Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nakhon Ratchasima and Koh Phangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima: $777 a month against $1,024 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index

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Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Thailand

$777

/mo nomad

Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,024 in Koh Phangan.

Nakhon Ratchasima $777
Koh Phangan $1,024

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,275 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,693 in Koh Phangan.

Nakhon Ratchasima $1,275
Koh Phangan $1,693

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,773 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $2,361 in Koh Phangan.

Nakhon Ratchasima $1,773
Koh Phangan $2,361

Living in Nakhon Ratchasima costs roughly 24% less than in Koh Phangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nakhon Ratchasima 43% lower, Koh Phangan 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ฿94.9

$3.97 ฿133

-28.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.08 ฿871

$29.08 ฿972

-10.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.01 ฿201

$7.90 ฿264

-23.92%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿64.2

$2.53 ฿84.5

-24.11%

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

$0.57 ฿19.14

$0.87 ฿28.98

-34.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.65

$0.42 ฿13.98

-30.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 ฿61.1

$2.21 ฿73.9

-17.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿92.0

$3.45 ฿115

-20.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$1.58 ฿52.9

0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ฿42.52

$1.39 ฿46.52

-8.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ฿40.98

$1.50 ฿50.0

-18.00%

Eggs

$1.50 ฿50.2

$2.05 ฿68.5

-26.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.63 ฿522

$18.33 ฿613

-14.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.66 ฿88.9

$3.31 ฿111

-19.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 ฿338

$10.35 ฿346

-2.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 ฿104

$2.81 ฿93.9

10.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.68

$1.66 ฿55.3

-22.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$2.11 ฿70.4

-11.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 ฿65.1

$2.05 ฿68.5

-4.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.24

$1.46 ฿48.81

-17.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.37

$1.32 ฿44.04

-21.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ฿41.02

$1.06 ฿35.46

16.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 ฿12.60

$0.52 ฿17.45

-26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ฿96.7

$4.20 ฿140

-31.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 ฿590

$17.36 ฿580

1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.76 ฿58.7

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ฿100.0

$2.67 ฿89.4

11.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ฿14.40

$2.06 ฿68.9

-79.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.99 ฿635

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ฿34.03

$2.64 ฿88.3

-61.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ฿37.66

$0.92 ฿30.81

22.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.30 ฿244

$3.47 ฿116

110.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿45.03

$1.32 ฿44.17

2.27%

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

$46.6K ฿1.6M

$23.8K ฿796.2K

95.74%

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

$26.6K ฿889.2K

$24.5K ฿818.5K

8.64%

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

$86.1 ฿2,877

$98.4 ฿3,287

-12.48%

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

$11.39 ฿381

$11.11 ฿371

2.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.25 ฿643

$16.91 ฿565

13.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.92 ฿1,568

$52.8 ฿1,764

-11.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.91 ฿498

$10.82 ฿362

37.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 ฿158

$7.69 ฿257

-38.75%

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

$180 ฿6,020

$560 ฿18.7K

-67.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K ฿470.9K

$11.7K ฿391.0K

20.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.69 ฿1,661

$63.7 ฿2,129

-21.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.73 ฿994

$28.59 ฿955

3.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 ฿2,637

$95.9 ฿3,205

-17.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.1 ฿2,243

$86.9 ฿2,905

-22.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 ฿7,263

$509 ฿17.0K

-57.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 ฿5,292

$326 ฿10.9K

-51.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 ฿16.6K

$1,464 ฿48.9K

-66.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ฿14.1K

$833 ฿27.8K

-49.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 ฿109.9K

$2,509 ฿83.9K

31.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,737 ฿58.1K

$1,781 ฿59.5K

-2.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$615 ฿20.6K

$713 ฿23.8K

-13.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.1

5.57

-8.44%

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

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: October 18, 2026

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nakhon Ratchasima

$235 30.3%

Koh Phangan

$256 25% 8.6% $20

Accommodation & Living

Nakhon Ratchasima

$158 20.4%

Koh Phangan

$326 31.8% 106% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nakhon Ratchasima

$117 15%

Koh Phangan

$126 12.3% 8.3% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Nakhon Ratchasima

$101 13.1%

Koh Phangan

$124 12.1% 22% $22

Eating Out

Nakhon Ratchasima

$82 10.5%

Koh Phangan

$109 10.6% 32.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Nakhon Ratchasima

$56 7.3%

Koh Phangan

$68 6.7% 21% $12

Getting Around

Nakhon Ratchasima

$27 3.5%

Koh Phangan

$16 * 1.5% 43.3% $12

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 $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima and $509 in Koh Phangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Phangan pays 16% 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 $29.00 in Koh Phangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $256 per month, with Nakhon Ratchasima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

Same time as Nakhon Ratchasima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,391

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Nakhon Ratchasima Koh Phangan 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nakhon Ratchasima
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

Nakhon Ratchasima vs Koh Phangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nakhon Ratchasima and Koh Phangan differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($777 vs $1,024 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Koh Phangan. 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 $509 in Koh Phangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Koh Phangan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $777 per month in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,024 in Koh Phangan – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,024 in Koh Phangan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Koh Phangan. 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 Koh Phangan 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 32% less than in Koh Phangan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.