Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Loei

For one person, living is cheaper in Loei: $1,005 a month against $1,066 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Pattaya, Thailand
Loei, Thailand
Pattaya
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,066
/mo nomad
Loei
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,005
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pattaya and in Loei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,066 in Pattaya versus $1,005 in Loei.

  • Pattaya $1,066
  • Loei $1,005

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in Pattaya versus $1,612 in Loei.

  • Pattaya $1,747
  • Loei $1,612

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,427 in Pattaya versus $2,220 in Loei.

  • Pattaya $2,427
  • Loei $2,220

Living in Pattaya is roughly 6% more expensive than in Loei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pattaya 21% lower, Loei 26% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pattaya
Loei
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.06 ฿103
$3.28 ฿111
-6.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.96 ฿909
$26.26 ฿886
2.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.68 ฿293
$8.02 ฿271
8.23%
Cappuccino
$2.03 ฿68.6
$2.15 ฿72.4
-5.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 ฿23.37
$0.72 ฿24.40
-4.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 ฿9.14
$0.32 ฿10.75
-15.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.42 ฿81.5
$2.11 ฿71.3
14.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 ฿91.9
$2.91 ฿98.2
-6.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pattaya
Loei
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 ฿53.6
$1.93 ฿65.1
-17.62%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 ฿49.96
$1.61 ฿54.3
-8.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 ฿47.29
$1.49 ฿50.4
-6.04%
Eggs
$2.13 ฿71.7
$2.27 ฿76.6
-6.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.63 ฿527
$18.80 ฿634
-16.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.50 ฿84.2
$2.28 ฿76.9
9.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.22 ฿345
$11.98 ฿404
-14.69%
Apples (1kg)
$3.48 ฿118
$2.99 ฿101
16.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.90
$0.91 ฿30.82
36.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 ฿64.6
$2.21 ฿74.5
-13.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 ฿65.2
$1.98 ฿66.7
-2.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.69
$1.52 ฿51.1
-18.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.64
$1.27 ฿42.90
-14.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 ฿40.89
$1.00 ฿33.83
21.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 ฿13.39
$0.45 ฿15.31
-11.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.29 ฿145
$3.80 ฿128
12.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.91 ฿604
$18.74 ฿632
-4.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 ฿58.1
$1.65 ฿55.7
4.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 ฿96.7
$2.89 ฿97.4
-0.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Pattaya
Loei
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.50 ฿16.99
$0.81 ฿27.47
-38.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.41 ฿655
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.27
$1.35 ฿45.50
-14.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 ฿37.74
$1.18 ฿39.69
-5.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.46 ฿117
$4.14 ฿140
-16.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 ฿48.37
$1.27 ฿42.73
12.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.3K ฿1.5M
$29.4K ฿991.2K
54.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K ฿910.1K
$27.1K ฿914.0K
-0.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pattaya
Loei
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.4 ฿3,084
$92.4 ฿3,117
-1.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.68 ฿394
$9.86 ฿333
18.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.30 ฿651
$17.50 ฿590
10.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pattaya
Loei
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.51 ฿1,468
$49.98 ฿1,686
-12.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.09 ฿711
$13.80 ฿465
52.83%
Cinema Ticket
$7.75 ฿261
$6.29 ฿212
23.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pattaya
Loei
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$617 ฿20.8K
$697 ฿23.5K
-11.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.4K ฿722.8K
$17.3K ฿583.2K
23.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pattaya
Loei
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.7 ฿1,711
$56.3 ฿1,899
-9.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.32 ฿989
$31.06 ฿1,048
-5.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.0 ฿3,171
$77.2 ฿2,605
21.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.3 ฿2,574
$73.7 ฿2,485
3.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pattaya
Loei
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$600 ฿20.2K
$441 ฿14.9K
36.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$405 ฿13.7K
$347 ฿11.7K
16.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,744 ฿58.8K
$1,153 ฿38.9K
51.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$983 ฿33.2K
$784 ฿26.4K
25.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,766 ฿93.3K
$2,351 ฿79.3K
17.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,858 ฿62.7K
$1,710 ฿57.7K
8.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pattaya
Loei
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$454 ฿15.3K
-
-
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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Loei: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pattaya
$405
Loei
$347 14.4% $58
Groceries & Markets
Pattaya
$243
Loei
$261 7.7% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pattaya
$122
Loei
$120 2.1% $2.6
Clothing & Footwear
Pattaya
$113
Loei
$107 4.8% $5.5
Eating Out
Pattaya
$96
Loei
$97 0.4% $0.4
Sport & Entertainment
Pattaya
$59
Loei
$63 6% $3.5
Getting Around
Pattaya
$28
Loei
$10 * 62.8% $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 $600 in Pattaya and $441 in Loei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in Pattaya vs $26 in Loei. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $261, with Pattaya cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Pattaya
🇹🇭 Loei
🕒 Local time
09:55 9:55 AM
09:55 9:55 AM
Same time as Pattaya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
119,532
22,677
💱 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pattaya Loei 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Pattaya
  • Loei

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 Loei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Pattaya and in Loei?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,066 in Pattaya and $1,005 in Loei, so Loei is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Pattaya compared to Loei?
You’d need roughly $1,599 in Pattaya and $1,507 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Pattaya and in Loei?
Rent for a central apartment: $600 in Pattaya versus $441 in Loei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Pattaya and Loei?
Childcare runs $617 in Pattaya versus $697 in Loei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Loei – a meal for two runs $26 versus $27 in Pattaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $2,000 go in Pattaya compared to Loei?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Loei gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Pattaya and Loei?
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.
Is Pattaya or Loei safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Pattaya and Loei are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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