Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Phetchabun

For one person, living is cheaper in Phetchabun: $957 a month against $1,041 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Pattaya
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,041
/mo nomad
Phetchabun
🇹🇭 Thailand
$957
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pattaya and in Phetchabun

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

A single person spends $1,041 per month in Pattaya vs $957 in Phetchabun, rent included.

  • Pattaya $1,041
  • Phetchabun $957

A couple spends around $1,665 per month in Pattaya vs $1,508 in Phetchabun, rent included.

  • Pattaya $1,665
  • Phetchabun $1,508

A family of three spends $2,288 per month in Pattaya vs $2,058 in Phetchabun, rent included.

  • Pattaya $2,288
  • Phetchabun $2,058

Pattaya costs about 9% more than Phetchabun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Pattaya and Phetchabun are more affordable than the global median – Pattaya 23% lower, Phetchabun 29% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pattaya
Phetchabun
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.37 ฿113
$1.74 ฿58.3
93.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.40 ฿1,183
$23.98 ฿801
47.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.86 ฿296
$6.54 ฿219
35.47%
Cappuccino
$2.06 ฿68.7
$1.18 ฿39.31
74.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 ฿23.64
$0.71 ฿23.88
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.40
$0.21 ฿7.01
47.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿78.9
$2.14 ฿71.5
10.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 ฿88.1
$2.91 ฿97.3
-9.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pattaya
Phetchabun
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 ฿59.6
$1.80 ฿60.1
-1.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿48.90
$1.46 ฿48.81
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 ฿46.70
$1.50 ฿50.1
-6.67%
Eggs
$2.19 ฿73.2
$2.05 ฿68.6
6.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.22 ฿509
$16.61 ฿555
-8.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.61 ฿87.2
$2.86 ฿95.6
-8.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.15 ฿339
$11.40 ฿381
-10.96%
Apples (1kg)
$3.43 ฿114
$3.16 ฿106
8.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 ฿40.71
$0.99 ฿33.12
23.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.88 ฿62.7
$2.24 ฿75.0
-16.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 ฿66.2
$2.20 ฿73.4
-10.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.20 ฿40.24
$1.36 ฿45.31
-11.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.03 ฿34.43
$0.99 ฿33.25
4.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 ฿42.21
$1.19 ฿39.70
5.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 ฿14.97
$0.49 ฿16.34
-8.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.42 ฿148
$4.39 ฿147
0.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.04 ฿603
$17.94 ฿599
0.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 ฿58.8
$1.67 ฿55.7
5.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 ฿100
$2.85 ฿95.3
4.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Pattaya
Phetchabun
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.63 ฿20.89
$0.94 ฿31.45
-32.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.40 ฿648
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.30 ฿43.48
$1.21 ฿40.45
7.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 ฿37.63
$1.14 ฿38.06
-0.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.55 ฿119
$5.97 ฿199
-40.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ฿49.47
$1.40 ฿46.87
5.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$46.4K ฿1.5M
$24.8K ฿830.1K
86.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿878.9K
$25.0K ฿837.1K
5.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pattaya
Phetchabun
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.7 ฿3,132
$83.7 ฿2,796
12.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.55 ฿386
$11.44 ฿382
0.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.15 ฿640
$18.78 ฿628
1.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pattaya
Phetchabun
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.86 ฿1,399
$52.5 ฿1,755
-20.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.27 ฿711
$13.59 ฿454
56.51%
Cinema Ticket
$7.64 ฿255
$7.31 ฿244
4.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pattaya
Phetchabun
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$613 ฿20.5K
$536 ฿17.9K
14.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.4K ฿480.0K
$11.7K ฿390.2K
23.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pattaya
Phetchabun
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 ฿1,714
$43.84 ฿1,465
17.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.14 ฿974
$27.09 ฿905
7.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.6 ฿3,160
$75.5 ฿2,522
25.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.0 ฿2,507
$74.1 ฿2,476
1.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pattaya
Phetchabun
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$564 ฿18.8K
$426 ฿14.2K
32.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 ฿12.5K
$345 ฿11.5K
8.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,521 ฿50.8K
$1,258 ฿42.0K
20.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$791 ฿26.4K
$724 ฿24.2K
9.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,560 ฿85.6K
$2,024 ฿67.7K
26.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,428 ฿47.7K
$1,349 ฿45.1K
5.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pattaya
Phetchabun
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$453 ฿15.1K
-
-
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 20, 2026

Last update for Phetchabun: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pattaya
$374
Phetchabun
$345 7.8% $29
Groceries & Markets
Pattaya
$245
Phetchabun
$253 3.5% $8.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pattaya
$124
Phetchabun
$114 8.5% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Pattaya
$113
Phetchabun
$99 11.8% $13
Eating Out
Pattaya
$99
Phetchabun
$68 31.7% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Pattaya
$57
Phetchabun
$67 17.5% $10
Getting Around
Pattaya
$29
Phetchabun
$11 * 63% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $564 in Pattaya versus $426 in Phetchabun. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Pattaya versus $24.00 in Phetchabun. Groceries tell a different story – $245 in Pattaya vs $253 in Phetchabun – so Pattaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Pattaya
🇹🇭 Phetchabun
🕒 Local time
00:19 12:19 AM
00:19 12:19 AM
Same time as Pattaya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
119,532
23,823
💱 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pattaya Phetchabun 390 km
From you
  • Pattaya
  • Phetchabun

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 Phetchabun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Pattaya or Phetchabun?
Pattaya costs about 9% more than Phetchabun, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Pattaya and in Phetchabun?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,562 per month in Pattaya and $1,436 in Phetchabun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Pattaya or Phetchabun?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phetchabun, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Pattaya compared to Phetchabun?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,041 in Pattaya and $957 in Phetchabun. That's a gap of about 9%.
How do childcare costs compare in Pattaya and in Phetchabun?
Kindergarten costs $613 per month in Pattaya and $536 in Phetchabun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Pattaya or in Phetchabun?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Phetchabun, where all-in costs run around $957, than in Pattaya at $1,041. In Phetchabun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pattaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Pattaya or Phetchabun?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phetchabun costs $957 versus $1,041 in Pattaya. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Pattaya compared to Phetchabun?
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.
Should I move to Pattaya or to Phetchabun?
If budget matters most, go with Phetchabun. 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.

Pattaya vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?