Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Saraburi

For one person, living is cheaper in Saraburi: $782 a month against $1,041 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pattaya outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

50

Cost of Living Index in Pattaya
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Pattaya Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Saraburi
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Saraburi Living Index

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Pattaya

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,041

/mo nomad

Saraburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pattaya and in Saraburi

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

A single person spends $1,041 per month in Pattaya vs $782 in Saraburi, rent included.

Pattaya $1,041
Saraburi $782

A couple spends around $1,665 per month in Pattaya vs $1,419 in Saraburi, rent included.

Pattaya $1,665
Saraburi $1,419

A family of three spends $2,288 per month in Pattaya vs $2,056 in Saraburi, rent included.

Pattaya $2,288
Saraburi $2,056

Pattaya costs about 33% more than Saraburi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 ฿113

$6.17 ฿206

-45.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.40 ฿1,183

$26.93 ฿900

31.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 ฿296

$6.43 ฿215

37.79%

Cappuccino

$2.06 ฿68.7

$2.28 ฿76.2

-9.65%

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

$0.71 ฿23.64

$0.66 ฿22.15

7.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.40

$0.24 ฿7.99

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.9

$1.99 ฿66.6

18.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ฿88.1

$3.17 ฿106

-16.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ฿59.6

$1.51 ฿50.3

17.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.90

$1.12 ฿37.35

30.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.33 ฿44.47

5.26%

Eggs

$2.19 ฿73.2

$1.96 ฿65.5

11.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.22 ฿509

$16.86 ฿563

-9.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.61 ฿87.2

$2.57 ฿86.0

1.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 ฿339

$9.89 ฿331

2.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ฿114

$5.15 ฿172

-33.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.71

$1.70 ฿56.7

-28.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 ฿62.7

$2.08 ฿69.4

-9.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ฿66.2

$1.90 ฿63.5

4.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.24

$1.50 ฿50.1

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.43

$1.07 ฿35.81

-3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ฿42.21

$1.12 ฿37.51

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿14.97

$0.49 ฿16.38

-8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 ฿148

$4.43 ฿148

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 ฿603

$21.05 ฿703

-14.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿58.8

$1.66 ฿55.4

6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ฿100

$2.80 ฿93.5

6.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ฿20.89

$0.90 ฿30.05

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.40 ฿648

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ฿43.48

$1.05 ฿34.98

23.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ฿37.63

$1.16 ฿38.75

-2.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ฿119

$6.03 ฿202

-41.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ฿49.47

$1.39 ฿46.57

6.47%

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

$46.4K ฿1.5M

$22.9K ฿765.9K

102.25%

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

$26.3K ฿878.9K

$28.8K ฿962.3K

-8.66%

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

$93.7 ฿3,132

$81.9 ฿2,737

14.43%

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

$11.55 ฿386

$11.58 ฿387

-0.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.15 ฿640

$16.63 ฿556

15.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 ฿1,399

$42.66 ฿1,426

-1.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 ฿711

$14.23 ฿476

49.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 ฿255

$6.73 ฿225

13.52%

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

$613 ฿20.5K

$581 ฿19.4K

5.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿480.0K

$6,594 ฿220.4K

117.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 ฿1,714

$51.2 ฿1,712

0.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.14 ฿974

$29.84 ฿997

-2.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 ฿3,160

$77.0 ฿2,572

22.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 ฿2,507

$77.5 ฿2,589

-3.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 ฿18.8K

$428 ฿14.3K

31.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 ฿12.5K

$124 ฿4,154

201.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 ฿50.8K

$1,169 ฿39.1K

30.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 ฿26.4K

$602 ฿20.1K

31.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,560 ฿85.6K

$1,682 ฿56.2K

52.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,428 ฿47.7K

$1,662 ฿55.6K

-14.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$453 ฿15.1K

-0.08%

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 Saraburi: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pattaya

$374 35.9%

Saraburi

$124 15.9% 66.8% $250

Groceries & Markets

Pattaya

$245 23.5%

Saraburi

$259 33.2% 5.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pattaya

$124 12%

Saraburi

$110 14.1% 11.5% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Pattaya

$113 10.8%

Saraburi

$106 13.6% 5.8% $6.5

Eating Out

Pattaya

$99 9.5%

Saraburi

$116 14.8% 16.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Pattaya

$57 5.5%

Saraburi

$56 7.2% 1.8% $1

Getting Around

Pattaya

$29 2.8%

Saraburi

$10 * 1.3% 63.8% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $564 in Pattaya versus $428 in Saraburi. 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 0% higher in Saraburi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Pattaya versus $27.00 in Saraburi. Groceries tell a different story – $245 in Pattaya vs $259 in Saraburi – so Pattaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Pattaya

🇹🇭 Saraburi

🕒 Local time

00:11 12:11 AM

Same time as Pattaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,532

61,900

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Pattaya Saraburi 180 km

From you

Pattaya
Saraburi

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 Saraburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pattaya costs about 33% more than Saraburi, 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 $1,562 per month in Pattaya and $1,173 in Saraburi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saraburi, 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 $1,041 in Pattaya and $782 in Saraburi. That's a gap of about 33%.

Kindergarten costs $613 per month in Pattaya and $581 in Saraburi. 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 Saraburi, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Pattaya at $1,041. In Saraburi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pattaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Saraburi costs $782 versus $1,041 in Pattaya. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Saraburi. 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.