Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phangan and Pattaya

For one person, living costs are similar in Koh Phangan and in Pattaya: $1,024 and $1,041 a month, rent and utilities included.

49

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Pattaya
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Pattaya Living Index

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Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,024

/mo nomad

Pattaya

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,041

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Phangan and in Pattaya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,024 in Koh Phangan versus $1,041 in Pattaya.

Koh Phangan $1,024
Pattaya $1,041

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,693 in Koh Phangan versus $1,665 in Pattaya.

Koh Phangan $1,693
Pattaya $1,665

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,361 in Koh Phangan versus $2,288 in Pattaya.

Koh Phangan $2,361
Pattaya $2,288

Living in Koh Phangan costs roughly 2% less than in Pattaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Phangan 24% lower, Pattaya 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ฿133

$3.37 ฿113

17.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.08 ฿972

$35.40 ฿1,183

-17.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 ฿264

$8.86 ฿296

-10.84%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ฿84.5

$2.06 ฿68.7

22.82%

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

$0.87 ฿28.98

$0.71 ฿23.64

22.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ฿13.98

$0.31 ฿10.40

35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$2.36 ฿78.9

-6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ฿115

$2.64 ฿88.1

30.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.78 ฿59.6

-11.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ฿46.52

$1.46 ฿48.90

-4.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.40 ฿46.70

7.14%

Eggs

$2.05 ฿68.5

$2.19 ฿73.2

-6.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 ฿613

$15.22 ฿509

20.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ฿111

$2.61 ฿87.2

26.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ฿346

$10.15 ฿339

1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 ฿93.9

$3.43 ฿114

-18.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.3

$1.22 ฿40.71

36.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 ฿70.4

$1.88 ฿62.7

12.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.5

$1.98 ฿66.2

3.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.81

$1.20 ฿40.24

21.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ฿44.04

$1.03 ฿34.43

28.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.46

$1.26 ฿42.21

-15.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.45

$0.45 ฿14.97

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿140

$4.42 ฿148

-4.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.36 ฿580

$18.04 ฿603

-3.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿58.7

$1.76 ฿58.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ฿89.4

$2.99 ฿100

-10.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$0.63 ฿20.89

226.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.40 ฿648

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 ฿88.3

$1.30 ฿43.48

103.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ฿30.81

$1.13 ฿37.63

-18.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 ฿116

$3.55 ฿119

-2.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ฿44.17

$1.48 ฿49.47

-10.81%

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

$23.8K ฿796.2K

$46.4K ฿1.5M

-48.60%

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

$24.5K ฿818.5K

$26.3K ฿878.9K

-6.88%

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

$98.4 ฿3,287

$93.7 ฿3,132

4.95%

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

$11.11 ฿371

$11.55 ฿386

-3.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.91 ฿565

$19.15 ฿640

-11.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,764

$41.86 ฿1,399

26.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.82 ฿362

$21.27 ฿711

-49.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.64 ฿255

0.65%

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

$560 ฿18.7K

$613 ฿20.5K

-8.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ฿391.0K

$14.4K ฿480.0K

-18.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 ฿2,129

$51.3 ฿1,714

24.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.59 ฿955

$29.14 ฿974

-1.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 ฿3,205

$94.6 ฿3,160

1.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 ฿2,905

$75.0 ฿2,507

15.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$564 ฿18.8K

-9.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ฿10.9K

$374 ฿12.5K

-12.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 ฿48.9K

$1,521 ฿50.8K

-3.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 ฿27.8K

$791 ฿26.4K

5.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,509 ฿83.9K

$2,560 ฿85.6K

-2.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,781 ฿59.5K

$1,428 ฿47.7K

24.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 ฿23.8K

$453 ฿15.1K

57.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.96

-6.54%

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

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 18, 2026

Last update for Pattaya: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Phangan

$326 31.8%

Pattaya

$374 35.9% 14.7% $48

Groceries & Markets

Koh Phangan

$256 25%

Pattaya

$245 23.5% 4.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Phangan

$126 12.3%

Pattaya

$124 12% 1.5% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Phangan

$124 12.1%

Pattaya

$113 10.8% 9.1% $11

Eating Out

Koh Phangan

$109 10.6%

Pattaya

$99 9.5% 8.7% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Phangan

$68 6.7%

Pattaya

$57 5.5% 16.2% $11

Getting Around

Koh Phangan

$16 * 1.5%

Pattaya

$29 2.8% 86% $13

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 $564 in Pattaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Phangan pays 57% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Koh Phangan vs $35.00 in Pattaya. Groceries flip the comparison at $256 vs $245, with Pattaya cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Pattaya

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

Same time as Koh Phangan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,532

💱 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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Between locations

Koh Phangan Pattaya 370 km

From you

Koh Phangan
Pattaya

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 Pattaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Phangan and Pattaya differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,024 vs $1,041 including rent). Koh Phangan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 57% 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 $564 in Pattaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Pattaya pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,024 per month in Koh Phangan versus $1,041 in Pattaya – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Koh Phangan versus $1,041 in Pattaya, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Phangan but tight or insufficient in Pattaya. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Phangan 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 Pattaya 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 Koh Phangan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Pattaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.