Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Chaiyaphum

For one person, living is cheaper in Chaiyaphum: $915 a month against $1,055 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pattaya outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Pattaya, Thailand
Chaiyaphum, Thailand
Pattaya
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,055
/mo nomad
Chaiyaphum
🇹🇭 Thailand
$915
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pattaya and in Chaiyaphum

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 Chaiyaphum actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,055 in Pattaya versus $915 in Chaiyaphum.

  • Pattaya $1,055
  • Chaiyaphum $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,734 in Pattaya versus $1,534 in Chaiyaphum.

  • Pattaya $1,734
  • Chaiyaphum $1,534

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,414 in Pattaya versus $2,153 in Chaiyaphum.

  • Pattaya $2,414
  • Chaiyaphum $2,153

Living in Pattaya is roughly 15% more expensive than in Chaiyaphum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pattaya 22% lower, Chaiyaphum 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pattaya
Chaiyaphum
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.04 ฿103
$1.16 ฿39.20
162.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.70 ฿1,104
$35.17 ฿1,188
-7.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.67 ฿293
$6.30 ฿213
37.62%
Cappuccino
$1.96 ฿66.3
$1.17 ฿39.66
67.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 ฿22.37
$0.46 ฿15.60
43.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ฿9.65
$0.37 ฿12.34
-21.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.38 ฿80.4
$2.70 ฿91.2
-11.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65 ฿89.5
$4.55 ฿154
-41.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pattaya
Chaiyaphum
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 ฿57.4
$1.83 ฿61.9
-7.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.33
$1.48 ฿50.1
-1.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.41 ฿47.59
$1.40 ฿47.21
0.71%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.5
$1.51 ฿51.0
43.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.25 ฿515
$17.62 ฿595
-13.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.55 ฿86.2
$3.67 ฿124
-30.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.97 ฿337
$13.24 ฿447
-24.70%
Apples (1kg)
$3.38 ฿114
$3.90 ฿132
-13.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.89
$0.62 ฿20.90
100.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 ฿62.8
$2.72 ฿91.9
-31.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.87 ฿63.2
$1.94 ฿65.5
-3.61%
Potato (1kg)
$1.18 ฿39.93
$1.74 ฿58.9
-32.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.06 ฿35.93
$1.56 ฿52.6
-32.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 ฿41.32
$1.28 ฿43.16
-4.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ฿16.08
$0.29 ฿9.75
65.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.33 ฿146
$4.82 ฿163
-10.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.95 ฿606
$15.03 ฿508
19.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ฿57.3
$1.82 ฿61.5
-6.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 ฿101
$3.22 ฿109
-6.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Pattaya
Chaiyaphum
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 ฿17.92
$0.92 ฿31.03
-42.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.62 ฿662
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.30 ฿43.90
$1.07 ฿36.07
21.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 ฿36.27
$1.17 ฿39.49
-8.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.60 ฿122
$5.83 ฿197
-38.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.08 ฿36.37
36.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.4K ฿1.5M
$31.7K ฿1.1M
43.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K ฿905.6K
$26.7K ฿902.3K
0.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pattaya
Chaiyaphum
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.5 ฿3,158
$44.02 ฿1,486
112.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.55 ฿390
$10.98 ฿371
5.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.11 ฿645
$11.68 ฿395
63.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pattaya
Chaiyaphum
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.49 ฿1,435
$47.96 ฿1,620
-11.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.52 ฿693
$13.14 ฿444
56.16%
Cinema Ticket
$7.49 ฿253
$7.57 ฿256
-1.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pattaya
Chaiyaphum
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$623 ฿21.0K
$560 ฿18.9K
11.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.2K ฿478.6K
$16.1K ฿544.8K
-12.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pattaya
Chaiyaphum
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.1 ฿1,724
$69.9 ฿2,361
-26.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.47 ฿995
$42.21 ฿1,426
-30.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.5 ฿3,125
$100 ฿3,391
-7.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.1 ฿2,568
$106 ฿3,588
-28.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pattaya
Chaiyaphum
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$618 ฿20.9K
$431 ฿14.6K
43.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$396 ฿13.4K
$301 ฿10.2K
31.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,655 ฿55.9K
$1,130 ฿38.2K
46.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 ฿32.0K
$695 ฿23.5K
36.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,807 ฿94.8K
$1,943 ฿65.6K
44.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,808 ฿61.0K
$1,456 ฿49.2K
24.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pattaya
Chaiyaphum
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$456 ฿15.4K
$446 ฿15.0K
2.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.96
5.25
13.52%

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

Last update for Pattaya: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chaiyaphum: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pattaya
$396
Chaiyaphum
$301 24% $95
Groceries & Markets
Pattaya
$242
Chaiyaphum
$262 8.2% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pattaya
$124
Chaiyaphum
$67 46.3% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Pattaya
$112
Chaiyaphum
$143 28% $31
Eating Out
Pattaya
$95
Chaiyaphum
$68 28.2% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Pattaya
$57
Chaiyaphum
$63 9.8% $5.6
Getting Around
Pattaya
$28
Chaiyaphum
$11 * 62.7% $18

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 $618 in Pattaya and $431 in Chaiyaphum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Pattaya vs $35 in Chaiyaphum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $262 per month, with Pattaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Pattaya
🇹🇭 Chaiyaphum
🕒 Local time
18:18 6:18 PM
18:18 6:18 PM
Same time as Pattaya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
119,532
42,436
💱 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pattaya Chaiyaphum 340 km
From you
  • Pattaya
  • Chaiyaphum

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 Chaiyaphum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chaiyaphum cheaper than Pattaya?
Chaiyaphum is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,583 in Pattaya and $1,372 in Chaiyaphum to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Pattaya and Chaiyaphum?
Rent for a central apartment: $618 in Pattaya versus $431 in Chaiyaphum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $623 in Pattaya versus $560 in Chaiyaphum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Pattaya or in Chaiyaphum?
Dining out is cheaper in Pattaya – a meal for two runs $33 versus $35 in Chaiyaphum. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is it better to live in Pattaya or in Chaiyaphum?
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.
Which city is safer, Pattaya or Chaiyaphum?
Safety-wise, Pattaya and Chaiyaphum are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Pattaya vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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