Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phan Ghan and Surat Thani Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phan Ghan and Surat Thani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,061 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $800 in Surat Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,908 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,316 in Surat Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,754 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,833 in Surat Thani.

Living in Koh Phan Ghan is roughly 33% more expensive than in Surat Thani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Phan Ghan 21% lower, Surat Thani 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 ฿137

$1.97 ฿66.1

106.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.11 ฿1,416

$18.49 ฿622

127.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 ฿256

$4.73 ฿159

60.68%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ฿88.5

$1.52 ฿51.0

73.03%

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

$0.62 ฿20.84

$0.47 ฿15.95

31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.86

$0.32 ฿10.86

9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 ฿76.2

$2.44 ฿82.0

-6.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 ฿110

$3.67 ฿123

-11.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ฿71.5

$2.04 ฿68.5

4.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ฿58.1

$1.24 ฿41.68

39.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$1.11 ฿37.29

92.79%

Eggs

$2.12 ฿71.5

$1.95 ฿65.7

8.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.40 ฿619

$19.67 ฿661

-6.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 ฿120

$3.64 ฿123

-1.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.48 ฿420

$7.54 ฿253

65.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿108

$3.26 ฿110

-0.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.3

$1.70 ฿57.2

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿76.9

$2.14 ฿71.9

7.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 ฿64.6

$1.71 ฿57.5

12.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.00

$1.21 ฿40.54

20.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.61

$1.48 ฿49.79

-6.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.81

$1.03 ฿34.55

-4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.58

$0.41 ฿13.91

19.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 ฿137

$3.15 ฿106

29.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.94 ฿603

$18.59 ฿625

-3.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.57 ฿52.9

7.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ฿87.6

$2.65 ฿89.2

-1.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 ฿43.21

$1.10 ฿36.90

16.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.66 ฿728

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 ฿90.7

$1.11 ฿37.19

143.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 ฿31.32

$0.66 ฿22.29

40.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 ฿421

$3.66 ฿123

242.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.26

$1.26 ฿42.27

-2.38%

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

$24.8K ฿833.3K

$27.8K ฿934.5K

-10.83%

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

$29.7K ฿999.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-9.74%

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

$122 ฿4,095

$76.9 ฿2,585

58.36%

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

$13.51 ฿454

$13.74 ฿462

-1.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.67 ฿628

$18.81 ฿633

-0.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,078

$49.95 ฿1,680

23.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿577

$12.18 ฿410

40.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 ฿291

$4.71 ฿158

83.86%

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

$700 ฿23.5K

$682 ฿22.9K

2.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.9K

$15.6K ฿525.7K

1.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ฿1,979

$58.6 ฿1,972

0.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 ฿1,160

$34.37 ฿1,156

0.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ฿3,932

$115 ฿3,863

1.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.2 ฿2,830

$84.6 ฿2,846

-0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ฿14.7K

$243 ฿8,169

80.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$153 ฿5,155

101.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 ฿48.4K

$691 ฿23.2K

108.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 ฿35.1K

$410 ฿13.8K

154.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,510 ฿84.4K

$2,174 ฿73.1K

15.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,776 ฿59.7K

$1,619 ฿54.5K

9.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$721 ฿24.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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 Surat Thani: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Koh Phan Ghan and $243 in Surat Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Koh Phan Ghan vs $18.00 in Surat Thani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $254 per month, with Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Phan Ghan and Surat Thani differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,061 vs $800 including rent). Surat Thani 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 $1,200 in Surat Thani 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 $243 in Surat Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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 $800 in Surat Thani – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $800 in Surat Thani versus $1,061 in Koh Phan Ghan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surat Thani but tight or insufficient in Koh Phan Ghan. The gap between the two cities makes Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Koh Phan Ghan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.