Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Koh Samui

Name: Koh Samui
Address: Koh Samui, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Pattaya: $1,055 a month against $1,221 in Koh Samui, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Pattaya
Learn more

Pattaya Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
Learn more

Koh Samui Living Index

Jump to prices

Pattaya

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,055

/mo nomad

Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,221

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pattaya and in Koh Samui

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

A single person spends $1,055 per month in Pattaya vs $1,221 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Pattaya $1,055
Koh Samui $1,221

A couple spends around $1,734 per month in Pattaya vs $2,093 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Pattaya $1,734
Koh Samui $2,093

A family of three spends $2,414 per month in Pattaya vs $2,965 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Pattaya $2,414
Koh Samui $2,965

Pattaya is about 14% cheaper than Koh Samui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pattaya and Koh Samui are more affordable than the global median – Pattaya 22% lower, Koh Samui 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ฿103

$4.31 ฿146

-29.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.70 ฿1,104

$32.28 ฿1,090

1.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.67 ฿293

$8.55 ฿289

1.40%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ฿66.3

$2.75 ฿92.7

-28.73%

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

$0.66 ฿22.37

$0.89 ฿30.03

-25.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.65

$0.49 ฿16.57

-40.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ฿80.4

$2.56 ฿86.4

-7.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿89.5

$3.61 ฿122

-26.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 ฿57.4

$1.66 ฿56.0

2.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.33

$1.46 ฿49.34

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ฿47.59

$1.58 ฿53.4

-10.76%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.5

$2.16 ฿73.0

0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.25 ฿515

$19.29 ฿651

-20.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.55 ฿86.2

$3.34 ฿113

-23.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 ฿337

$10.86 ฿367

-8.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ฿114

$2.94 ฿99.3

14.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.89

$1.60 ฿54.2

-22.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ฿62.8

$2.29 ฿77.2

-18.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 ฿63.2

$2.05 ฿69.2

-8.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ฿39.93

$1.45 ฿48.83

-18.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.93

$1.37 ฿46.17

-22.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ฿41.32

$1.12 ฿37.70

8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.08

$0.55 ฿18.64

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿146

$4.26 ฿144

1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿606

$18.41 ฿622

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿57.3

$1.82 ฿61.4

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ฿101

$2.85 ฿96.3

5.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ฿17.92

$1.53 ฿51.7

-65.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.62 ฿662

$58.1 ฿1,961

-66.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ฿43.90

$3.15 ฿106

-58.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿36.27

$1.07 ฿36.16

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ฿122

$4.08 ฿138

-11.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.53 ฿51.7

-3.92%

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

$45.4K ฿1.5M

$27.5K ฿929.7K

64.99%

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

$26.8K ฿905.6K

$27.7K ฿936.9K

-3.34%

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

$93.5 ฿3,158

$104 ฿3,496

-9.65%

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

$11.55 ฿390

$11.49 ฿388

0.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.11 ฿645

$18.05 ฿610

5.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.49 ฿1,435

$69.9 ฿2,360

-39.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.52 ฿693

$11.34 ฿383

80.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 ฿253

$8.14 ฿275

-7.99%

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

$623 ฿21.0K

$509 ฿17.2K

22.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K ฿478.6K

$12.4K ฿417.2K

14.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 ฿1,724

$62.9 ฿2,122

-18.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.47 ฿995

$29.10 ฿983

1.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 ฿3,125

$95.8 ฿3,234

-3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 ฿2,568

$87.2 ฿2,945

-12.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.9K

$607 ฿20.5K

1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 ฿13.4K

$420 ฿14.2K

-5.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 ฿55.9K

$1,653 ฿55.8K

0.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 ฿32.0K

$1,221 ฿41.2K

-22.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,807 ฿94.8K

$3,583 ฿121.0K

-21.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,808 ฿61.0K

$2,588 ฿87.4K

-30.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$456 ฿15.4K

$405 ฿13.7K

12.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.57

7.00%

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

Last update for Pattaya: October 25, 2026

Last update for Koh Samui: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pattaya

$396 37.5%

Koh Samui

$420 34.4% 6.1% $24

Groceries & Markets

Pattaya

$242 23%

Koh Samui

$267 21.9% 10.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pattaya

$124 11.8%

Koh Samui

$133 10.9% 7.1% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Pattaya

$112 10.6%

Koh Samui

$124 10.1% 10.4% $12

Eating Out

Pattaya

$95 9%

Koh Samui

$119 9.7% 25% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Pattaya

$57 5.5%

Koh Samui

$86 7.1% 49.9% $29

Getting Around

Pattaya

$28 2.7%

Koh Samui

$73 6% 156% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $618 in Pattaya versus $607 in Koh Samui. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Pattaya, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Pattaya versus $32 in Koh Samui. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Pattaya vs $267 in Koh Samui – so Pattaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Pattaya

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🕒 Local time

03:28 3:28 AM

Same time as Pattaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,532

62,110

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pattaya Koh Samui 390 km

From you

Pattaya
Koh Samui

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 Koh Samui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,055 in Pattaya, $1,221 in Koh Samui – Pattaya comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,583 per month in Pattaya and $1,832 in Koh Samui. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $618 in Pattaya and $607 in Koh Samui. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Koh Samui, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Pattaya and $32 in Koh Samui. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,055 in Pattaya and $1,221 in Koh Samui. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pattaya costs $1,055 versus $1,221 in Koh Samui. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.