Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maha Sarakham and Koh Phangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Maha Sarakham: $925 a month against $1,113 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Maha Sarakham
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Maha Sarakham Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index

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Maha Sarakham

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,113

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maha Sarakham and in Koh Phangan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Maha Sarakham and in Koh Phangan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Maha Sarakham versus $1,113 in Koh Phangan.

Maha Sarakham $925
Koh Phangan $1,113

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,533 in Maha Sarakham versus $1,886 in Koh Phangan.

Maha Sarakham $1,533
Koh Phangan $1,886

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,140 in Maha Sarakham versus $2,659 in Koh Phangan.

Maha Sarakham $2,140
Koh Phangan $2,659

Living in Maha Sarakham costs roughly 17% less than in Koh Phangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maha Sarakham 32% lower, Koh Phangan 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ฿98.4

$4.11 ฿139

-28.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.94 ฿943

$29.64 ฿1,000

-5.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ฿253

$7.86 ฿265

-4.58%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ฿57.8

$2.46 ฿82.9

-30.49%

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

$0.60 ฿20.37

$0.79 ฿26.71

-24.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.27

$0.45 ฿15.25

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.32 ฿78.3

-21.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿99.4

$3.25 ฿110

-9.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.6

$1.64 ฿55.2

4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ฿45.02

$1.33 ฿44.86

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ฿47.67

$1.43 ฿48.22

-1.40%

Eggs

$2.41 ฿81.3

$1.97 ฿66.3

22.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.68 ฿597

$18.20 ฿614

-2.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.66 ฿89.6

$3.26 ฿110

-18.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 ฿394

$10.79 ฿364

8.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ฿94.5

$2.74 ฿92.5

2.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$1.52 ฿51.5

-26.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.14 ฿72.3

10.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 ฿58.9

$2.02 ฿68.2

-13.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.31

$1.43 ฿48.11

-10.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿39.12

$1.25 ฿42.04

-7.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.82

$1.07 ฿36.08

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿15.20

$0.52 ฿17.55

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ฿146

$4.03 ฿136

7.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.25 ฿683

$17.37 ฿586

16.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ฿64.9

$1.68 ฿56.9

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ฿88.3

$2.62 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.37 ฿46.11

-36.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,850

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ฿45.25

$1.30 ฿43.88

3.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 ฿39.28

$0.64 ฿21.51

81.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 ฿144

$3.38 ฿114

26.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.25

$1.34 ฿45.21

-2.24%

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

$27.1K ฿914.3K

$23.8K ฿804.4K

13.67%

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

$27.1K ฿914.5K

$23.6K ฿797.8K

14.62%

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

$93.9 ฿3,166

$96.7 ฿3,262

-2.93%

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

$10.16 ฿343

$11.14 ฿376

-8.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.73 ฿565

$17.06 ฿576

-1.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.96 ฿1,450

$68.5 ฿2,312

-37.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.62 ฿392

$11.07 ฿373

4.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 ฿190

$7.38 ฿249

-23.58%

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

$581 ฿19.6K

$534 ฿18.0K

8.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K ฿522.7K

$18.9K ฿636.7K

-17.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 ฿1,536

$62.5 ฿2,108

-27.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.46 ฿1,028

$28.08 ฿947

8.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,852

$96.1 ฿3,243

-12.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 ฿2,751

$87.5 ฿2,951

-6.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ฿16.4K

$494 ฿16.7K

-1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,731

$354 ฿11.9K

-18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 ฿41.1K

$1,367 ฿46.1K

-10.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 ฿25.1K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-25.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,021 ฿68.2K

$2,938 ฿99.1K

-31.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,677 ฿56.6K

$2,353 ฿79.4K

-28.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$712 ฿24.0K

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 Maha Sarakham: November 1, 2026

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maha Sarakham

$288 31.2%

Koh Phangan

$354 31.8% 22.8% $66

Groceries & Markets

Maha Sarakham

$257 27.8%

Koh Phangan

$254 22.8% 1.3% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maha Sarakham

$121 13.1%

Koh Phangan

$125 11.2% 3.4% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Maha Sarakham

$109 11.8%

Koh Phangan

$123 11.1% 13.2% $14

Eating Out

Maha Sarakham

$85 9.2%

Koh Phangan

$109 9.8% 28.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Maha Sarakham

$54 5.9%

Koh Phangan

$83 7.5% 53.5% $29

Getting Around

Maha Sarakham

$11 * 1.2%

Koh Phangan

$65 5.8% 509% $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 $485 in Maha Sarakham and $494 in Koh Phangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28 in Maha Sarakham vs $30 in Koh Phangan. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $254, with Koh Phangan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Maha Sarakham

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🕒 Local time

01:08 1:08 AM

Same time as Maha Sarakham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,523

💱 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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Between locations

Maha Sarakham Koh Phangan 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Maha Sarakham
Koh Phangan

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

Maha Sarakham vs Koh Phangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $925 in Maha Sarakham and $1,113 in Koh Phangan, so Maha Sarakham is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,388 in Maha Sarakham and $1,670 in Koh Phangan 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: $485 in Maha Sarakham versus $494 in Koh Phangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $581 in Maha Sarakham versus $534 in Koh Phangan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $925 per month in Maha Sarakham versus $1,113 in Koh Phangan – Maha Sarakham is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Maha Sarakham and Koh Phangan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.