Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Samut Sakhon

For one person, living is cheaper in Samut Sakhon: $935 a month against $1,066 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Pattaya, Thailand
Samut Sakhon, Thailand
Pattaya
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,066
/mo nomad
Samut Sakhon
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pattaya and in Samut Sakhon

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

A single person spends $1,066 per month in Pattaya vs $935 in Samut Sakhon, rent included.

  • Pattaya $1,066
  • Samut Sakhon $935

A couple spends around $1,747 per month in Pattaya vs $1,504 in Samut Sakhon, rent included.

  • Pattaya $1,747
  • Samut Sakhon $1,504

A family of three spends $2,427 per month in Pattaya vs $2,074 in Samut Sakhon, rent included.

  • Pattaya $2,427
  • Samut Sakhon $2,074

Pattaya costs about 14% more than Samut Sakhon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Pattaya and Samut Sakhon are more affordable than the global median – Pattaya 21% lower, Samut Sakhon 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pattaya
Samut Sakhon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.06 ฿103
$1.74 ฿58.7
75.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.96 ฿909
$17.65 ฿595
52.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.68 ฿293
$5.84 ฿197
48.63%
Cappuccino
$2.03 ฿68.6
$1.18 ฿39.72
72.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 ฿23.37
$0.37 ฿12.62
86.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 ฿9.14
$0.27 ฿9.15
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.42 ฿81.5
$1.90 ฿64.0
27.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 ฿91.9
$2.70 ฿90.9
1.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pattaya
Samut Sakhon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 ฿53.6
$1.57 ฿52.8
1.27%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 ฿49.96
$1.41 ฿47.67
4.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 ฿47.29
$1.40 ฿47.24
-
Eggs
$2.13 ฿71.7
$2.22 ฿75.0
-4.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.63 ฿527
$15.45 ฿521
1.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.50 ฿84.2
$2.53 ฿85.3
-1.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.22 ฿345
$10.14 ฿342
0.79%
Apples (1kg)
$3.48 ฿118
$3.54 ฿119
-1.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.90
$1.20 ฿40.35
3.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 ฿64.6
$1.85 ฿62.3
3.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 ฿65.2
$1.87 ฿63.1
3.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.69
$1.23 ฿41.59
0.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.64
$1.04 ฿35.13
4.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 ฿40.89
$1.22 ฿41.18
-0.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 ฿13.39
$0.43 ฿14.44
-6.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.29 ฿145
$4.22 ฿142
1.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.91 ฿604
$18.14 ฿612
-1.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 ฿58.1
$1.74 ฿58.5
-1.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 ฿96.7
$2.95 ฿99.5
-2.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Pattaya
Samut Sakhon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.50 ฿16.99
$0.39 ฿13.07
28.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.41 ฿655
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.27
$1.05 ฿35.49
10.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 ฿37.74
$1.12 ฿37.84
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.46 ฿117
$3.62 ฿122
-4.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 ฿48.37
$1.17 ฿39.56
22.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.3K ฿1.5M
$44.9K ฿1.5M
0.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K ฿910.1K
$27.0K ฿911.0K
-0.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pattaya
Samut Sakhon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.4 ฿3,084
$93.8 ฿3,163
-2.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.68 ฿394
$11.33 ฿382
3.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.30 ฿651
$19.04 ฿642
1.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pattaya
Samut Sakhon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.51 ฿1,468
$50.3 ฿1,696
-13.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.09 ฿711
$14.99 ฿506
40.69%
Cinema Ticket
$7.75 ฿261
$7.72 ฿260
0.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pattaya
Samut Sakhon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$617 ฿20.8K
$619 ฿20.9K
-0.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.4K ฿722.8K
$21.3K ฿718.2K
0.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pattaya
Samut Sakhon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.7 ฿1,711
$49.60 ฿1,673
2.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.32 ฿989
$29.66 ฿1,000
-1.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.0 ฿3,171
$93.1 ฿3,140
0.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.3 ฿2,574
$76.5 ฿2,580
-0.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pattaya
Samut Sakhon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$600 ฿20.2K
$509 ฿17.2K
18.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$405 ฿13.7K
$320 ฿10.8K
26.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,744 ฿58.8K
$1,158 ฿39.1K
50.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$983 ฿33.2K
$776 ฿26.2K
26.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,766 ฿93.3K
$2,033 ฿68.6K
36.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,858 ฿62.7K
$1,580 ฿53.3K
17.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pattaya
Samut Sakhon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$454 ฿15.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.96
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 Samut Sakhon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pattaya
$405
Samut Sakhon
$320 21% $85
Groceries & Markets
Pattaya
$243
Samut Sakhon
$242 0.3% $0.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pattaya
$122
Samut Sakhon
$124 1.4% $1.7
Clothing & Footwear
Pattaya
$113
Samut Sakhon
$112 0.6% $0.7
Eating Out
Pattaya
$96
Samut Sakhon
$63 34.5% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Pattaya
$59
Samut Sakhon
$66 11.4% $6.7
Getting Around
Pattaya
$28
Samut Sakhon
$8.2 * 70.9% $20

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 $509 in Samut Sakhon. 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 $18 in Samut Sakhon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $242 – making Samut Sakhon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Pattaya
🇹🇭 Samut Sakhon
🕒 Local time
11:56 11:56 AM
11:56 11:56 AM
Same time as Pattaya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
119,532
67,515
💱 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 Samut Sakhon 95 km
From you
  • Pattaya
  • Samut Sakhon

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 Samut Sakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Pattaya or Samut Sakhon?
Pattaya costs about 14% more than Samut Sakhon, 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 Samut Sakhon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,599 per month in Pattaya and $1,402 in Samut Sakhon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Pattaya or Samut Sakhon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Samut Sakhon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $509 there versus $600 in Pattaya.
How much does it cost to live in Pattaya compared to Samut Sakhon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,066 in Pattaya and $935 in Samut Sakhon. That makes Samut Sakhon about 12% cheaper.
How do dining costs compare in Pattaya and in Samut Sakhon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Pattaya and $18 in Samut Sakhon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Pattaya or Samut Sakhon?
It depends on your priorities. Pattaya has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Samut Sakhon to $1,066 in Pattaya. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Pattaya compared to Samut Sakhon?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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