Cost of Living Comparison Between Pathum Thani and Calamba Cost of Living Comparison Between Pathum Thani and Calamba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $821 in Pathum Thani versus $723 in Calamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,379 in Pathum Thani versus $1,179 in Calamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,938 in Pathum Thani versus $1,636 in Calamba.

Living in Pathum Thani is roughly 13% more expensive than Calamba, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pathum Thani 39% lower, Calamba 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ฿98.8

$3.58 ₱221

-15.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.63 ฿511

$13.48 ₱831

15.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 ฿203

$2.58 ₱159

140.70%

Cappuccino

$1.57 ฿51.2

$2.35 ₱145

-33.19%

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

$0.47 ฿15.19

$0.69 ₱42.53

-31.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.60

$0.40 ₱24.83

-27.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 ฿64.2

$1.00 ₱61.9

97.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿117

$1.98 ₱122

81.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ฿46.46

$1.85 ₱114

-23.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ฿39.19

$1.21 ₱74.5

-0.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 ฿35.15

$1.08 ₱66.4

Eggs

$1.86 ฿60.6

$2.20 ₱136

-15.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 ฿427

$9.44 ₱582

38.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.47 ฿80.6

$3.71 ₱229

-33.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 ฿361

$8.67 ₱535

27.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿83.9

$2.71 ₱167

-5.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 ฿24.07

$1.78 ₱110

-58.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.03

$2.36 ₱146

-53.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿48.81

$1.22 ₱75.2

22.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.8

$1.83 ₱113

-11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ฿41.17

$2.19 ₱135

-42.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.28

$0.68 ₱42.15

8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿14.99

$0.77 ₱47.33

-40.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 ฿155

$3.30 ₱203

43.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.51 ฿474

$8.66 ₱534

67.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 ฿48.92

$1.03 ₱63.3

45.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.6

$2.34 ₱144

17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ฿31.26

$0.26 ₱15.98

269.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 ฿36.15

$0.90 ₱55.8

23.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 ฿23.38

$0.22 ₱13.54

227.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 ฿171

$2.41 ₱149

117.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.12 ₱69.1

21.43%

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

$19.7K ฿643.6K

$31.3K ₱1.9M

-37.03%

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

$21.3K ฿695.2K

$20.1K ₱1.2M

5.98%

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

$72.1 ฿2,356

$144 ₱8,890

-49.97%

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

$13.23 ฿432

$34.60 ₱2,134

-61.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.07 ฿394

$26.46 ₱1,632

-54.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 ฿1,595

$33.99 ₱2,096

43.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 ฿405

$4.41 ₱272

181.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿245

$5.80 ₱358

29.31%

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

$139 ฿4,528

$153 ₱9,416

-9.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K ฿408.3K

$4,663 ₱287.5K

168.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.32 ฿631

$49.35 ₱3,043

-60.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.86 ฿812

$28.02 ₱1,728

-11.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 ฿2,004

$76.5 ₱4,718

-19.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ฿1,887

$47.46 ₱2,926

21.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 ฿15.1K

$123 ₱7,577

276.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ฿8,904

$79.2 ₱4,882

244.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 ฿50.8K

$587 ₱36.2K

164.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 ฿25.1K

$391 ₱24.1K

96.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,033 ฿66.4K

$2,695 ₱166.2K

-24.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿47.8K

$1,000 ₱61.6K

46.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$406 ฿13.3K

$257 ₱15.8K

58.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

-11.11%

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

Last update for Pathum Thani: June 2, 2026

Last update for Calamba: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $463 in Pathum Thani and $123 in Calamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pathum Thani pays 58% 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: $16.00 in Pathum Thani vs $13.00 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $205 per month, with Calamba cheaper across the board.

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

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 13% 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.

Pathum Thani pays 58% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $463 in Pathum Thani versus $123 in Calamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Pathum Thani. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $821 per month in Pathum Thani versus $723 in Calamba – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

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, 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.

Expats usually find Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Pathum Thani. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.