Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Ratchaburi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratchaburi: $1,006 a month against $1,066 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Pattaya
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Pattaya Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Ratchaburi
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Ratchaburi Living Index

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Pattaya

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,066

/mo nomad

Ratchaburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pattaya and in Ratchaburi

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

A single person spends $1,066 per month in Pattaya vs $1,006 in Ratchaburi, rent included.

Pattaya $1,066
Ratchaburi $1,006

A couple spends around $1,747 per month in Pattaya vs $1,533 in Ratchaburi, rent included.

Pattaya $1,747
Ratchaburi $1,533

A family of three spends $2,427 per month in Pattaya vs $2,061 in Ratchaburi, rent included.

Pattaya $2,427
Ratchaburi $2,061

Pattaya costs about 6% more than Ratchaburi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pattaya and Ratchaburi are more affordable than the global median – Pattaya 21% lower, Ratchaburi 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 ฿103

$3.01 ฿102

1.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.96 ฿910

$27.13 ฿915

-0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿293

$8.75 ฿295

-0.80%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿68.6

$1.99 ฿67.2

2.01%

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

$0.69 ฿23.38

$0.65 ฿22.07

6.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿9.14

$0.25 ฿8.35

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.5

$2.43 ฿82.1

-0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ฿92.0

$2.61 ฿88.1

4.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ฿53.6

$1.63 ฿54.9

-2.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ฿49.98

$1.47 ฿49.54

0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿47.30

$1.40 ฿47.13

Eggs

$2.13 ฿71.7

$2.19 ฿73.8

-2.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.63 ฿527

$15.19 ฿512

2.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.50 ฿84.2

$2.57 ฿86.8

-2.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 ฿345

$10.19 ฿344

0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 ฿118

$3.43 ฿116

1.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.91

$1.25 ฿42.06

-0.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 ฿64.6

$1.92 ฿64.7

-0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 ฿65.3

$1.94 ฿65.6

-0.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.70

$1.19 ฿40.24

4.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$1.07 ฿36.24

1.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ฿40.90

$1.22 ฿41.32

-0.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.40 ฿13.46

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ฿145

$4.39 ฿148

-2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.91 ฿604

$17.51 ฿591

2.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ฿58.1

$1.65 ฿55.8

4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.7

$2.95 ฿99.7

-2.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ฿17.00

$0.99 ฿33.26

-49.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.41 ฿655

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.28

$1.17 ฿39.62

-0.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 ฿37.75

$1.07 ฿36.25

4.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ฿117

$3.62 ฿122

-4.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.38

$1.50 ฿50.6

-4.67%

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

$45.3K ฿1.5M

$46.1K ฿1.6M

-1.87%

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

$27.0K ฿910.4K

$26.2K ฿885.1K

2.85%

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

$91.4 ฿3,085

$91.0 ฿3,071

0.47%

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

$11.68 ฿394

$11.63 ฿392

0.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.30 ฿651

$18.72 ฿632

3.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.51 ฿1,468

$53.7 ฿1,811

-18.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.09 ฿712

$13.50 ฿455

56.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 ฿262

$7.59 ฿256

2.11%

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

$617 ฿20.8K

$630 ฿21.3K

-2.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K ฿723.0K

$20.7K ฿697.4K

3.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 ฿1,712

$50.1 ฿1,690

1.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.32 ฿989

$29.01 ฿979

1.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 ฿3,171

$95.5 ฿3,222

-1.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 ฿2,575

$75.5 ฿2,546

1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 ฿20.3K

$497 ฿16.8K

20.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 ฿13.7K

$357 ฿12.0K

13.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 ฿58.8K

$1,266 ฿42.7K

37.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 ฿33.2K

$645 ฿21.7K

52.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,766 ฿93.3K

$2,210 ฿74.6K

25.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ฿62.7K

$1,851 ฿62.5K

0.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$454 ฿15.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

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

Last update for Pattaya: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ratchaburi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pattaya

$405 38%

Ratchaburi

$357 35.5% 11.8% $48

Groceries & Markets

Pattaya

$243 22.8%

Ratchaburi

$241 23.9% 0.7% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pattaya

$122 11.5%

Ratchaburi

$121 12.1% 0.9% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Pattaya

$113 10.6%

Ratchaburi

$113 11.2% 0.1% $0.1

Eating Out

Pattaya

$96 9%

Ratchaburi

$95 9.5% 1.1% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Pattaya

$59 5.5%

Ratchaburi

$69 6.8% 16.7% $9.8

Getting Around

Pattaya

$28 2.6%

Ratchaburi

$10 * 1% 62.8% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $600 in Pattaya versus $497 in Ratchaburi. 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 $27 in Pattaya versus $27 in Ratchaburi. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Pattaya vs $241 in Ratchaburi – so Ratchaburi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Pattaya

🇹🇭 Ratchaburi

🕒 Local time

02:24 2:24 AM

Same time as Pattaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,532

38,208

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Pattaya Ratchaburi 130 km

From you

Pattaya
Ratchaburi

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 Ratchaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pattaya costs about 6% more than Ratchaburi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,599 per month in Pattaya and $1,509 in Ratchaburi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ratchaburi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $497 there versus $600 in Pattaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,066 in Pattaya and $1,006 in Ratchaburi. That makes Ratchaburi about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $617 per month in Pattaya and $630 in Ratchaburi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,066 in Pattaya and $1,006 in Ratchaburi. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Pattaya has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,006 in Ratchaburi to $1,066 in Pattaya. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.