Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pathum Thani and Calamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Calamba: $518 a month against $785 in Pathum Thani, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Pathum Thani
🇹🇭 Thailand
$785
/mo nomad
Calamba
🇵🇭 Philippines
$518
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pathum Thani and in Calamba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $785 in Pathum Thani versus $518 in Calamba.

  • Pathum Thani $785
  • Calamba $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,329 in Pathum Thani versus $764 in Calamba.

  • Pathum Thani $1,329
  • Calamba $764

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,873 in Pathum Thani versus $1,010 in Calamba.

  • Pathum Thani $1,873
  • Calamba $1,010

Living in Pathum Thani is roughly 51% more expensive than in Calamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pathum Thani 42% lower, Calamba 62% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pathum Thani
Calamba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.79 ฿59.9
$3.92 ₱247
-54.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.25 ฿744
$12.02 ₱757
85.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.90 ฿197
$2.82 ₱178
109.22%
Cappuccino
$1.73 ฿58.0
$1.79 ₱113
-3.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.42 ฿14.03
$0.56 ₱35.44
-25.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.18 ฿6.05
$0.33 ₱21.06
-45.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$0.94 ₱59.5
84.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$1.55 ₱97.7
37.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pathum Thani
Calamba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.07
$1.60 ₱101
-8.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.32 ฿44.22
$1.11 ₱70.1
18.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.23 ฿41.03
$0.97 ₱61.0
26.80%
Eggs
$1.80 ฿60.2
$2.00 ₱126
-10.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.52 ฿418
$5.20 ₱327
140.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.43 ฿81.1
$3.40 ₱214
-28.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.06 ฿403
$7.80 ₱491
54.62%
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 ฿120
$2.31 ₱145
55.84%
Banana (1kg)
$0.96 ฿31.93
$1.54 ₱96.9
-37.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 ฿83.3
$2.40 ₱151
3.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.58 ฿52.8
$1.06 ₱66.9
49.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 ฿66.0
$1.73 ₱109
13.87%
Onion (1kg)
$1.04 ฿34.74
$1.78 ₱112
-41.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.77 ฿25.70
$0.61 ₱38.68
26.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 ฿14.85
$0.49 ₱31.10
-10.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.53 ฿151
$2.92 ₱184
55.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.87 ฿464
$8.87 ₱558
56.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 ฿50.3
$0.96 ₱60.3
57.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 ฿55.6
$2.10 ₱132
-20.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Pathum Thani
Calamba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 ฿20.07
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.06 ฿35.28
$0.82 ₱51.9
29.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 ฿51.1
$0.25 ₱15.75
512.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.76 ฿293
$1.88 ₱119
365.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 ฿38.69
$0.93 ₱58.7
24.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.5K ฿585.7K
$21.1K ₱1.3M
-17.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K ฿797.8K
$19.0K ₱1.2M
25.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pathum Thani
Calamba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.3 ฿2,751
$139 ₱8,759
-40.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.23 ฿309
$17.36 ₱1,093
-46.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.22 ฿341
$23.85 ₱1,502
-57.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pathum Thani
Calamba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.61 ฿990
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.63 ฿222
$5.04 ₱317
31.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pathum Thani
Calamba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$196 ฿6,543
$130 ₱8,193
50.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K ฿357.5K
$10.6K ₱668.9K
0.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pathum Thani
Calamba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$5.91 ฿198
$28.54 ₱1,797
-79.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.81 ฿1,197
$19.73 ₱1,242
81.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.5 ฿2,388
$71.0 ₱4,468
0.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$52.8 ฿1,765
$55.3 ₱3,482
-4.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pathum Thani
Calamba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$453 ฿15.1K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$263 ฿8,805
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,476 ฿49.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$738 ฿24.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,477 ฿149.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,199 ฿73.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pathum Thani
Calamba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$396 ฿13.2K
$260 ₱16.4K
52.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4
6.75
-40.74%

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

Last update for Pathum Thani: October 11, 2026

Last update for Calamba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pathum Thani
$263
Calamba
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Pathum Thani
$223
Calamba
$175 21.6% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pathum Thani
$102
Calamba
$180 77.2% $79
Clothing & Footwear
Pathum Thani
$75
Calamba
$79 5.2% $3.9
Eating Out
Pathum Thani
$68
Calamba
$73 6.8% $4.6
Sport & Entertainment
Pathum Thani
$43
Calamba
$10 * 76.5% $33
Getting Around
Pathum Thani
$11 *
Calamba
$2.1 * 81.3% $9

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

Cost Breakdown

Pathum Thani pays 52% 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: $22.00 in Pathum Thani vs $12.00 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $175 per month, with Calamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Pathum Thani
🇵🇭 Calamba
🕒 Local time
19:06 7:06 PM
20:06 8:06 PM
1 h ahead of Pathum Thani
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
18,320
539,671
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pathum Thani Calamba 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Pathum Thani
  • Calamba

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
Pathum Thani vs Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Pathum Thani or Calamba?
Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Pathum Thani. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Pathum Thani or in Calamba?
Average pay runs 52% higher in Pathum Thani, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
Are groceries more expensive in Pathum Thani or in Calamba?
Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Pathum Thani. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Pathum Thani compared to Calamba?
All in, you'll spend $785 per month in Pathum Thani versus $518 in Calamba – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $800/month in Pathum Thani or in Calamba?
Either city works on $800 a month, though Calamba gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Pathum Thani or Calamba?
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.
How safe is Pathum Thani compared to Calamba?
Safety-wise, Pathum Thani and Calamba are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Pathum Thani. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Pathum Thani vs other spots: cost of living compared

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