Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nong Khai and Bangkok

For one person, living is cheaper in Nong Khai: $928 a month against $1,125 in Bangkok, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Nong Khai
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Nong Khai Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
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Bangkok Living Index

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Nong Khai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$928

/mo nomad

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nong Khai 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 Nong Khai and in Bangkok actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $928 in Nong Khai versus $1,125 in Bangkok.

Nong Khai $928
Bangkok $1,125

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,490 in Nong Khai versus $1,837 in Bangkok.

Nong Khai $1,490
Bangkok $1,837

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,052 in Nong Khai versus $2,549 in Bangkok.

Nong Khai $2,052
Bangkok $2,549

Living in Nong Khai costs roughly 18% less than in Bangkok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nong Khai 32% lower, Bangkok 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ฿97.7

$2.90 ฿97.9

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.06 ฿811

$35.48 ฿1,196

-32.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 ฿244

$7.37 ฿248

-1.63%

Cappuccino

$1.99 ฿67.1

$2.73 ฿92.0

-27.11%

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

$0.67 ฿22.47

$0.67 ฿22.71

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.80

$0.32 ฿10.93

9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ฿68.7

$2.63 ฿88.7

-22.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ฿103

$4.54 ฿153

-32.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿60.3

$1.85 ฿62.2

-3.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ฿46.83

$1.48 ฿49.87

-6.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.76

$1.41 ฿47.51

-5.67%

Eggs

$1.96 ฿66.2

$2.60 ฿87.7

-24.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.44 ฿554

$17.29 ฿583

-4.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.54 ฿85.7

$3.55 ฿120

-28.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.33 ฿348

$12.69 ฿428

-18.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ฿100

$3.70 ฿125

-19.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 ฿33.74

$1.72 ฿58.1

-41.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ฿74.1

$2.74 ฿92.4

-19.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿66.9

$1.96 ฿66.1

1.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.14

$1.67 ฿56.4

-12.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 ฿37.61

$1.51 ฿50.8

-25.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.83

$1.27 ฿42.79

-16.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.99

$0.50 ฿16.93

6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿144

$4.80 ฿162

-11.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.11 ฿610

$14.88 ฿502

21.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.84 ฿62.0

-9.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$3.22 ฿108

-11.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.87

$1.02 ฿34.26

-15.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.37 ฿1,192

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.82

$1.05 ฿35.41

15.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 ฿39.85

$1.20 ฿40.57

-1.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 ฿196

$6.10 ฿205

-4.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿45.95

$1.43 ฿48.20

-4.90%

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

$26.3K ฿884.8K

$30.8K ฿1.0M

-14.68%

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

$26.7K ฿898.2K

$26.9K ฿905.9K

-0.84%

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

$84.2 ฿2,836

$109 ฿3,660

-22.52%

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

$11.52 ฿388

$14.94 ฿503

-22.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.40 ฿654

$18.05 ฿608

7.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.75 ฿1,609

$56.3 ฿1,896

-15.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.16 ฿443

$18.45 ฿622

-28.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.44 ฿217

$7.46 ฿251

-13.67%

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

$566 ฿19.1K

$802 ฿27.0K

-29.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ฿359.2K

$17.0K ฿572.1K

-37.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 ฿1,705

$71.5 ฿2,411

-29.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.38 ฿990

$42.12 ฿1,419

-30.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ฿2,540

$97.1 ฿3,272

-22.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 ฿2,526

$107 ฿3,596

-29.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿14.3K

$713 ฿24.0K

-40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 ฿10.2K

$347 ฿11.7K

-12.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ฿38.6K

$2,219 ฿74.8K

-48.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 ฿23.5K

$820 ฿27.6K

-15.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,928 ฿65.0K

$5,948 ฿200.5K

-67.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,430 ฿48.2K

$3,151 ฿106.2K

-54.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$447 ฿15.1K

$612 ฿20.6K

-26.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Nong Khai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bangkok: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nong Khai

$303 32.7%

Bangkok

$347 30.9% 14.4% $44

Groceries & Markets

Nong Khai

$245 26.4%

Bangkok

$271 24.1% 10.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nong Khai

$115 12.4%

Bangkok

$142 12.6% 23.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Nong Khai

$104 11.2%

Bangkok

$143 12.7% 37.8% $39

Eating Out

Nong Khai

$89 9.6%

Bangkok

$104 9.3% 17% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nong Khai

$61 6.5%

Bangkok

$71 6.3% 17.4% $11

Getting Around

Nong Khai

$11 * 1.1%

Bangkok

$47 4.1% 341% $36

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 $424 in Nong Khai and $713 in Bangkok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangkok pays 37% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in Nong Khai vs $35 in Bangkok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $271 per month, with Nong Khai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Nong Khai

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🕒 Local time

13:08 1:08 PM

Same time as Nong Khai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000

5,666,264 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nong Khai Bangkok 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nong Khai
Bangkok

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

Nong Khai vs Bangkok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $928 in Nong Khai and $1,125 in Bangkok, so Nong Khai is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Nong Khai. 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: $424 in Nong Khai versus $713 in Bangkok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Bangkok. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $928 per month in Nong Khai versus $1,125 in Bangkok – Nong Khai is about 18% 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, Nong Khai and Bangkok are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Nong Khai wins on affordability, Bangkok on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.