Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nakhon Ratchasima and Bangkok

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima: $777 a month against $1,112 in Bangkok, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Ratchasima
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Nakhon Ratchasima Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
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Bangkok Living Index

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Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Thailand

$777

/mo nomad

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nakhon Ratchasima and in Bangkok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,112 in Bangkok.

Nakhon Ratchasima $777
Bangkok $1,112

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,275 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,788 in Bangkok.

Nakhon Ratchasima $1,275
Bangkok $1,788

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,773 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $2,464 in Bangkok.

Nakhon Ratchasima $1,773
Bangkok $2,464

Living in Nakhon Ratchasima costs roughly 30% less than in Bangkok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nakhon Ratchasima 43% lower, Bangkok 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ฿94.9

$2.95 ฿98.7

-3.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.08 ฿871

$35.13 ฿1,174

-25.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.01 ฿201

$7.33 ฿245

-18.01%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿64.2

$2.73 ฿91.3

-29.67%

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

$0.57 ฿19.14

$0.62 ฿20.78

-8.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.65

$0.36 ฿12.17

-19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 ฿61.1

$2.63 ฿87.9

-30.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿92.0

$4.35 ฿145

-36.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$1.85 ฿61.8

-14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ฿42.52

$1.51 ฿50.5

-15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ฿40.98

$1.34 ฿44.72

-8.21%

Eggs

$1.50 ฿50.2

$2.62 ฿87.4

-42.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.63 ฿522

$17.10 ฿572

-8.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.66 ฿88.9

$3.67 ฿123

-27.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 ฿338

$12.83 ฿429

-21.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 ฿104

$3.73 ฿125

-16.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.68

$1.74 ฿58.2

-26.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$2.79 ฿93.2

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 ฿65.1

$1.88 ฿62.9

3.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.24

$1.75 ฿58.4

-31.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.37

$1.49 ฿49.68

-30.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ฿41.02

$1.24 ฿41.51

-0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 ฿12.60

$0.55 ฿18.22

-30.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ฿96.7

$4.73 ฿158

-38.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 ฿590

$15.10 ฿505

16.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.77 ฿59.0

-3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ฿100.0

$3.18 ฿106

-5.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ฿14.40

$1.11 ฿37.19

-61.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.99 ฿635

$34.46 ฿1,152

-44.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ฿34.03

$1.06 ฿35.47

-3.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ฿37.66

$1.15 ฿38.60

-1.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.30 ฿244

$5.81 ฿194

25.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿45.03

$1.41 ฿47.14

-4.26%

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

$46.6K ฿1.6M

$31.7K ฿1.1M

46.92%

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

$26.6K ฿889.2K

$26.6K ฿887.8K

0.15%

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

$86.1 ฿2,877

$108 ฿3,612

-20.35%

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

$11.39 ฿381

$15.14 ฿506

-24.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.25 ฿643

$18.15 ฿607

6.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.92 ฿1,568

$55.6 ฿1,857

-15.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.91 ฿498

$18.54 ฿620

-19.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 ฿158

$7.82 ฿261

-39.77%

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

$180 ฿6,020

$569 ฿19.0K

-68.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K ฿470.9K

$16.7K ฿557.0K

-15.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.69 ฿1,661

$70.9 ฿2,371

-29.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.73 ฿994

$42.61 ฿1,424

-30.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 ฿2,637

$101 ฿3,361

-21.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.1 ฿2,243

$107 ฿3,560

-36.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 ฿7,263

$673 ฿22.5K

-67.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 ฿5,292

$333 ฿11.1K

-52.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 ฿16.6K

$1,982 ฿66.2K

-74.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ฿14.1K

$732 ฿24.5K

-42.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 ฿109.9K

$6,236 ฿208.4K

-47.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,737 ฿58.1K

$3,096 ฿103.5K

-43.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$615 ฿20.6K

$626 ฿20.9K

-1.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.1

5.25

-2.86%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bangkok: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nakhon Ratchasima

$235 30.3%

Bangkok

$272 24.5% 15.8% $37

Accommodation & Living

Nakhon Ratchasima

$158 20.4%

Bangkok

$333 30% 110% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nakhon Ratchasima

$117 15%

Bangkok

$141 12.7% 21.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nakhon Ratchasima

$101 13.1%

Bangkok

$144 13% 42.2% $43

Eating Out

Nakhon Ratchasima

$82 10.5%

Bangkok

$104 9.4% 27.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Nakhon Ratchasima

$56 7.3%

Bangkok

$71 6.4% 26.4% $15

Getting Around

Nakhon Ratchasima

$27 3.5%

Bangkok

$46 4.1% 67.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima and $673 in Bangkok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $26.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima vs $35.00 in Bangkok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $272 per month, with Nakhon Ratchasima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

Same time as Nakhon Ratchasima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,391

5,666,264 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Nakhon Ratchasima vs Bangkok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nakhon Ratchasima and Bangkok differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($777 vs $1,112 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Bangkok. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $673 in Bangkok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $35.00 in Bangkok. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $777 per month in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,112 in Bangkok – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,112 in Bangkok, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Bangkok. The gap between the two cities makes Nakhon Ratchasima 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, Nakhon Ratchasima and Bangkok 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 Nakhon Ratchasima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Bangkok. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.