Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nakhon Si Thammarat and Pattaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Si Thammarat: $1,020 a month against $1,066 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $550 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pattaya outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
Pattaya, Thailand
Nakhon Si Thammarat
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,020
/mo nomad
Pattaya
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,066
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Nakhon Si Thammarat vs $1,066 in Pattaya, rent included.

  • Nakhon Si Thammarat $1,020
  • Pattaya $1,066

A couple spends around $1,680 per month in Nakhon Si Thammarat vs $1,747 in Pattaya, rent included.

  • Nakhon Si Thammarat $1,680
  • Pattaya $1,747

A family of three spends $2,341 per month in Nakhon Si Thammarat vs $2,427 in Pattaya, rent included.

  • Nakhon Si Thammarat $2,341
  • Pattaya $2,427

Nakhon Si Thammarat is about 4% cheaper than Pattaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nakhon Si Thammarat and Pattaya are more affordable than the global median – Nakhon Si Thammarat 25% lower, Pattaya 21% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Pattaya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.94 ฿98.9
$3.06 ฿103
-3.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.46 ฿1,090
$26.96 ฿906
20.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.50 ฿286
$8.68 ฿292
-2.07%
Cappuccino
$2.80 ฿94.2
$2.03 ฿68.3
37.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.74
$0.69 ฿23.27
36.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.96
$0.27 ฿9.10
88.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.58 ฿86.7
$2.42 ฿81.2
6.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.81 ฿128
$2.73 ฿91.5
39.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Pattaya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 ฿55.5
$1.59 ฿53.4
3.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.40 ฿46.88
$1.48 ฿49.76
-5.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.3
$1.40 ฿47.09
11.43%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.8
$2.13 ฿71.4
1.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.37 ฿651
$15.63 ฿525
23.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.36 ฿113
$2.50 ฿83.9
34.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.11 ฿373
$10.22 ฿343
8.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.88 ฿96.7
$3.48 ฿117
-17.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ฿54.1
$1.24 ฿41.72
29.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿77.3
$1.91 ฿64.3
20.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.07 ฿69.6
$1.93 ฿65.0
7.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$1.24 ฿41.52
20.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.33
$1.09 ฿36.49
26.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ฿37.10
$1.21 ฿40.72
-9.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.04
$0.40 ฿13.33
27.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 ฿148
$4.29 ฿144
2.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.59 ฿625
$17.91 ฿602
3.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.5
$1.72 ฿57.9
1.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 ฿96.1
$2.87 ฿96.3
-0.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Pattaya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.76 ฿25.42
$0.50 ฿16.92
52.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$19.41 ฿652
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.49 ฿50.2
$1.16 ฿39.11
28.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 ฿23.87
$1.12 ฿37.59
-36.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.71 ฿125
$3.46 ฿116
7.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.44
$1.43 ฿48.17
2.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.2K ฿878.9K
$45.3K ฿1.5M
-42.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K ฿914.8K
$27.0K ฿906.3K
0.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Pattaya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.4 ฿3,272
$91.4 ฿3,071
6.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.23 ฿377
$11.68 ฿392
-3.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿577
$19.30 ฿648
-10.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Pattaya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.13 ฿1,617
$43.51 ฿1,461
10.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.52 ฿387
$21.09 ฿708
-45.38%
Cinema Ticket
$7.36 ฿247
$7.75 ฿260
-5.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Pattaya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$528 ฿17.7K
$617 ฿20.7K
-14.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.3K ฿615.4K
$21.4K ฿719.8K
-14.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Pattaya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.1 ฿2,152
$50.7 ฿1,704
26.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.09 ฿944
$29.32 ฿985
-4.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.1 ฿3,263
$94.0 ฿3,157
3.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.5 ฿2,972
$76.3 ฿2,564
15.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Pattaya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$419 ฿14.1K
$600 ฿20.2K
-30.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$323 ฿10.8K
$405 ฿13.6K
-20.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 ฿43.7K
$1,744 ฿58.6K
-25.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$800 ฿26.9K
$983 ฿33.0K
-18.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,173 ฿73.0K
$2,766 ฿92.9K
-21.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,871 ฿62.9K
$1,858 ฿62.4K
0.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Pattaya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$454 ฿15.2K
-
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 Nakhon Si Thammarat: November 1, 2026

Last update for Pattaya: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$323
Pattaya
$405 25.4% $82
Groceries & Markets
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$267
Pattaya
$243 9% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$126
Pattaya
$122 2.7% $3.4
Clothing & Footwear
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$125
Pattaya
$113 9.9% $12
Eating Out
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$109
Pattaya
$96 11.7% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$63
Pattaya
$59 6.1% $3.8
Getting Around
Nakhon Si Thammarat
$8.1 *
Pattaya
$28 249% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Nakhon Si Thammarat versus $600 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 $32 in Nakhon Si Thammarat versus $27 in Pattaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $243 – making Pattaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Nakhon Si Thammarat
🇹🇭 Pattaya
🕒 Local time
16:07 4:07 PM
16:07 4:07 PM
Same time as Nakhon Si Thammarat
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
102,152
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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nakhon Si Thammarat Pattaya 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Nakhon Si Thammarat
  • 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
Nakhon Si Thammarat vs Pattaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nakhon Si Thammarat and in Pattaya compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,020 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, $1,066 in Pattaya – Nakhon Si Thammarat comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Nakhon Si Thammarat compared to Pattaya?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,531 per month in Nakhon Si Thammarat and $1,599 in Pattaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nakhon Si Thammarat and Pattaya?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nakhon Si Thammarat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $419 there versus $600 in Pattaya.
Which city is more expensive overall: Nakhon Si Thammarat or Pattaya?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,020 in Nakhon Si Thammarat and $1,066 in Pattaya. That makes Nakhon Si Thammarat about 4% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nakhon Si Thammarat and Pattaya?
Kindergarten costs $528 per month in Nakhon Si Thammarat and $617 in Pattaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $2,000 go in Nakhon Si Thammarat compared to Pattaya?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,020 in Nakhon Si Thammarat and $1,066 in Pattaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Nakhon Si Thammarat or Pattaya?
Families tend to lean toward Nakhon Si Thammarat – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Nakhon Si Thammarat 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.

Nakhon Si Thammarat vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?