent). Nakhon Si Thammarat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Koh Phangan compared to Nakhon Si Thammarat?
You’d need roughly $1,654 in Koh Phangan and $1,504 in Nakhon Si Thammarat to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Koh Phangan and in Nakhon Si Thammarat?
Rent for a central apartment: $498 in Koh Phangan versus $431 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Koh Phangan pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Koh Phangan or Nakhon Si Thammarat?
All in, you’ll spend $1,103 per month in Koh Phangan versus $1,003 in Nakhon Si Thammarat – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How far does $2,000 go in Koh Phangan compared to Nakhon Si Thammarat?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Nakhon Si Thammarat gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Koh Phangan and Nakhon Si Thammarat?
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.
Is Koh Phangan or Nakhon Si Thammarat safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Koh Phangan and Nakhon Si Thammarat are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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