Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Samui and Pattaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Samui and Pattaya

😐 Solo nomad: Koh Samui is 36.3% more expensive than Pattaya without rent, and 20.8% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Koh Samui is 25.8% more expensive than Pattaya without rent, and 50.4% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Koh Samui
Pattaya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.65 ฿148
$3.79 ฿121
22.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.12 ฿1,470
$31.09 ฿991
48.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.68 ฿277
$9.14 ฿291
-5.03%
Cappuccino
$3.03 ฿96.7
$2.14 ฿68.3
41.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 ฿21.72
$0.81 ฿25.86
-16.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 ฿12.49
$0.37 ฿11.92
5.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.49 ฿79.3
$2.49 ฿79.4
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿117
$2.39 ฿76.3
53.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Koh Samui
Pattaya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 ฿69.1
$1.75 ฿55.9
24.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.80 ฿57.3
$1.39 ฿44.46
29.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.17 ฿69.2
$1.30 ฿41.50
66.92%
Eggs
$2.26 ฿71.9
$2.30 ฿73.2
-1.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.57 ฿624
$15.60 ฿497
25.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.72 ฿118
$3.28 ฿105
13.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.41 ฿428
$11.34 ฿361
18.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.27 ฿104
$3.37 ฿107
-2.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 ฿54.4
$1.29 ฿41.03
32.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿73.4
$1.95 ฿62.2
17.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 ฿64.6
$1.41 ฿44.80
43.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.60 ฿50.9
$1.49 ฿47.48
7.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 ฿47.69
$1.21 ฿38.51
23.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 ฿32.49
$1.65 ฿52.5
-38.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿15.46
$0.54 ฿17.08
-9.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.35 ฿139
$4.69 ฿149
-7.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.82 ฿632
$16.14 ฿515
22.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 ฿59.1
$1.74 ฿55.5
6.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 ฿88.2
$2.38 ฿75.9
16.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Koh Samui
Pattaya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿46.17
$0.32 ฿10.26
353.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$45.73 ฿1,458
$18.22 ฿581
150.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.18 ฿102
$1.43 ฿45.58
122.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.08 ฿34.58
$1.34 ฿42.58
-19.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.65 ฿467
$3.33 ฿106
339.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 ฿43.33
$1.32 ฿42.18
3.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.8K ฿918.8K
$25.8K ฿823.5K
11.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.8K ฿1.1M
$26.7K ฿851.8K
30.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Samui
Pattaya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$127 ฿4,044
$76.9 ฿2,452
64.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.19 ฿452
$14.09 ฿449
0.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.10 ฿609
$18.69 ฿596
2.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Koh Samui
Pattaya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.7 ฿2,000
$43.73 ฿1,394
43.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.76 ฿566
$16.87 ฿538
5.28%
Cinema Ticket
$9.17 ฿292
$7.56 ฿241
21.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Koh Samui
Pattaya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$759 ฿24.2K
$296 ฿9,431
156.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K ฿560.1K
$9,415 ฿300.1K
86.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Koh Samui
Pattaya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.0 ฿1,849
$30.16 ฿962
92.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.84 ฿1,111
$19.93 ฿635
74.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 ฿3,642
$101 ฿3,217
13.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.0 ฿2,708
$43.26 ฿1,379
96.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Koh Samui
Pattaya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$526 ฿16.8K
$543 ฿17.3K
-3.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$380 ฿12.1K
$346 ฿11.0K
9.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,730 ฿55.1K
$1,365 ฿43.5K
26.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,286 ฿41.0K
$697 ฿22.2K
84.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,678 ฿117.2K
$3,049 ฿97.2K
20.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,594 ฿82.7K
$1,743 ฿55.6K
48.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Koh Samui
Pattaya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$418 ฿13.3K
$476 ฿15.2K
-12.29%
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 Samui: March 1, 2026

Last update for Pattaya: March 3, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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