Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratchaburi and Pattaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratchaburi: $950 a month against $1,055 in Pattaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Ratchaburi
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Ratchaburi Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Pattaya
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Pattaya Living Index

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Ratchaburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$950

/mo nomad

Pattaya

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratchaburi and in Pattaya

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

A single person spends $950 per month in Ratchaburi vs $1,055 in Pattaya, rent included.

Ratchaburi $950
Pattaya $1,055

A couple spends around $1,553 per month in Ratchaburi vs $1,734 in Pattaya, rent included.

Ratchaburi $1,553
Pattaya $1,734

A family of three spends $2,157 per month in Ratchaburi vs $2,414 in Pattaya, rent included.

Ratchaburi $2,157
Pattaya $2,414

Ratchaburi is about 10% cheaper than Pattaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ratchaburi and Pattaya are more affordable than the global median – Ratchaburi 30% lower, Pattaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.35 ฿113

$3.04 ฿103

10.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.38 ฿1,228

$32.70 ฿1,104

11.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 ฿301

$8.67 ฿293

2.88%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ฿66.3

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

$0.68 ฿22.81

$0.66 ฿22.37

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.58

$0.29 ฿9.65

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 ฿77.3

$2.38 ฿80.4

-3.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿91.0

$2.65 ฿89.5

1.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.9

$1.70 ฿57.4

2.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ฿49.97

$1.46 ฿49.33

1.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.17

$1.41 ฿47.59

-2.84%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿73.8

$2.17 ฿73.5

0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.62 ฿528

$15.25 ฿515

2.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.64 ฿89.1

$2.55 ฿86.2

3.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ฿350

$9.97 ฿337

3.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿114

$3.38 ฿114

-0.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿40.93

$1.24 ฿41.89

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 ฿63.1

$1.86 ฿62.8

0.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 ฿64.0

$1.87 ฿63.2

1.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 ฿42.12

$1.18 ฿39.93

5.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 ฿35.37

$1.06 ฿35.93

-0.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ฿42.33

$1.22 ฿41.32

2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿15.11

$0.48 ฿16.08

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿144

$4.33 ฿146

-1.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.14 ฿612

$17.95 ฿606

1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿59.4

$1.70 ฿57.3

3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿98.0

$3.00 ฿101

-3.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.63

$0.53 ฿17.92

66.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.62 ฿662

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ฿44.03

$1.30 ฿43.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿36.71

$1.07 ฿36.27

1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.60 ฿122

1.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.47 ฿49.76

2.04%

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

$46.0K ฿1.6M

$45.4K ฿1.5M

1.31%

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

$27.3K ฿922.7K

$26.8K ฿905.6K

1.90%

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

$91.0 ฿3,072

$93.5 ฿3,158

-2.73%

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

$11.51 ฿389

$11.55 ฿390

-0.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.38 ฿655

$19.11 ฿645

1.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.43 ฿1,568

$42.49 ฿1,435

9.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.26 ฿448

$20.52 ฿693

-35.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 ฿260

$7.49 ฿253

2.94%

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

$623 ฿21.1K

$623 ฿21.0K

0.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K ฿480.9K

$14.2K ฿478.6K

0.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 ฿1,742

$51.1 ฿1,724

1.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 ฿972

$29.47 ฿995

-2.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 ฿3,152

$92.5 ฿3,125

0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 ฿2,556

$76.1 ฿2,568

-0.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿14.3K

$618 ฿20.9K

-31.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ฿10.1K

$396 ฿13.4K

-24.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 ฿39.6K

$1,655 ฿55.9K

-29.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 ฿23.4K

$948 ฿32.0K

-26.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,959 ฿66.2K

$2,807 ฿94.8K

-30.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,435 ฿48.5K

$1,808 ฿61.0K

-20.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$456 ฿15.4K

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 Ratchaburi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pattaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ratchaburi

$301 31.6%

Pattaya

$396 37.5% 31.7% $95

Groceries & Markets

Ratchaburi

$246 25.9%

Pattaya

$242 23% 1.4% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratchaburi

$122 12.8%

Pattaya

$124 11.8% 1.9% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ratchaburi

$112 11.8%

Pattaya

$112 10.6% 0.1% $0.1

Eating Out

Ratchaburi

$98 10.3%

Pattaya

$95 9% 3% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Ratchaburi

$62 6.5%

Pattaya

$57 5.5% 7.1% $4.4

Getting Around

Ratchaburi

$10 * 1.1%

Pattaya

$28 2.7% 177% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Ratchaburi versus $618 in Pattaya. 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 $36 in Ratchaburi versus $33 in Pattaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $242 – making Pattaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Ratchaburi

🇹🇭 Pattaya

🕒 Local time

23:27 11:27 PM

Same time as Ratchaburi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,208

119,532

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Ratchaburi Pattaya 130 km

From you

Ratchaburi
Pattaya

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 Pattaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pattaya costs about 11% 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 $1,425 per month in Ratchaburi and $1,583 in Pattaya. 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 $424 there versus $618 in Pattaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $950 in Ratchaburi and $1,055 in Pattaya. That’s a gap of about 11%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ratchaburi and $33 in Pattaya. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $950 in Ratchaburi and $1,055 in Pattaya. 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 $950 in Ratchaburi to $1,055 in Pattaya. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.