Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maha Sarakham and Pattaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Maha Sarakham: $925 a month against $1,055 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Maha Sarakham, Thailand
Pattaya, Thailand
Maha Sarakham
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Pattaya
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,055
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Maha Sarakham vs $1,055 in Pattaya, rent included.

  • Maha Sarakham $925
  • Pattaya $1,055

A couple spends around $1,487 per month in Maha Sarakham vs $1,734 in Pattaya, rent included.

  • Maha Sarakham $1,487
  • Pattaya $1,734

A family of three spends $2,049 per month in Maha Sarakham vs $2,414 in Pattaya, rent included.

  • Maha Sarakham $2,049
  • Pattaya $2,414

Maha Sarakham is about 12% cheaper than Pattaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Maha Sarakham and Pattaya are more affordable than the global median – Maha Sarakham 32% lower, Pattaya 22% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Maha Sarakham
Pattaya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.06 ฿103
$3.04 ฿103
0.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.12 ฿815
$32.70 ฿1,104
-26.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.57 ฿256
$8.67 ฿293
-12.69%
Cappuccino
$1.93 ฿65.3
$1.96 ฿66.3
-1.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 ฿22.18
$0.66 ฿22.37
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ฿11.03
$0.29 ฿9.65
13.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.11 ฿71.4
$2.38 ฿80.4
-11.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 ฿100
$2.65 ฿89.5
11.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Maha Sarakham
Pattaya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 ฿60.0
$1.70 ฿57.4
4.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.70
$1.46 ฿49.33
0.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.37 ฿46.27
$1.41 ฿47.59
-2.84%
Eggs
$1.99 ฿67.0
$2.17 ฿73.5
-8.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.71 ฿564
$15.25 ฿515
9.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.69 ฿90.7
$2.55 ฿86.2
5.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.30 ฿348
$9.97 ฿337
3.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.91 ฿98.2
$3.38 ฿114
-13.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.06 ฿35.81
$1.24 ฿41.89
-14.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.15 ฿72.6
$1.86 ฿62.8
15.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.89 ฿63.7
$1.87 ฿63.2
1.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 ฿51.4
$1.18 ฿39.93
28.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.06 ฿35.79
$1.06 ฿35.93
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.38
$1.22 ฿41.32
-11.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ฿18.06
$0.48 ฿16.08
10.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.36 ฿147
$4.33 ฿146
0.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.70 ฿598
$17.95 ฿606
-1.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 ฿57.9
$1.70 ฿57.3
0.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 ฿97.5
$3.00 ฿101
-3.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Maha Sarakham
Pattaya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.92 ฿31.12
$0.53 ฿17.92
73.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$19.62 ฿662
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.25
$1.30 ฿43.90
-10.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 ฿37.90
$1.07 ฿36.27
4.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.06 ฿205
$3.60 ฿122
68.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 ฿45.41
$1.47 ฿49.76
-8.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.4K ฿892.2K
$45.4K ฿1.5M
-41.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K ฿905.1K
$26.8K ฿905.6K
-0.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maha Sarakham
Pattaya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.2 ฿2,777
$93.5 ฿3,158
-12.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.66 ฿394
$11.55 ฿390
0.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.97 ฿641
$19.11 ฿645
-0.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Maha Sarakham
Pattaya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.45 ฿1,602
$42.49 ฿1,435
11.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.36 ฿451
$20.52 ฿693
-34.89%
Cinema Ticket
$6.58 ฿222
$7.49 ฿253
-12.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Maha Sarakham
Pattaya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$581 ฿19.6K
$623 ฿21.0K
-6.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K ฿368.8K
$14.2K ฿478.6K
-22.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Maha Sarakham
Pattaya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.4 ฿1,700
$51.1 ฿1,724
-1.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.75 ฿1,005
$29.47 ฿995
0.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.1 ฿2,605
$92.5 ฿3,125
-16.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.1 ฿2,571
$76.1 ฿2,568
0.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Maha Sarakham
Pattaya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$439 ฿14.8K
$618 ฿20.9K
-29.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$298 ฿10.1K
$396 ฿13.4K
-24.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,135 ฿38.3K
$1,655 ฿55.9K
-31.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$686 ฿23.2K
$948 ฿32.0K
-27.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,968 ฿66.5K
$2,807 ฿94.8K
-29.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,481 ฿50.0K
$1,808 ฿61.0K
-18.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Maha Sarakham
Pattaya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$456 ฿15.4K
-
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 Maha Sarakham: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pattaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Maha Sarakham
$298
Pattaya
$396 32.6% $97
Groceries & Markets
Maha Sarakham
$246
Pattaya
$242 1.7% $4.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maha Sarakham
$113
Pattaya
$124 10% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Maha Sarakham
$105
Pattaya
$112 6.7% $7.1
Eating Out
Maha Sarakham
$91
Pattaya
$95 4.5% $4.1
Sport & Entertainment
Maha Sarakham
$61
Pattaya
$57 5.2% $3.1
Getting Around
Maha Sarakham
$10 *
Pattaya
$28 172% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $439 in Maha Sarakham 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Maha Sarakham versus $33 in Pattaya. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Maha Sarakham vs $242 in Pattaya – so Pattaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Maha Sarakham
🇹🇭 Pattaya
🕒 Local time
05:12 5:12 AM
05:12 5:12 AM
Same time as Maha Sarakham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
46,523
119,532
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Maha Sarakham Pattaya 450 km
From you
  • Maha Sarakham
  • 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
Maha Sarakham vs Pattaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Maha Sarakham and in Pattaya compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $925 in Maha Sarakham, $1,055 in Pattaya – Maha Sarakham comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Maha Sarakham compared to Pattaya?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,387 per month in Maha Sarakham and $1,583 in Pattaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Maha Sarakham and Pattaya?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Maha Sarakham, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $439 there versus $618 in Pattaya.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Maha Sarakham and Pattaya?
Kindergarten costs $581 per month in Maha Sarakham and $623 in Pattaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Maha Sarakham or Pattaya?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $925 in Maha Sarakham and $1,055 in Pattaya. That makes Maha Sarakham about 12% cheaper.
How far does $1,200 go in Maha Sarakham compared to Pattaya?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $925 in Maha Sarakham and $1,055 in Pattaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Maha Sarakham or Pattaya?
Families tend to lean toward Maha Sarakham – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Maha Sarakham or Pattaya safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Maha Sarakham vs other spots: cost of living compared

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