Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Nakhon Ratchasima Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Nakhon Ratchasima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $979 in Pattaya versus $769 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,530 in Pattaya versus $1,280 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,080 in Pattaya versus $1,792 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Living in Pattaya is roughly 27% more expensive than Nakhon Ratchasima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pattaya 27% lower, Nakhon Ratchasima 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.80 ฿124

$3.04 ฿99.0

25.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.99 ฿1,009

$27.27 ฿888

13.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 ฿304

$6.41 ฿209

45.40%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.01 ฿65.6

8.46%

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

$0.87 ฿28.32

$0.56 ฿18.10

55.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.15

$0.35 ฿11.30

-2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿82.3

$1.89 ฿61.7

33.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ฿79.6

$2.50 ฿81.4

-2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ฿54.4

$1.66 ฿54.0

0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ฿44.52

$1.26 ฿40.88

8.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 ฿40.90

$1.30 ฿42.48

-3.08%

Eggs

$2.30 ฿74.8

$1.51 ฿49.14

52.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.92 ฿519

$15.38 ฿501

3.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ฿107

$3.31 ฿108

-0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.30 ฿368

$11.38 ฿371

-0.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿106

$3.32 ฿108

-2.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ฿42.18

$1.30 ฿42.23

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ฿64.3

$1.95 ฿63.6

1.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿47.48

$1.45 ฿47.37

0.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿48.44

$1.50 ฿48.87

-0.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.57

$1.16 ฿37.93

4.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ฿55.1

$1.41 ฿45.79

19.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.13

$0.39 ฿12.58

35.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿151

$2.91 ฿94.6

59.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 ฿545

$16.70 ฿544

0.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ฿59.1

$1.77 ฿57.5

2.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ฿74.2

$2.38 ฿77.6

-4.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ฿10.53

$0.44 ฿14.27

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.81 ฿613

$20.41 ฿665

-7.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ฿46.12

$1.09 ฿35.56

30.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 ฿44.14

$1.30 ฿42.20

4.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 ฿111

$7.88 ฿257

-56.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.92

$1.24 ฿40.51

8.87%

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

$26.0K ฿845.4K

$81.7K ฿2.7M

-68.22%

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

$27.4K ฿891.1K

$27.1K ฿883.6K

0.85%

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

$78.9 ฿2,569

$79.2 ฿2,580

-0.44%

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

$14.07 ฿458

$13.96 ฿455

0.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 ฿610

$18.42 ฿600

1.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.65 ฿1,454

$49.24 ฿1,604

-9.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ฿563

$15.53 ฿506

11.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 ฿255

$5.01 ฿163

56.09%

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

$290 ฿9,458

$182 ฿5,919

59.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,151 ฿298.0K

$9,166 ฿298.5K

-0.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.87 ฿973

$29.64 ฿966

0.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.54 ฿636

$19.90 ฿648

-1.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ฿3,291

$79.0 ฿2,572

27.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.48 ฿1,449

$43.49 ฿1,417

2.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 ฿18.1K

$218 ฿7,105

154.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 ฿11.4K

$165 ฿5,376

111.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 ฿44.1K

$498 ฿16.2K

172.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 ฿22.4K

$430 ฿14.0K

60.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,625 ฿85.5K

$3,449 ฿112.3K

-23.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,500 ฿48.9K

$1,725 ฿56.2K

-13.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$463 ฿15.1K

$628 ฿20.4K

-26.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

5.1

6.86%

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

Last update for Pattaya: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Pattaya and $218 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nakhon Ratchasima pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Pattaya vs $27.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $241 per month, with Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pattaya and Nakhon Ratchasima differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($979 vs $769 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Nakhon Ratchasima earns 36% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $555 in Pattaya versus $218 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Pattaya. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $31.00 in Pattaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $769 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $979 in Pattaya, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Pattaya. The gap between the two cities makes Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Pattaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.