Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phangan and Roi Et

For one person, living is cheaper in Roi Et: $911 a month against $1,113 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Roi Et
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Roi Et Living Index

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Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,113

/mo nomad

Roi Et

🇹🇭 Thailand

$911

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Phangan and in Roi Et

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,113 in Koh Phangan versus $911 in Roi Et.

Koh Phangan $1,113
Roi Et $911

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,886 in Koh Phangan versus $1,441 in Roi Et.

Koh Phangan $1,886
Roi Et $1,441

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,659 in Koh Phangan versus $1,971 in Roi Et.

Koh Phangan $2,659
Roi Et $1,971

Living in Koh Phangan is roughly 22% more expensive than in Roi Et, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Phangan 18% lower, Roi Et 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 ฿139

$1.95 ฿65.9

110.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.64 ฿1,000

$17.98 ฿606

64.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿265

$6.66 ฿225

18.02%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ฿82.8

$1.90 ฿63.9

29.47%

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

$0.79 ฿26.70

$0.73 ฿24.50

8.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿15.25

$0.28 ฿9.52

60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.2

$2.11 ฿71.1

9.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 ฿110

$3.00 ฿101

8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿55.2

$1.61 ฿54.3

1.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ฿44.85

$1.48 ฿50.1

-10.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ฿48.21

$1.22 ฿41.24

17.21%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿66.3

$1.96 ฿66.1

0.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.20 ฿614

$16.47 ฿556

10.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ฿110

$2.13 ฿71.8

53.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 ฿364

$11.20 ฿378

-3.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 ฿92.5

$2.97 ฿100

-7.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ฿51.4

$1.08 ฿36.41

40.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ฿72.3

$1.75 ฿59.1

22.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 ฿68.2

$1.56 ฿52.6

29.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 ฿48.10

$1.29 ฿43.48

10.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ฿42.03

$0.97 ฿32.75

28.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿36.07

$1.06 ฿35.79

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.55

$0.48 ฿16.17

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 ฿136

$4.50 ฿152

-10.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.37 ฿586

$15.03 ฿507

15.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ฿56.8

$1.59 ฿53.6

5.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ฿88.5

$2.79 ฿94.0

-6.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿46.10

$0.93 ฿31.33

47.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,850

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ฿43.87

$1.09 ฿36.85

19.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ฿21.50

$1.17 ฿39.51

-45.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 ฿114

$4.92 ฿166

-31.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿45.20

$1.21 ฿40.84

10.74%

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

$23.8K ฿804.2K

$29.7K ฿1.0M

-19.81%

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

$23.6K ฿797.6K

$26.4K ฿890.7K

-10.46%

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

$96.7 ฿3,261

$81.8 ฿2,758

18.23%

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

$11.14 ฿376

$11.18 ฿377

-0.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.06 ฿575

$18.85 ฿636

-9.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.5 ฿2,311

$49.87 ฿1,682

37.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿373

$14.68 ฿495

-24.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.38 ฿249

$7.22 ฿243

2.22%

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

$534 ฿18.0K

$533 ฿18.0K

0.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ฿636.5K

$14.6K ฿492.8K

29.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 ฿2,107

$49.77 ฿1,679

25.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.08 ฿947

$25.93 ฿875

8.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,242

$59.6 ฿2,011

61.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 ฿2,950

$74.9 ฿2,525

16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 ฿16.7K

$448 ฿15.1K

10.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ฿11.9K

$318 ฿10.7K

11.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 ฿46.1K

$1,246 ฿42.0K

9.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$705 ฿23.8K

42.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,938 ฿99.1K

$2,048 ฿69.1K

43.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,353 ฿79.4K

$1,797 ฿60.6K

30.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$712 ฿24.0K

$892 ฿30.1K

-20.21%

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 31, 2026

Last update for Roi Et: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Phangan

$354 31.8%

Roi Et

$318 34.9% 10.3% $36

Groceries & Markets

Koh Phangan

$254 22.8%

Roi Et

$233 25.6% 8.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Phangan

$125 11.2%

Roi Et

$112 12.3% 10.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Phangan

$123 11.1%

Roi Et

$95 10.4% 23.3% $29

Eating Out

Koh Phangan

$109 9.8%

Roi Et

$79 8.7% 27.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Phangan

$83 7.5%

Roi Et

$64 7.1% 22.8% $19

Getting Around

Koh Phangan

$65 5.8%

Roi Et

$11 * 1.2% 83.5% $54

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 $494 in Koh Phangan and $448 in Roi Et. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roi Et pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30 in Koh Phangan vs $18 in Roi Et for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $233 per month, with Roi Et cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Roi Et

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

Same time as Koh Phangan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,229

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Koh Phangan Roi Et 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Koh Phangan
Roi Et

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 Roi Et: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,113 in Koh Phangan and $911 in Roi Et, so Roi Et is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Koh Phangan. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $494 in Koh Phangan versus $448 in Roi Et. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Koh Phangan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,113 per month in Koh Phangan versus $911 in Roi Et – Roi Et is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Roi Et is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Roi Et are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.