Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phan Ghan and Pai Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phan Ghan and Pai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,061 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $891 in Pai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,908 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,451 in Pai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,754 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $2,010 in Pai.

Living in Koh Phan Ghan is roughly 19% more expensive than in Pai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Phan Ghan 21% lower, Pai 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 ฿137

$3.02 ฿101

34.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.11 ฿1,414

$24.27 ฿815

73.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 ฿255

$6.93 ฿233

9.67%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ฿88.3

$2.00 ฿67.0

31.50%

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

$0.62 ฿20.80

$0.71 ฿23.76

-12.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.84

$0.38 ฿12.64

-7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 ฿76.1

$2.22 ฿74.6

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 ฿109

$3.54 ฿119

-7.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ฿71.4

$1.67 ฿56.0

27.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ฿58.0

$1.36 ฿45.68

27.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 ฿71.7

$1.26 ฿42.24

69.84%

Eggs

$2.12 ฿71.3

$2.04 ฿68.6

3.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.40 ฿618

$17.55 ฿589

4.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 ฿120

$3.00 ฿101

19.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.48 ฿419

$10.91 ฿366

14.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿108

$2.82 ฿94.6

14.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.2

$1.18 ฿39.59

36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿76.7

$1.91 ฿64.0

19.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 ฿64.5

$1.55 ฿52.2

23.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.91

$1.50 ฿50.5

-2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.53

$1.20 ฿40.22

15.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.75

$1.01 ฿33.98

-2.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.55

$0.52 ฿17.39

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 ฿137

$4.30 ฿144

-5.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.94 ฿602

$18.80 ฿631

-4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.72 ฿57.8

-1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ฿87.5

$2.71 ฿91.0

-3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 ฿43.14

$0.94 ฿31.49

36.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 ฿90.6

$1.06 ฿35.74

154.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 ฿31.26

$1.19 ฿39.97

-21.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 ฿420

$6.21 ฿209

101.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.19

$1.25 ฿42.00

-1.60%

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

$24.8K ฿831.8K

$27.8K ฿932.3K

-10.78%

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

$29.7K ฿997.7K

$26.7K ฿898.0K

11.10%

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

$122 ฿4,087

$73.5 ฿2,469

65.56%

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

$13.51 ฿454

$13.31 ฿447

1.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.67 ฿627

$18.65 ฿626

0.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,074

$48.34 ฿1,623

27.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿576

$12.06 ฿405

42.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 ฿291

$6.80 ฿228

27.35%

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

$700 ฿23.5K

$297 ฿9,963

135.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.0K

$9,396 ฿315.4K

68.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ฿1,976

$31.65 ฿1,062

85.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 ฿1,158

$34.42 ฿1,155

0.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ฿3,925

$82.4 ฿2,767

41.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.2 ฿2,825

$65.2 ฿2,190

29.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ฿14.7K

$446 ฿15.0K

-1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$270 ฿9,057

14.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 ฿48.3K

$817 ฿27.4K

75.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 ฿35.0K

$650 ฿21.8K

60.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,510 ฿84.3K

$2,521 ฿84.6K

-0.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,776 ฿59.6K

$1,795 ฿60.3K

-1.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$721 ฿24.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.45

-2.20%

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

Last update for Koh Phan Ghan: July 14, 2026

Last update for Pai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Koh Phan Ghan and $446 in Pai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Koh Phan Ghan vs $24.00 in Pai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $249 per month, with Pai cheaper across the board.

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 Phan Ghan vs Pai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Phan Ghan and Pai differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,061 vs $891 including rent). Pai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,592 in Koh Phan Ghan and $1,337 in Pai 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $438 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $446 in Pai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Koh Phan Ghan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,061 per month in Koh Phan Ghan versus $891 in Pai – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $891 in Pai versus $1,061 in Koh Phan Ghan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pai but tight or insufficient in Koh Phan Ghan. The gap between the two cities makes Pai 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 Phan Ghan and Pai 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 Pai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Koh Phan Ghan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.