Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratchaburi and Koh Phangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratchaburi: $950 a month against $1,103 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Ratchaburi, Thailand
Koh Phangan, Thailand
Ratchaburi
🇹🇭 Thailand
$950
/mo nomad
Koh Phangan
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,103
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratchaburi and in Koh Phangan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ratchaburi and in Koh Phangan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $950 in Ratchaburi versus $1,103 in Koh Phangan.

  • Ratchaburi $950
  • Koh Phangan $1,103

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,553 in Ratchaburi versus $1,874 in Koh Phangan.

  • Ratchaburi $1,553
  • Koh Phangan $1,874

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,157 in Ratchaburi versus $2,646 in Koh Phangan.

  • Ratchaburi $2,157
  • Koh Phangan $2,646

Living in Ratchaburi costs roughly 14% less than in Koh Phangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ratchaburi 30% lower, Koh Phangan 19% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ratchaburi
Koh Phangan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.35 ฿113
$3.88 ฿131
-13.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.38 ฿1,228
$28.98 ฿979
25.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.92 ฿301
$7.88 ฿266
13.20%
Cappuccino
$1.96 ฿66.3
$2.46 ฿83.2
-20.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 ฿22.81
$0.80 ฿27.06
-15.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.58
$0.44 ฿14.90
-29.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.29 ฿77.3
$2.25 ฿76.0
1.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 ฿91.0
$3.26 ฿110
-17.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ratchaburi
Koh Phangan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.9
$1.59 ฿53.6
9.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 ฿49.97
$1.38 ฿46.60
7.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.37 ฿46.17
$1.44 ฿48.50
-4.86%
Eggs
$2.18 ฿73.8
$2.00 ฿67.4
9.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.62 ฿528
$18.46 ฿623
-15.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.64 ฿89.1
$3.29 ฿111
-19.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.35 ฿350
$10.67 ฿360
-3.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.36 ฿114
$2.72 ฿91.7
23.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.21 ฿40.93
$1.54 ฿52.0
-21.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 ฿63.1
$2.07 ฿69.9
-9.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.89 ฿64.0
$1.93 ฿65.3
-2.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.25 ฿42.12
$1.44 ฿48.63
-13.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.05 ฿35.37
$1.23 ฿41.67
-14.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ฿42.33
$1.07 ฿35.99
16.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 ฿15.11
$0.48 ฿16.06
-6.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.25 ฿144
$4.04 ฿136
5.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.14 ฿612
$17.83 ฿602
1.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 ฿59.4
$1.70 ฿57.5
3.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 ฿98.0
$2.65 ฿89.6
9.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Ratchaburi
Koh Phangan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ฿29.63
$1.32 ฿44.64
-33.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$49.08 ฿1,657
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.30 ฿44.03
$2.61 ฿88.3
-50.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 ฿36.71
$0.96 ฿32.44
13.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.65 ฿123
$3.32 ฿112
9.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$1.33 ฿44.99
12.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$46.0K ฿1.6M
$23.5K ฿795.2K
95.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.3K ฿922.7K
$23.7K ฿799.5K
15.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ratchaburi
Koh Phangan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.0 ฿3,072
$98.0 ฿3,311
-7.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.51 ฿389
$11.12 ฿376
3.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.38 ฿655
$16.94 ฿572
14.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ratchaburi
Koh Phangan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.43 ฿1,568
$67.7 ฿2,286
-31.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.26 ฿448
$10.81 ฿365
22.66%
Cinema Ticket
$7.71 ฿260
$7.68 ฿259
0.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ratchaburi
Koh Phangan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$623 ฿21.1K
$478 ฿16.2K
30.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.2K ฿480.9K
$11.6K ฿391.7K
22.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ratchaburi
Koh Phangan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.6 ฿1,742
$62.1 ฿2,098
-16.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.77 ฿972
$28.52 ฿963
0.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.3 ฿3,152
$96.0 ฿3,242
-2.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.7 ฿2,556
$86.5 ฿2,922
-12.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ratchaburi
Koh Phangan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$424 ฿14.3K
$498 ฿16.8K
-14.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$301 ฿10.1K
$348 ฿11.7K
-13.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,173 ฿39.6K
$1,349 ฿45.6K
-13.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$694 ฿23.4K
$1,007 ฿34.0K
-31.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,959 ฿66.2K
$2,927 ฿98.8K
-33.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,435 ฿48.5K
$2,098 ฿70.9K
-31.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ratchaburi
Koh Phangan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$724 ฿24.4K
-
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 Ratchaburi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ratchaburi
$301
Koh Phangan
$348 15.8% $47
Groceries & Markets
Ratchaburi
$246
Koh Phangan
$254 3.5% $8.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ratchaburi
$122
Koh Phangan
$126 3.5% $4.2
Clothing & Footwear
Ratchaburi
$112
Koh Phangan
$123 9.5% $11
Eating Out
Ratchaburi
$98
Koh Phangan
$107 9.3% $9.1
Sport & Entertainment
Ratchaburi
$62
Koh Phangan
$83 34.3% $21
Getting Around
Ratchaburi
$10 *
Koh Phangan
$62 503% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Ratchaburi and $498 in Koh Phangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36 in Ratchaburi vs $29 in Koh Phangan. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $254, with Ratchaburi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Ratchaburi
🇹🇭 Koh Phangan
🕒 Local time
03:27 3:27 AM
03:27 3:27 AM
Same time as Ratchaburi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,208
💱 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ratchaburi Koh Phangan 420 km
From you
  • Ratchaburi
  • Koh Phangan

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
Ratchaburi vs Koh Phangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ratchaburi and in Koh Phangan?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $950 in Ratchaburi and $1,103 in Koh Phangan, so Ratchaburi is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Ratchaburi compared to Koh Phangan?
You’d need roughly $1,425 in Ratchaburi and $1,654 in Koh Phangan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Ratchaburi and in Koh Phangan?
Rent for a central apartment: $424 in Ratchaburi versus $498 in Koh Phangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Koh Phangan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ratchaburi or Koh Phangan?
All in, you’ll spend $950 per month in Ratchaburi versus $1,103 in Koh Phangan – Ratchaburi is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is feasible on a $800 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Ratchaburi is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Ratchaburi and Koh Phangan?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Ratchaburi or Koh Phangan safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ratchaburi and Koh Phangan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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