Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Pathum Thani

For one person, living is cheaper in Pathum Thani: $785 a month against $1,036 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Pattaya
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Pattaya Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Pathum Thani
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Pathum Thani Living Index

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Pattaya

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,036

/mo nomad

Pathum Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pattaya and in Pathum Thani

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

A single person spends $1,036 per month in Pattaya vs $785 in Pathum Thani, rent included.

Pattaya $1,036
Pathum Thani $785

A couple spends around $1,655 per month in Pattaya vs $1,329 in Pathum Thani, rent included.

Pattaya $1,655
Pathum Thani $1,329

A family of three spends $2,273 per month in Pattaya vs $1,873 in Pathum Thani, rent included.

Pattaya $2,273
Pathum Thani $1,873

Pattaya costs about 32% more than Pathum Thani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Pattaya and Pathum Thani are more affordable than the global median – Pattaya 23% lower, Pathum Thani 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.34 ฿112

$1.79 ฿59.9

86.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.47 ฿1,186

$22.25 ฿744

59.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 ฿301

$5.90 ฿197

52.54%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ฿68.1

$1.73 ฿58.0

17.92%

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

$0.70 ฿23.44

$0.42 ฿14.03

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.47

$0.18 ฿6.05

72.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.73 ฿57.7

34.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ฿87.4

$2.13 ฿71.3

23.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ฿59.3

$1.47 ฿49.07

21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ฿49.57

$1.32 ฿44.22

12.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.26

$1.23 ฿41.03

12.20%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.80 ฿60.2

18.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.50 ฿518

$12.52 ฿418

23.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.57 ฿86.0

$2.43 ฿81.1

5.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ฿337

$12.06 ฿403

-16.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿112

$3.60 ฿120

-6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.67

$0.96 ฿31.93

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ฿62.3

$2.49 ฿83.3

-25.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 ฿62.8

$1.58 ฿52.8

18.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.46

$1.97 ฿66.0

-37.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ฿36.25

$1.04 ฿34.74

3.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ฿42.53

$0.77 ฿25.70

64.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ฿14.82

$0.44 ฿14.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.53 ฿151

-5.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 ฿588

$13.87 ฿464

26.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.51 ฿50.3

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿99.1

$1.66 ฿55.6

78.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ฿20.43

$0.60 ฿20.07

1.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.79 ฿662

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.46

$1.06 ฿35.28

28.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿36.10

$1.53 ฿51.1

-29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ฿121

$8.76 ฿293

-58.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.73

$1.16 ฿38.69

23.28%

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

$44.9K ฿1.5M

$17.5K ฿585.7K

155.95%

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

$26.8K ฿895.5K

$23.9K ฿797.8K

12.25%

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

$93.9 ฿3,137

$82.3 ฿2,751

14.03%

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

$11.74 ฿392

$9.23 ฿309

27.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.75 ฿627

$10.22 ฿341

83.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.37 ฿1,416

$29.61 ฿990

43.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.76 ฿694

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿250

$6.63 ฿222

12.82%

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

$619 ฿20.7K

$196 ฿6,543

216.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K ฿475.3K

$10.7K ฿357.5K

32.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 ฿1,693

$5.91 ฿198

757.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.31 ฿980

$35.81 ฿1,197

-18.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 ฿3,184

$71.5 ฿2,388

33.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ฿2,496

$52.8 ฿1,765

41.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 ฿19.0K

$453 ฿15.1K

25.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ฿12.4K

$263 ฿8,805

40.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 ฿51.1K

$1,476 ฿49.3K

3.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 ฿26.0K

$738 ฿24.6K

5.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,474 ฿82.7K

$4,477 ฿149.6K

-44.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,479 ฿49.4K

$2,199 ฿73.5K

-32.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$461 ฿15.4K

$396 ฿13.2K

16.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

49.00%

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

Last update for Pattaya: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pathum Thani: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pattaya

$370 35.7%

Pathum Thani

$263 33.6% 28.8% $107

Groceries & Markets

Pattaya

$244 23.5%

Pathum Thani

$223 28.4% 8.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pattaya

$124 12%

Pathum Thani

$102 13% 18.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Pattaya

$112 10.9%

Pathum Thani

$75 9.5% 33.6% $38

Eating Out

Pattaya

$99 9.6%

Pathum Thani

$68 8.7% 31.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Pattaya

$57 5.5%

Pathum Thani

$43 5.5% 25.2% $14

Getting Around

Pattaya

$29 2.8%

Pathum Thani

$11 * 1.4% 61.7% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $569 in Pattaya versus $453 in Pathum Thani. 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 17% higher in Pattaya, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Pattaya versus $22.00 in Pathum Thani. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $223 – making Pathum Thani the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Pattaya

🇹🇭 Pathum Thani

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

Same time as Pattaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,532

18,320

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pattaya Pathum Thani 130 km

From you

Pattaya
Pathum Thani

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 Pathum Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pattaya is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,554 per month in Pattaya and $1,177 in Pathum Thani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pathum Thani, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,036 in Pattaya and $785 in Pathum Thani. That's a gap of about 32%.

Kindergarten costs $619 per month in Pattaya and $196 in Pathum Thani. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pathum Thani, where all-in costs run around $785, than in Pattaya at $1,036. In Pathum Thani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pattaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pathum Thani – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Pathum Thani. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pattaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.