Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samut Sakhon and Pattaya

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.

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

How much you'll spend in Samut Sakhon 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 Samut Sakhon and in Pattaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

  • Samut Sakhon $935
  • Pattaya $1,066

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

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

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

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

Samut Sakhon is about 12% cheaper than Pattaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Samut Sakhon
Pattaya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.74 ฿58.7
$3.06 ฿103
-43.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.65 ฿595
$26.96 ฿910
-34.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.84 ฿197
$8.68 ฿293
-32.72%
Cappuccino
$1.18 ฿39.73
$2.03 ฿68.6
-41.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 ฿12.62
$0.69 ฿23.38
-46.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 ฿9.16
$0.27 ฿9.14
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.90 ฿64.0
$2.42 ฿81.5
-21.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 ฿90.9
$2.73 ฿92.0
-1.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Samut Sakhon
Pattaya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ฿52.9
$1.59 ฿53.6
-1.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.69
$1.48 ฿49.98
-4.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 ฿47.26
$1.40 ฿47.30
-
Eggs
$2.22 ฿75.0
$2.13 ฿71.7
4.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.45 ฿521
$15.63 ฿527
-1.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.53 ฿85.4
$2.50 ฿84.2
1.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.14 ฿342
$10.22 ฿345
-0.78%
Apples (1kg)
$3.54 ฿120
$3.48 ฿118
1.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.20 ฿40.36
$1.24 ฿41.91
-3.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 ฿62.3
$1.91 ฿64.6
-3.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.87 ฿63.1
$1.93 ฿65.3
-3.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.23 ฿41.60
$1.24 ฿41.70
-0.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.04 ฿35.14
$1.09 ฿36.65
-4.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 ฿41.19
$1.21 ฿40.90
0.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 ฿14.45
$0.40 ฿13.39
7.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.22 ฿142
$4.29 ฿145
-1.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.14 ฿612
$17.91 ฿604
1.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.6
$1.72 ฿58.1
1.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 ฿99.5
$2.87 ฿96.7
2.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Samut Sakhon
Pattaya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.39 ฿13.07
$0.50 ฿17.00
-22.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$19.41 ฿655
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.05 ฿35.50
$1.16 ฿39.28
-9.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 ฿37.85
$1.12 ฿37.75
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.62 ฿122
$3.46 ฿117
4.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 ฿39.57
$1.43 ฿48.38
-18.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.9K ฿1.5M
$45.3K ฿1.5M
-0.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K ฿911.3K
$27.0K ฿910.4K
0.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samut Sakhon
Pattaya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.8 ฿3,164
$91.4 ฿3,085
2.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.33 ฿382
$11.68 ฿394
-3.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.04 ฿642
$19.30 ฿651
-1.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Samut Sakhon
Pattaya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.3 ฿1,697
$43.51 ฿1,468
15.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.99 ฿506
$21.09 ฿712
-28.92%
Cinema Ticket
$7.72 ฿261
$7.75 ฿262
-0.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Samut Sakhon
Pattaya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$619 ฿20.9K
$617 ฿20.8K
0.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.3K ฿718.4K
$21.4K ฿723.0K
-0.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Samut Sakhon
Pattaya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.60 ฿1,674
$50.7 ฿1,712
-2.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.66 ฿1,001
$29.32 ฿989
1.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.1 ฿3,141
$94.0 ฿3,171
-0.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.5 ฿2,581
$76.3 ฿2,575
0.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Samut Sakhon
Pattaya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.2K
$600 ฿20.3K
-15.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$320 ฿10.8K
$405 ฿13.7K
-21.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,158 ฿39.1K
$1,744 ฿58.8K
-33.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$776 ฿26.2K
$983 ฿33.2K
-21.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,033 ฿68.6K
$2,766 ฿93.3K
-26.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,580 ฿53.3K
$1,858 ฿62.7K
-14.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Samut Sakhon
Pattaya
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 Samut Sakhon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Pattaya: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Samut Sakhon
$320
Pattaya
$405 26.6% $85
Groceries & Markets
Samut Sakhon
$242
Pattaya
$243 0.3% $0.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samut Sakhon
$124
Pattaya
$122 1.4% $1.7
Clothing & Footwear
Samut Sakhon
$112
Pattaya
$113 0.6% $0.7
Sport & Entertainment
Samut Sakhon
$66
Pattaya
$59 10.2% $6.7
Eating Out
Samut Sakhon
$63
Pattaya
$96 52.7% $33
Getting Around
Samut Sakhon
$8.2 *
Pattaya
$28 243% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $509 in Samut Sakhon versus $600 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 $18 in Samut Sakhon versus $27 in Pattaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $243 – making Samut Sakhon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Samut Sakhon
🇹🇭 Pattaya
🕒 Local time
21:16 9:16 PM
21:16 9:16 PM
Same time as Samut Sakhon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,515
119,532
💱 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Samut Sakhon Pattaya 95 km
From you
  • Samut Sakhon
  • 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
Samut Sakhon vs Pattaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Samut Sakhon or Pattaya?
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 Samut Sakhon and in Pattaya?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,402 per month in Samut Sakhon and $1,599 in Pattaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Samut Sakhon or Pattaya?
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 Samut Sakhon compared to Pattaya?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Samut Sakhon and $1,066 in Pattaya. That makes Samut Sakhon about 12% cheaper.
How do dining costs compare in Samut Sakhon and in Pattaya?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Samut Sakhon and $27 in Pattaya. 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: Samut Sakhon or Pattaya?
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 Samut Sakhon compared to Pattaya?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Samut Sakhon vs other spots: cost of living compared

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