Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pattaya and Yala

For one person, living is cheaper in Yala: $951 a month against $1,066 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Yala
Learn more

Yala Living Index

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Pattaya

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,066

/mo nomad

Yala

🇹🇭 Thailand

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pattaya and in Yala

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

A single person spends $1,066 per month in Pattaya vs $951 in Yala, rent included.

Pattaya $1,066
Yala $951

A couple spends around $1,747 per month in Pattaya vs $1,539 in Yala, rent included.

Pattaya $1,747
Yala $1,539

A family of three spends $2,427 per month in Pattaya vs $2,127 in Yala, rent included.

Pattaya $2,427
Yala $2,127

Pattaya costs about 12% more than Yala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pattaya and Yala are more affordable than the global median – Pattaya 21% lower, Yala 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 ฿103

$1.44 ฿48.61

112.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.96 ฿910

$26.66 ฿899

1.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿293

$8.51 ฿287

2.00%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿68.6

$1.90 ฿64.2

6.84%

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

$0.69 ฿23.38

$0.52 ฿17.51

32.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿9.14

$0.17 ฿5.57

58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.5

$2.29 ฿77.3

5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ฿92.0

$3.18 ฿107

-14.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ฿53.6

$1.89 ฿63.8

-15.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ฿49.98

$1.24 ฿41.73

19.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿47.30

$1.21 ฿40.75

15.70%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿71.7

$2.10 ฿70.8

1.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.63 ฿527

$14.75 ฿498

5.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.50 ฿84.2

$2.30 ฿77.7

8.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 ฿345

$10.78 ฿364

-5.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 ฿118

$2.64 ฿89.0

31.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.91

$0.97 ฿32.61

27.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 ฿64.6

$1.86 ฿62.8

2.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 ฿65.3

$1.67 ฿56.5

15.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.70

$1.49 ฿50.2

-16.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$1.11 ฿37.43

-1.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ฿40.90

$1.06 ฿35.85

14.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.50 ฿17.00

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ฿145

$4.31 ฿145

-0.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.91 ฿604

$16.17 ฿546

10.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ฿58.1

$1.71 ฿57.7

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.7

$3.04 ฿103

-5.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ฿17.00

$0.57 ฿19.34

-12.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.41 ฿655

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.28

$1.30 ฿43.83

-10.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 ฿37.75

$1.26 ฿42.64

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ฿117

$5.07 ฿171

-31.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.38

$1.40 ฿47.31

2.14%

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

$45.3K ฿1.5M

$26.4K ฿889.7K

71.69%

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

$27.0K ฿910.4K

$26.7K ฿900.6K

1.08%

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

$91.4 ฿3,085

$76.1 ฿2,567

20.17%

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

$11.68 ฿394

$11.65 ฿393

0.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.30 ฿651

$20.25 ฿683

-4.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.51 ฿1,468

$50.2 ฿1,693

-13.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.09 ฿712

$12.66 ฿427

66.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 ฿262

$6.64 ฿224

16.72%

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

$617 ฿20.8K

0.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K ฿723.0K

$13.8K ฿467.2K

54.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 ฿1,712

$48.68 ฿1,642

4.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.32 ฿989

$25.24 ฿852

16.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 ฿3,171

$75.9 ฿2,562

23.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 ฿2,575

$84.2 ฿2,841

-9.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 ฿20.3K

$508 ฿17.1K

18.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 ฿13.7K

$353 ฿11.9K

14.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 ฿58.8K

$1,220 ฿41.2K

42.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 ฿33.2K

$809 ฿27.3K

21.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,766 ฿93.3K

$2,226 ฿75.1K

24.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ฿62.7K

$1,529 ฿51.6K

21.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$454 ฿15.3K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Yala: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pattaya

$405 38%

Yala

$353 37.1% 12.8% $52

Groceries & Markets

Pattaya

$243 22.8%

Yala

$231 24.3% 4.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pattaya

$122 11.5%

Yala

$108 11.4% 11.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Pattaya

$113 10.6%

Yala

$105 11.1% 6.5% $7.3

Eating Out

Pattaya

$96 9%

Yala

$80 8.5% 16.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Pattaya

$59 5.5%

Yala

$63 6.7% 7.5% $4.4

Getting Around

Pattaya

$28 2.6%

Yala

$9.9 * 1% 64.8% $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 $508 in Yala. 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 Yala. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Pattaya vs $231 in Yala – so Yala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Pattaya

🇹🇭 Yala

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

Same time as Pattaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,532

60,617

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pattaya Yala 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pattaya
Yala

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 Yala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pattaya costs about 12% more than Yala, 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 $1,427 in Yala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $508 there versus $600 in Pattaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,066 in Pattaya and $951 in Yala. That makes Yala about 11% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Pattaya, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,066 in Pattaya and $951 in Yala. 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 $951 in Yala 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.