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: $1,096 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $874 in Pai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,945 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,441 in Pai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,794 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $2,009 in Pai.

Living in Koh Phan Ghan is roughly 25% more expensive than Pai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Phan Ghan 18% lower, Pai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.22 ฿138

$3.15 ฿103

33.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.00 ฿1,339

$24.77 ฿809

65.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ฿257

$7.06 ฿231

11.61%

Cappuccino

$2.76 ฿90.3

$2.09 ฿68.2

32.06%

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

$0.61 ฿19.95

$0.65 ฿21.16

-6.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.63

$0.37 ฿12.15

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 ฿73.4

$2.18 ฿71.2

3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ฿109

$3.65 ฿119

-8.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿67.0

$1.69 ฿55.2

21.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ฿57.0

$1.35 ฿44.20

29.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.26 ฿41.23

65.08%

Eggs

$2.12 ฿69.2

$2.06 ฿67.2

2.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 ฿618

$17.35 ฿567

8.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 ฿118

$2.96 ฿96.8

21.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 ฿419

$10.78 ฿352

18.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 ฿103

$2.92 ฿95.3

8.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ฿50.4

$1.23 ฿40.28

25.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿74.9

$1.92 ฿62.6

19.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ฿62.4

$1.50 ฿49.01

27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿47.61

$1.48 ฿48.48

-1.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 ฿46.72

$1.21 ฿39.65

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ฿29.93

$1.01 ฿33.02

-8.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.51 ฿16.80

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 ฿138

$4.39 ฿143

-3.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.11 ฿592

$18.80 ฿614

-3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ฿56.6

$1.78 ฿58.3

-2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 ฿83.7

$2.68 ฿87.6

-4.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 ฿41.41

$0.97 ฿31.55

30.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 ฿87.8

$1.10 ฿35.89

144.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ฿28.57

$1.19 ฿38.92

-26.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.31 ฿402

$6.12 ฿200

101.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$1.24 ฿40.65

-5.65%

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

$24.7K ฿805.1K

$27.8K ฿908.5K

-11.38%

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

$30.5K ฿997.3K

$27.2K ฿887.2K

12.40%

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

$122 ฿3,984

$72.9 ฿2,382

67.26%

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

$13.49 ฿441

$13.31 ฿435

1.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.78 ฿614

$18.33 ฿599

2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 ฿1,964

$49.65 ฿1,622

21.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.94 ฿553

$12.29 ฿401

37.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 ฿299

$6.95 ฿227

31.65%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$299 ฿9,759

131.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K ฿522.2K

$9,327 ฿304.6K

71.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 ฿1,892

$32.43 ฿1,059

78.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.07 ฿1,113

$34.24 ฿1,118

-0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ฿3,775

$83.4 ฿2,723

38.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.4 ฿2,723

$66.0 ฿2,154

26.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 ฿13.9K

$453 ฿14.8K

-6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ฿10.2K

$262 ฿8,570

19.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 ฿46.8K

$819 ฿26.7K

74.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 ฿34.1K

$667 ฿21.8K

56.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ฿83.5K

$2,499 ฿81.6K

2.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,826 ฿59.6K

$1,797 ฿58.7K

1.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$744 ฿24.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Pai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Koh Phan Ghan and $453 in Pai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Koh Phan Ghan vs $25.00 in Pai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,096 vs $874 including rent). Pai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,644 in Koh Phan Ghan and $1,311 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: $425 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $453 in Pai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Koh Phan Ghan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,096 per month in Koh Phan Ghan versus $874 in Pai – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $874 in Pai versus $1,096 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 25% less than in Koh Phan Ghan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.