Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Samui and Pattaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Pattaya: $1,055 a month against $1,221 in Koh Samui, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Pattaya
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Pattaya Living Index

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Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,221

/mo nomad

Pattaya

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Samui 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 Samui and in Pattaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,221 per month in Koh Samui vs $1,055 in Pattaya, rent included.

Koh Samui $1,221
Pattaya $1,055

A couple spends around $2,093 per month in Koh Samui vs $1,734 in Pattaya, rent included.

Koh Samui $2,093
Pattaya $1,734

A family of three spends $2,965 per month in Koh Samui vs $2,414 in Pattaya, rent included.

Koh Samui $2,965
Pattaya $2,414

Koh Samui costs about 16% more than Pattaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Koh Samui and Pattaya are more affordable than the global median – Koh Samui 10% lower, Pattaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.31 ฿146

$3.04 ฿103

41.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.28 ฿1,090

$32.70 ฿1,104

-1.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿289

$8.67 ฿293

-1.38%

Cappuccino

$2.75 ฿92.7

$1.96 ฿66.3

40.31%

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

$0.89 ฿30.03

$0.66 ฿22.37

34.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.57

$0.29 ฿9.65

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$2.38 ฿80.4

7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿122

$2.65 ฿89.5

36.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.70 ฿57.4

-2.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.34

$1.46 ฿49.33

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿53.4

$1.41 ฿47.59

12.06%

Eggs

$2.16 ฿73.0

$2.17 ฿73.5

-0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.29 ฿651

$15.25 ฿515

26.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿113

$2.55 ฿86.2

30.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿367

$9.97 ฿337

8.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.3

$3.38 ฿114

-13.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.2

$1.24 ฿41.89

29.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿77.2

$1.86 ฿62.8

23.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿69.2

$1.87 ฿63.2

9.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.83

$1.18 ฿39.93

22.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.17

$1.06 ฿35.93

29.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.70

$1.22 ฿41.32

-8.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.64

$0.48 ฿16.08

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿144

$4.33 ฿146

-1.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.41 ฿622

$17.95 ฿606

2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.70 ฿57.3

7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿96.3

$3.00 ฿101

-5.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$0.53 ฿17.92

188.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 ฿1,961

$19.62 ฿662

195.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ฿106

$1.30 ฿43.90

142.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿36.16

$1.07 ฿36.27

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 ฿138

$3.60 ฿122

13.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$1.47 ฿49.76

4.08%

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

$27.5K ฿929.7K

$45.4K ฿1.5M

-39.39%

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

$27.7K ฿936.9K

$26.8K ฿905.6K

3.46%

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

$104 ฿3,496

$93.5 ฿3,158

10.68%

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

$11.49 ฿388

$11.55 ฿390

-0.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.05 ฿610

$19.11 ฿645

-5.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.9 ฿2,360

$42.49 ฿1,435

64.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.34 ฿383

$20.52 ฿693

-44.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ฿275

$7.49 ฿253

8.68%

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

$509 ฿17.2K

$623 ฿21.0K

-18.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ฿417.2K

$14.2K ฿478.6K

-12.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,122

$51.1 ฿1,724

23.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿983

$29.47 ฿995

-1.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 ฿3,234

$92.5 ฿3,125

3.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 ฿2,945

$76.1 ฿2,568

14.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿20.5K

$618 ฿20.9K

-1.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ฿14.2K

$396 ฿13.4K

6.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 ฿55.8K

$1,655 ฿55.9K

-0.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 ฿41.2K

$948 ฿32.0K

28.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,583 ฿121.0K

$2,807 ฿94.8K

27.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,588 ฿87.4K

$1,808 ฿61.0K

43.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$405 ฿13.7K

$456 ฿15.4K

-11.25%

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 Samui: October 24, 2026

Last update for Pattaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Samui

$420 34.4%

Pattaya

$396 37.5% 5.8% $24

Groceries & Markets

Koh Samui

$267 21.9%

Pattaya

$242 23% 9.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Samui

$133 10.9%

Pattaya

$124 11.8% 6.7% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Samui

$124 10.1%

Pattaya

$112 10.6% 9.4% $12

Eating Out

Koh Samui

$119 9.7%

Pattaya

$95 9% 20% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Samui

$86 7.1%

Pattaya

$57 5.5% 33.3% $29

Getting Around

Koh Samui

$73 6%

Pattaya

$28 2.7% 60.9% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Koh Samui versus $618 in Pattaya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Pattaya, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Koh Samui versus $33 in Pattaya. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Koh Samui vs $242 in Pattaya – so Pattaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Pattaya

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

Same time as Koh Samui

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,110

119,532

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Koh Samui Pattaya 390 km

From you

Koh Samui
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 Samui vs Pattaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,221 in Koh Samui, $1,055 in Pattaya – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,832 per month in Koh Samui and $1,583 in Pattaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $607 in Koh Samui and $618 in Pattaya. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Koh Samui, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Koh Samui and $33 in Pattaya. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,221 in Koh Samui and $1,055 in Pattaya. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pattaya costs $1,055 versus $1,221 in Koh Samui. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.