Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Loei Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Loei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,072 in Pattaya versus $950 in Loei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,673 in Pattaya versus $1,536 in Loei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,274 in Pattaya versus $2,122 in Loei.

Living in Pattaya is roughly 13% more expensive than in Loei, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pattaya 22% lower, Loei 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 ฿113

$3.36 ฿111

1.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.27 ฿1,199

$25.27 ฿836

43.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 ฿308

$8.37 ฿277

11.35%

Cappuccino

$2.08 ฿68.9

$2.26 ฿74.8

-7.96%

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

$0.75 ฿24.96

$0.64 ฿21.29

17.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.69

$0.31 ฿10.15

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 ฿78.5

$2.05 ฿67.7

15.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ฿93.0

$3.36 ฿111

-16.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ฿58.6

$2.10 ฿69.4

-15.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ฿49.41

$1.43 ฿47.24

4.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 ฿47.51

$1.36 ฿44.96

5.88%

Eggs

$2.15 ฿71.0

$1.87 ฿61.7

14.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.06 ฿531

$15.30 ฿506

4.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.71 ฿89.7

$2.80 ฿92.7

-3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ฿339

$10.74 ฿355

-4.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 ฿114

$2.95 ฿97.7

16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.23

$1.17 ฿38.60

11.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ฿62.6

$2.11 ฿69.7

-10.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿67.0

$1.67 ฿55.2

21.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.33

$1.49 ฿49.15

-18.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.43

$1.24 ฿41.06

-11.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ฿41.00

$1.27 ฿42.14

-2.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿14.83

$0.57 ฿18.91

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿144

$3.85 ฿127

12.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.02 ฿596

$17.94 ฿593

0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.8

$1.74 ฿57.4

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.5

$2.47 ฿81.9

18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ฿20.77

$1.00 ฿33.21

-37.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.12 ฿666

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 ฿46.17

$1.49 ฿49.28

-6.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 ฿36.56

$1.28 ฿42.43

-13.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿123

$4.12 ฿136

-9.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ฿48.98

$1.26 ฿41.75

17.46%

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

$46.5K ฿1.5M

$29.7K ฿983.3K

56.53%

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

$26.8K ฿887.8K

$26.6K ฿880.5K

0.83%

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

$94.3 ฿3,120

$82.6 ฿2,731

14.21%

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

$11.94 ฿395

$10.39 ฿344

14.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.74 ฿653

$19.92 ฿659

-0.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 ฿1,403

$41.11 ฿1,359

3.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.51 ฿711

$13.25 ฿438

62.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ฿251

$6.21 ฿205

22.38%

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

$645 ฿21.3K

$560 ฿18.5K

15.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿486.9K

$11.1K ฿366.0K

33.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 ฿1,693

$50.5 ฿1,670

1.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.60 ฿979

$26.58 ฿879

11.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 ฿3,143

$77.5 ฿2,561

22.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 ฿2,580

$71.6 ฿2,366

9.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 ฿19.5K

$478 ฿15.8K

23.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 ฿12.8K

$291 ฿9,613

33.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 ฿49.3K

$1,408 ฿46.6K

5.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ฿25.8K

$652 ฿21.6K

19.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿86.5K

$2,181 ฿72.1K

19.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,482 ฿49.0K

$1,693 ฿56.0K

-12.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$479 ฿15.8K

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Loei: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $590 in Pattaya and $478 in Loei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Pattaya vs $25.00 in Loei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $247 per month, with Loei 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

Pattaya vs Loei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pattaya and Loei differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,072 vs $950 including rent). Loei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,608 in Pattaya and $1,425 in Loei 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $590 in Pattaya versus $478 in Loei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $645 in Pattaya versus $560 in Loei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Loei – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $36.00 in Pattaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $950 in Loei versus $1,072 in Pattaya, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Loei but tight or insufficient in Pattaya. The gap between the two cities makes Loei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Loei 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 Loei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Pattaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.