Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phangan and Nong Khai

For one person, living is cheaper in Nong Khai: $918 a month against $1,024 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Nong Khai
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Nong Khai Living Index

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Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,024

/mo nomad

Nong Khai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Phangan and in Nong Khai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,024 in Koh Phangan versus $918 in Nong Khai.

Koh Phangan $1,024
Nong Khai $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,693 in Koh Phangan versus $1,472 in Nong Khai.

Koh Phangan $1,693
Nong Khai $1,472

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,361 in Koh Phangan versus $2,026 in Nong Khai.

Koh Phangan $2,361
Nong Khai $2,026

Living in Koh Phangan is roughly 12% more expensive than in Nong Khai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Phangan 24% lower, Nong Khai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ฿133

$3.03 ฿101

31.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.08 ฿972

$24.24 ฿810

19.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 ฿264

$7.94 ฿265

-0.50%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ฿84.5

$1.94 ฿64.9

30.41%

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

$0.87 ฿28.98

$0.65 ฿21.61

33.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ฿13.98

$0.34 ฿11.34

23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.92 ฿64.1

15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ฿115

$3.24 ฿108

6.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.81 ฿60.4

-12.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ฿46.52

$1.41 ฿47.15

-1.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.40 ฿46.88

7.14%

Eggs

$2.05 ฿68.5

$1.98 ฿66.0

3.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 ฿613

$17.41 ฿582

5.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ฿111

$2.66 ฿89.0

24.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ฿346

$10.93 ฿365

-5.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 ฿93.9

$2.72 ฿91.0

3.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.3

$0.99 ฿33.06

67.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 ฿70.4

$2.22 ฿74.1

-4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.5

$1.83 ฿61.1

12.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.81

$1.52 ฿50.9

-3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ฿44.04

$1.19 ฿39.91

10.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.46

$1.13 ฿37.70

-6.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.45

$0.49 ฿16.31

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿140

$4.46 ฿149

-5.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.36 ฿580

$17.97 ฿600

-3.39%

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

$2.50 ฿83.5

6.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$0.88 ฿29.57

134.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 ฿88.3

$1.11 ฿37.19

137.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ฿30.81

$1.00 ฿33.56

-8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 ฿116

$6.74 ฿225

-48.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ฿44.17

$1.38 ฿46.27

-4.35%

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

$23.8K ฿796.2K

$22.6K ฿756.9K

5.20%

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

$24.5K ฿818.5K

$27.9K ฿932.6K

-12.23%

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

$98.4 ฿3,287

$78.5 ฿2,624

25.28%

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

$11.11 ฿371

$9.94 ฿332

11.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.91 ฿565

$19.60 ฿655

-13.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,764

$47.18 ฿1,577

11.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.82 ฿362

$14.48 ฿484

-25.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.07 ฿236

8.77%

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

$560 ฿18.7K

$515 ฿17.2K

8.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ฿391.0K

$9,737 ฿325.4K

20.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 ฿2,129

$51.2 ฿1,711

24.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.59 ฿955

$27.43 ฿917

4.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 ฿3,205

$65.1 ฿2,175

47.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 ฿2,905

$82.1 ฿2,744

5.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$387 ฿12.9K

31.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ฿10.9K

$297 ฿9,932

9.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 ฿48.9K

$1,157 ฿38.7K

26.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 ฿27.8K

$669 ฿22.4K

24.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,509 ฿83.9K

$2,170 ฿72.5K

15.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,781 ฿59.5K

$1,538 ฿51.4K

15.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 ฿23.8K

$452 ฿15.1K

57.58%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Nong Khai: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Phangan

$326 31.8%

Nong Khai

$297 32.4% 8.9% $29

Groceries & Markets

Koh Phangan

$256 25%

Nong Khai

$248 27.1% 2.8% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Phangan

$126 12.3%

Nong Khai

$108 11.8% 14.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Phangan

$124 12.1%

Nong Khai

$102 11.1% 17.9% $22

Eating Out

Koh Phangan

$109 10.6%

Nong Khai

$91 10% 16% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Phangan

$68 6.7%

Nong Khai

$61 6.7% 10% $6.8

Getting Around

Koh Phangan

$16 * 1.5%

Nong Khai

$9.7 * 1.1% 37.6% $5.8

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 $387 in Nong Khai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Phangan pays 58% 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 $24.00 in Nong Khai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $256 vs $248 per month, with Nong Khai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Nong Khai

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

Same time as Koh Phangan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000

💱 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 Nong Khai 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Koh Phangan
Nong Khai

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 Nong Khai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Phangan and Nong Khai differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,024 vs $918 including rent). Nong Khai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% 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 $387 in Nong Khai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 $918 in Nong Khai – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Nong Khai versus $1,024 in Koh Phangan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nong Khai but tight or insufficient in Koh Phangan. The gap between the two cities makes Nong Khai 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 Nong Khai 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 Nong Khai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Koh Phangan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.