Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Cha-am

For one person, living is cheaper in Cha-am: $871 a month against $1,055 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Pattaya
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Pattaya Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Cha-am
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Cha-am Living Index

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Pattaya

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,055

/mo nomad

Cha-am

🇹🇭 Thailand

$871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pattaya and in Cha-am

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,055 in Pattaya versus $871 in Cha-am.

Pattaya $1,055
Cha-am $871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,734 in Pattaya versus $1,405 in Cha-am.

Pattaya $1,734
Cha-am $1,405

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,414 in Pattaya versus $1,940 in Cha-am.

Pattaya $2,414
Cha-am $1,940

Living in Pattaya is roughly 21% more expensive than in Cha-am, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pattaya 22% lower, Cha-am 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ฿102

$2.98 ฿100

2.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.70 ฿1,102

$22.18 ฿747

47.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.67 ฿292

$7.35 ฿248

17.96%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ฿66.2

$2.01 ฿67.9

-2.49%

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

$0.66 ฿22.33

$0.69 ฿23.29

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.63

$0.35 ฿11.66

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ฿80.3

$2.44 ฿82.2

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿89.3

$2.93 ฿98.7

-9.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 ฿57.3

$1.74 ฿58.5

-2.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.22

$1.47 ฿49.66

-0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.33 ฿44.85

6.02%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$1.87 ฿63.1

16.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.25 ฿514

$12.37 ฿417

23.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.55 ฿86.1

$2.53 ฿85.1

0.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 ฿336

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ฿114

$3.37 ฿114

0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.81

$1.21 ฿40.93

2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.90 ฿63.9

-2.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 ฿63.1

$1.81 ฿61.0

3.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ฿39.85

$1.74 ฿58.6

-32.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.86

$1.08 ฿36.55

-1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ฿41.23

$1.20 ฿40.45

1.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.04

$0.44 ฿14.78

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿146

$4.26 ฿144

1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿605

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿57.1

$1.67 ฿56.4

1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ฿101

$2.86 ฿96.4

4.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ฿17.88

$0.91 ฿30.56

-41.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.62 ฿661

$22.60 ฿762

-13.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ฿43.81

$1.34 ฿45.19

-2.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿36.19

$1.08 ฿36.41

-0.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ฿121

$3.61 ฿122

-0.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.66

$1.37 ฿46.32

7.30%

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

$45.4K ฿1.5M

$16.3K ฿550.4K

178.08%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$26.5K ฿891.5K

1.37%

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

$93.5 ฿3,152

$80.9 ฿2,727

15.59%

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

$11.55 ฿389

$11.74 ฿396

-1.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.11 ฿644

$23.19 ฿782

-17.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.49 ฿1,432

$23.97 ฿808

77.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.52 ฿692

$5.88 ฿198

248.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 ฿252

$6.70 ฿226

11.79%

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

$623 ฿21.0K

$615 ฿20.7K

1.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K ฿477.6K

$10.6K ฿358.1K

33.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 ฿1,720

$51.0 ฿1,718

0.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.47 ฿993

$28.67 ฿966

2.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 ฿3,118

$72.2 ฿2,433

28.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 ฿2,563

$53.1 ฿1,788

43.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$368 ฿12.4K

67.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 ฿13.3K

$267 ฿9,001

48.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 ฿55.8K

$752 ฿25.3K

120.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 ฿32.0K

$651 ฿21.9K

45.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,807 ฿94.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,808 ฿60.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$456 ฿15.4K

$362 ฿12.2K

26.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

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

Last update for Pattaya: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cha-am: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pattaya

$396 37.5%

Cha-am

$267 30.7% 32.5% $129

Groceries & Markets

Pattaya

$242 23%

Cha-am

$233 26.7% 3.9% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pattaya

$124 11.8%

Cha-am

$116 13.3% 6.7% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Pattaya

$112 10.6%

Cha-am

$92 10.6% 17.7% $20

Eating Out

Pattaya

$95 9%

Cha-am

$92 10.6% 2.8% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Pattaya

$57 5.5%

Cha-am

$37 4.3% 35% $20

Getting Around

Pattaya

$28 2.7%

Cha-am

$33 3.8% 16.1% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Pattaya and $368 in Cha-am. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pattaya pays 26% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $33 in Pattaya vs $22 in Cha-am for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $233 per month, with Cha-am cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Pattaya

🇹🇭 Cha-am

🕒 Local time

15:58 3:58 PM

Same time as Pattaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,532

31,354

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pattaya Cha-am 100 km

From you

Pattaya
Cha-am

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

Pattaya vs Cha-am: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,055 in Pattaya and $871 in Cha-am, so Cha-am is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Pattaya, 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: $618 in Pattaya versus $368 in Cha-am. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,055 per month in Pattaya versus $871 in Cha-am – Cha-am is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Pattaya runs roughly 13% less than in Cha-am. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Cha-am 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, Pattaya and Cha-am are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Cha-am wins on affordability, Pattaya on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.